The 20th white-tailed deer hunt was completed at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge January 3-4, 2009.  The first hunt was initiated in January 1988 to reduce an overabundant white-tailed deer population that had nearly eliminated woodland understory, damaged croplands and caused numerous vehicle/deer accidents on adjacent state highways.  In the past 20 years, 15,029 individuals have applied for the 3,762 permits killing 2,638 deer ( an average of 132 deer/year) with 66 percent of successful hunters harvesting at least 1 deer.

This year, 735 hunters applied for the 127 permits with a potential to harvest 4 anterless deer using muzzleloading firearms.  Of the 127 successful applicants, only 109 showed up to hunt expending approximately 1,569 hours harvesting 153 animals, a success rate of 69%.  The mean number of deer harvested per participant was 1.4.  Thirty-four individuals failed to take home a deer while 31 took 1 deer, 17 took 2 deer, 20 took 3 deer and 7 individuals harvested their limit of 4 deer.

All deer were weighed and aged at the refuge deer check station . Of the 153 havested animals, 46 were males (anterless) and 107 females.  All total, 80 were fawns, 24 yearlings and 49 adults.  Average weight (in pounds)  for the fawn females were 54, 93 for the yearlings and 102 for the adults.  The legally harvested adult males were more than 40 pounds heavier but yearling and fawn males were close to the same weight as the females.