What is interesting, though, is the large percentage of deer that come from private land compared to the land ownership averages. So, it’s no shocker that more deer are bagged on private. Still, that breaks down to more than 600 million acres of huntable land. Of course, nowhere near all of that is open to deer hunting much of it comes in the form of un-hunted lands. Federal, state and local governments own the balance. Department of Agriculture (USDA), private individuals and corporations own about 60 percent of U.S. 'But there’s only around 250,000 deer killed in the West, so even if all of them were on public land, the total would still be less than 1 million.'Ĭlearly, many more deer are killed on America’s private soil than grounds open to all. 'This doesn’t include the western U.S., as those states can’t differentiate the harvest data,' Adams said. During that same timespan, approximately 700,000 were killed on public lands. Kip Adams, chief conservation officer for the NDA, is a highly respected member of their staff and earlier this year he presented interesting harvest data at the Southeastern Deer Study Group Meeting in Louisiana.Īccording to Adams, during the 2021–22 deer seasons, more than 5.21 million deer were tagged on private lands. When it comes to whitetail data compilation and dissemination, there is no better resource than the National Deer Association (NDA). (Photo by Honeycutt Creative) Private vs. Both private- and public-land deer hunters have a voice and can impact important deer-hunting policies. It’s clear that isn’t going to change anytime soon … if ever.

While a vast amount of land in America is open to public hunting, the overwhelming percentage of harvested deer come from private lands. Over time, as state wildlife agencies have improved at compiling and analyzing harvest data, stark trends have emerged. Both are beloved for various, and oftentimes different, reasons. Both public and private offer different advantages, disadvantages and challenges. Private-land hunters are just as noble and skilled as public-land voyagers. Of course, the latter portion of that statement isn’t true. It’s even led to a macho-man mentality that 'true' hunters pursue game on public lands, while lesser men and women hunt private.

Oftentimes, it overshadows talks of private-land adventures and accomplishments. The great success story that is America’s public lands is a grand one.

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