An Estimate of Unretrieved Deer Following a Muzzleloader Hunt

Air and ground crews conducted a search for carcasses of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) following a 5-day, either-sex muzzleloader hunt. The search covered 48.4% of the refuge>s 5,047 ha. A total of 8 carcasses was found with muzzleloader wounds. Based on the area covered, an estimate of 16.5 unretrieved deer (23.9% of the 69 deer harvested) was calculated. Interviewed hunters reported 16 unretrieved deer or 23.2% of the total harvest. All 8 carcasses found were adult does. This differed from the harvest results in which only 32% were adult does.