Fewer hunters and lower success rates reported last year

Fewer mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk were reported harvested last year than a year earlier, according to Idaho Fish And Game.

Statewide elk and deer harvests in 2019 were down between 8 and 13 percent compared to 2018, Idaho Fish and Game said. The number of deer hunters in Idaho was also down by 5.5 percent, while the number of elk hunters was down approximately 1.5 percent. Success rates also dropped.

About 4,200 fewer mule deer hunters and 3,500 fewer whitetail hunters were reported statewide in 2019 compared with 2018.

The white-tailed deer harvest and mule deer harvest were both below their respective 10-year averages, while elk harvest was slightly above.

— Ralph Bartholdt