REGIONAL—It appears that cold, wind, and snow didn’t discourage deer hunters here in the North Country during opening weekend of the regular firearms deer season, as hunters registered more deer through the first Monday of the season than at any time since 2021.
Back-to-back exceptionally mild winters in the region likely played a role in the improved hunter success, which included higher numbers of both bucks and antlerless deer.
The improved harvest comes despite weather conditions that were far from ideal for hunters. Opening day brought some of the coldest temperatures of the late fall so far, along with gusty winds and on-and-off snow showers that left anywhere from one-to-three inches of snow on the ground. That snow cover may well have aided hunters, since a backdrop of white often helps them spot deer movements in the woods.
Despite the chilly conditions, hunters registered a total of 1,806 deer across the eight permit areas that the Timberjay tracks each season, including permit areas 107, 109, 118, 119, 130, 176, 177, and 178. That amounts to a six percent increase over last year’s totals after the opening weekend and the highest number of deer registered in those eight permit areas since 2021. Adult bucks accounted for 1,528 of those registrations, with antlerless deer accounting for 278.
Tower area conservation officer Aaron Larson said hunter success was spotty. “Hunters were finding pockets of deer from what I saw,” he said. “Others just saw a few fawns and does, but I have seen some bucks on the ground.”
While hunter success remains lower than five years ago, this year marked the fourth straight season of slowly rising buck registrations. That’s a sign the region is gradually recovering from back-to-back deep snow winters in 2021-22 and 2022-23. While hunting success remains lower than experienced prior to those tough winters, Larson said hunters he spoke to over the weekend had few complaints and seemed happy to be outside or at their deer camp with friends and family.
Hunters can look forward to better weather this coming weekend, which could encourage more of them to spend time on their stands. The latest forecast for the weekend suggests highs Saturday in the mid-to-upper 40s, with sharply cooler temperatures for Sunday.