Czech hunting statistics show record deer yields and declining duck harvests

Data from the Czech Statistical Office reveals significant shifts in hunting yields for the most recent season, spanning from last April to this March. Hunters recorded record-high numbers for fallow deer, which saw a 6.5 percent increase to 53,494 specimens, and rose in roe deer and wild boar populations as well. Conversely, rabbit harvests fell to a historical low, dropping 28.8 percent to 25,924.

As the wild duck hunting season begins, statistics show a continuing downward trend in duck harvests. The number of wild ducks taken fell by 7.9 percent to 181,523, continuing a long-term decline from levels exceeding 255,000 in 2015.

Hunting organizations, including the Czech-Moravian Hunting Union, attribute the decline in waterfowl to European restrictions on lead shot. While the Ministry of the Environment announced that the scope of lead restrictions would be narrower than originally proposed—focusing on mass shot rather than single pellets or bullets—hunters remain concerned about the safety and effectiveness of steel alternatives.