{"id":11354,"date":"2019-11-13T11:50:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T11:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=11354"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:52:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:52:07","slug":"deer-harvest-data-collection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/deer-harvest-data-collection\/","title":{"rendered":"Deer Harvest Data Collection"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Six pieces of data to collect from deer you harvest this year<br \/>\n<\/strong>Deer season is upon us in Indiana! If you are a serious hunter and deer manager, here are some things you should consider collecting from deer you harvest. This data provides valuable insights to the deer herd condition, and when combined with hunter observation data and habitat data, like browse transects, you can get a clear picture of the deer herd and habitat quality on your property. However, one year of harvest data is unlikely to be much of value, but collecting data over multiple years can help you track trends in the herd and habitat quality.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What to collect<br \/>\n<\/strong>When you harvest a deer on your property you should consider collecting the following pieces of biological information:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sex<\/li>\n<li>Age<\/li>\n<li>Weight<\/li>\n<li>Lactation status<\/li>\n<li>Antler measurements<\/li>\n<li>Rumen contents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>*Each deer you harvest should be assigned a unique ID number to be sure all the following data is assigned to the right deer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 25px\"><em>Sex and Age<\/em><br \/>\nCollecting deer sex and age (based on tooth replacement and wear) can help you divide the rest of the data you collect into sex and age classes. Find out how to determine age by viewing <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Aem65RBHL98\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Age Determination in White-Tailed Deer<\/a> video. You do not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DeerScale.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-0\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-11358 alignright\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DeerScale-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Deer scale\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>necessarily have to age a deer to the exact year, but you should separate ages into at least 3 age classes; fawns, yearlings, and &gt;= 2.5 years old. This can be important for tracking changes to the average weight per age class or average antler measurements per age class over time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 25px\"><em>Weight<\/em><br \/>\nYou can collect either live weights or dressed weights, but you should pick one or the other and collect all weights consistently. Be sure to test your scales for accuracy before weighing deer. Tracking changes to the average weight per age class can provide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/LactationStatus.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-1\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-11360 alignright\" style=\"margin-top: 0px;margin-bottom: 5px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/LactationStatus-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Lactation status\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>information about the nutritional status of the herd.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 25px\"><em>Lactation Status<\/em><br \/>\nLactation status of does is often used as an index of fawn recruitment and can help determine if a doe had a fawn the summer preceding the hunting season. Lactation status for does harvested early in the season can be checked by squeezing the teats to produce milk you may need to cut into the mammary gland on does harvested later in the season to check lactation status.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 25px\"><em>Antler measurements<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/AntlerMeasurement.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-2\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-11357 alignright\" style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;margin-top: 0px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/AntlerMeasurement-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Antler measurement\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nAntler measurements should be collected from bucks harvested on your property, including yearlings. Find out how to measure the antlers by viewing <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cCbBnILVsrM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Score Your White-Tailed Deer<\/a> video. \u00a0At a minimum, you should collect the number of points on each antler and the basal circumference of the main beams.\u00a0 You may also consider collecting the inside spread of the antlers and the main beam lengths. Additionally, you can collect the gross Boone &amp; Crockett Score.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 25px\"><em>Rumen contents<\/em><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/StoolSample.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-3\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-11361 alignright\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px;margin-top: 0px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/StoolSample-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Deer stool sample\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>This piece of data can be helpful from a scouting and hunting aspect. Looking into the rumen of a deer can help you determine what deer may be eating during the portion of the year the deer was harvested. You may find green material (which can be hard to identify), corn, acorns, or whatever else deer may be consuming.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Things you need to collect harvest data<br \/>\n<\/strong>Here is a list of items you might need to collect data from harvested deer.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jawbone extractor<\/li>\n<li>Knife<\/li>\n<li>Loppers<\/li>\n<li>Scale<\/li>\n<li>Jawbone tag or permanent marker<\/li>\n<li>Flexible measuring tape<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/harvestlog2018-edited.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-4\" data-rl_title=\"harvestlog2018-edited\" data-rl_caption=\"harvestlog2018-edited\" title=\"harvestlog2018-edited\">White-tailed deer harvest datasheet<\/a> (if you need any further information please contact <a class=\"_ymio1r31 _ypr0glyw _zcxs1o36 _mizu194a _1ah3dkaa _ra3xnqa1 _128mdkaa _1cvmnqa1 _4davt94y _4bfu1r31 _1hms8stv _ajmmnqa1 _vchhusvi _kqswh2mm _ect4ttxp _syaz13af _1a3b1r31 _4fpr8stv _5goinqa1 _f8pj13af _9oik1r31 _1bnxglyw _jf4cnqa1 _30l313af _1nrm1r31 _c2waglyw _1iohnqa1 _9h8h12zz _10531ra0 _1ien1ra0 _n0fx1ra0 _1vhv17z1\" title=\"mailto:fnrextension@purdue.edu\" href=\"mailto:fnrextension@purdue.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-renderer-mark=\"true\" data-is-router-link=\"false\" data-testid=\"link-with-safety\">fnrextension@purdue.edu<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Putting all of this data together can give you a picture into the condition of the deer herd on your property. Collecting this data only takes a small amount of time and effort and the information you gather is well worth it! For more information of how to collect biological data from harvested deer, check out this video from Purdue Extension.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Help the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) collect biological data from harvested deer<br \/>\n<\/strong>Most of the data we discussed in this blog post and that is covered in the <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/j3rd12FJnn8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">White-Tailed Deer Post Harvest Collection<\/a> video, are data the Indiana DNR is collecting through an online post-harvest survey. This is a great opportunity for hunters to help the DNR collect data that will be used to manage the deer herd throughout the state. More information about the after the hunt survey can be found by visiting the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.in.gov\/dnr\/fishwild\/9813.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Indiana DNR Deer After Hunt Survey<\/a> page. If you are successful in harvesting a deer in Indiana this year, be sure to check your email for a link to the survey.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Additional Resources:<br \/>\n<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Aem65RBHL98\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Age Determination in White-Tailed Deer<\/a> video, Purdue Extension &#8211; FNR YouTube Playlist<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cCbBnILVsrM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Score Your White-Tailed Deer<\/a> video,\u00a0Purdue Extension &#8211; FNR YouTube Playlist<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/j3rd12FJnn8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">White-Tailed Deer Post Harvest Collection<\/a> video,\u00a0Purdue Extension &#8211; FNR YouTube Playlist<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/HarvestLog2018.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">White-Tailed Deer Harvest Log<\/a>\u00a0(pdf), Purdue Extension-FNR<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.in.gov\/dnr\/fishwild\/8367.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Indiana Deer Hunting, Biology and Management<\/a>, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.in.gov\/dnr\/fishwild\/2343.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Indiana Hunting and Trapping Guide<\/a>, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/wp.auburn.edu\/deerlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/61Ext2012-Deer-Data-Collection.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Managing White-Tailed Deer: Collecting Data from Harvested Deer<\/a>, Alabama Cooperative Extension System<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/contact-us\/directory\/jarred-m-brooke\/\">Jarred Brooke<\/a>,\u00a0Wildlife Extension Specialist<br \/>\nDepartment of Forestry &amp; Natural Resource, Purdue University<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Six pieces of data to collect from deer you harvest this year Deer season is upon us in Indiana! If you are a serious hunter and deer manager, here are some things you should consider collecting from deer you harvest. This data provides valuable insights to the deer herd condition, and when combined with hunter [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,45,859,54,622],"tags":[176,390,63,696,225,72],"class_list":["post-11354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-forestry","category-howto","category-nature-of-teaching","category-wildlife","category-woodlands","tag-deer","tag-dnr","tag-how-to","tag-indiana-dnr","tag-video","tag-wildlife","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11354"}],"version-history":[{"count":59,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40911,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11354\/revisions\/40911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}