Delaware Reports 3rd Largest Deer Harvest on Record

Delaware fish and wildlife officials say this year's deer harvest is the third-largest on record.

Officials on Friday said hunters harvested 14,263 deer during the 2013-2014 season.

That's a 7.2 percent increase from last season and not far off the all-time record of 14,669 in the 2004-2005 season.

Officials said several records were set during this year's hunting season, including an all-time high of 2,446 deer taken during archery season.

Officials attributed the bountiful harvest to favorable habitat conditions stemming from a cool and wet spring and summer and an exceptional hard mast crop last year. They also noted that the deer population seemed to recover quickly from a 2012 outbreak of a potentially lethal viral disease.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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