One area where the deer population has been increasing over the long term is the Neuse River watershed in the central Coastal Plain. It still only has a density of 25 to 35 deer per square mile, where other areas of the coastal plain have densities of 35 to 45 deer per square mile.

"Another area where the deer herd may be increasing slightly is the Piedmont," Stanford said. "Both the northern and southern Piedmont regions appear to have deer populations that are slightly on the increase. These are urbanized areas where we've lost hunting as a management tool. But some areas of the Piedmont have still been getting a lot of hunting pressure the past couple of years."

Still, there are some surprising anomalies. In the central deer region, hunters are able to harvest more deer per square mile than in the eastern deer region. Even the shortened season in the northwestern region is showing that same fact.

"In the eastern region, we are harvesting the fewest deer per square mile," Stanford said. "When we first expanded the either-sex seasons and other hunting seasons along the coast, that region had the higher harvest rates. That's simply not the situation today. It's reversed and it's been like that for a while, since around 2003 or so."

One coastal area where the deer population trend appears to be upward is the Cape Fear area, along the southern Coastal Plain. However, Stanford said that would only be substantiated with more time.

"The eastern gun season was 68 days long in 2006," Stanford said. It was 44 days long in the central region and 25 days long in the northwestern region. But the buck harvest per square mile of habitat was 2.5 in the eastern region, 3.2 in the central region and 3.3 in the northwestern region. For does, the harvest was 1.7 per square mile in the eastern region, 2.4 in the central region and 3.1 in the northwestern region. The harvest totals were 4.5 deer per square mile of habitat in the eastern region, 5.9 in the central region and 6.7 in the northwestern region. The length of the eastern deer season is 55 percent longer than the central region, but the doe harvest is 42 percent higher per square mile in the central region than in the eastern region. The length of the eastern deer season was 172 percent longer than the northwestern season, but the doe harvest per square mile of habitat was 85 percent higher in the northwestern region."

Even the population dynamics are showing higher deer densities in the central and northwestern regions. The Coastal Plain population has an estimated population of 37 deer per square mile of habitat, the Piedmont has an estimated 43, and the northwestern region has approximately 42.

"But if you exclude the Northern Pamlico Deer Management Area, including Hyde, Dare, Pamlico and Washington counties and the Sandhills area, which also has a low deer density, the rest of the Coastal Plain is comparable to the rest of the state, with 42 deer per square mile excluding those two coastal areas with low deer densities," Stanford said.

Further harvest increases will be based more on hunter attitudes and effectiveness than anything else, with population densities essentially the same statewide. Stanford said he feels that given longer seasons, hunters appear to use the increased opportunity to harvest buck deer rather than does. During shorter seasons, they tend to target more does.

On a statewide basis, a 2005 mail survey of the state's hunters showed 71 percent of hunters take no does, 18 percent take one doe, 8 percent take two does, 2 percent take three does and 1 percent take four or more does. Sixty-two percent take no bucks, 24 percent take one buck, 11 percent take two bucks, 3 percent take three bucks, and 1 percent take four bucks.

"Looking at that data, we are relying on 30 percent of our hunters to harvest does," Stanford said. "Data indicates we have plenty of hunters out there to have increasing harvests if they would just shoot more does. Hunters have always had selectivity toward harvesting bucks. But that is changing slowly."

Some regulation changes that may increase the deer harvest this season include the new Bonus Antlerless Deer Harvest Report Cards available on private lands in counties with maximum either-sex seasons that will be applicable for all weapons seasons, and areas participating in the new Urban Archery season in January. Bonus Antlerless cards cost $5 for two deer. Some counties and game lands have also had an increase in the length of either-sex hunting seasons. These changes won't affect many hunters, but a few individuals who are hindered in their management goals by the current bag limits may harvest a few more deer.

The Urban Archery Season was approved too late for cities wanting to participate to complete the necessary paperwork requests. Notification is required by April 1 each year and must include a map of the area. Cities can impose the restrictions they wish, including proficiency tests and other safety measures. The season runs from the second Saturday in January until the fifth Saturday following.