Estimated Annual Deer Kill (also below, reported kill, with links to data sources)

1998:  34,759

1999:  33,874

2000:  40,632

2001:  34,417

2002:  33,311

2003:  29,317

2004:  37,746

2005:  29,566

2006:  28,581

2007:  33,367

2008:  29,612

2009:  27,900

2010:  26,425

2011:  28,927

2012:  32,954

2013:  31,076

2014:  37,951

2015:  38,199

2016:  32,514

2017:  28,593

2018:  28,682

2019:  28,043

2020:  25,986

2021:  31,986

2022: 30,096

2023:  29,580

Reported Annual Deer Hunt and links to historic data

1911:    6,200

1912:    7,800

1913:    8,100

1914:    9,000

1915:    8,100

1916:    8,117

1917:    Closed to 1927 to preserve herd 

1927:  19,292

1928:  21,163

1929:  21,148

1930:  24,067

1931:  25,693

1932:  18,509

1933:  17,671

1934:  20,696

1935:   22,032

1936:  24,954

1937:  32,113

1938:  35,035

1939:  43,225

1940:  46,367

1941:  43,655

1942:  26,526

1943:  25,570

1944:  36,182

1945:  37,775

1946:  48,645

1947:  47,416

1948:  47,718

1949:  52,502

1950:  48,129

1951:  66,505

1952:  50,882

1953:  58,936

1954:  76,273

1955:  78,643

1956:102,636

1957:  68,262

1958:  62,251

1959:  75,460

1960:  82,182

1961:  72,540

1962:  59,813

1963:  60,167

1964:  71,126

1965:  66,627

1966:  75,954

1967:  46,006

1968:  54,468

1969:  51,290

1970:  40,115

1971:  41,218

1972:  38,569

1973:  31,300

1974:  23,810

1975:  26,679

1976:  29,875

1977:  37,062

1978:  31,516

1979:  36,321

1980:  32,899

1981:  42,586

1982:  31,963

1983:  26,524

1984:  32,659

1985:  32,798

1986:  31,067

1987:  26,580

1988:  25,986

1989:  28,399

1990:  26,454

1991:  25,853

1992:  29,192

1993:  23,406

1994:  23,773

1995:  17,230

1996:  23,658

1997:  20,937

1998:  18,755

1999:  18,639

2000:  22,508

2001:  18,900

2002:  18,315

2003:  16,288

2004:  20,925

2005:  16,430

2006:  16,240

2007:  18,978

2008:  16,941

2009:  16,088

2010:  14,817

2011:  10,892

2012:  12,526

2013:  14,733

2014:  14,243

2015:  19,639 *

2016:  27,608 *

2017:  21,749 *

2018:  22,029*

2019:  21,333*

2020:  19,568*

2021:  23,521*

2022:  21,871*

2023:  21,014*

* Mandatory harvest reporting in 2015 increased the reporting rate.

Deer Harvest Data

Recently, California also provides an estimated harvest.

Since 2010 generally the number of deer killed for Private Land Management (PLM) are not included in totals.

The California Deer Decline, 1950s to 1976

1910 California Fish and Game Report