BISMARCK (AP) -- The state Game and Fish Department says consecutive harsh winters and increased hunting licenses have dropped North Dakota's deer population to its lowest level in a decade.
State Transportation Department records show the number of vehicle-deer collisions mirrors the animals' decline.
Randy Kreil, the Game and Fish Department's wildlife division chief, says aerial surveys done in January and February show up to a 40 percent drop in deer numbers over much of the state.
The Game and Fish Department has attempted this decade to reduce deer numbers in the state, after several mild winters that boosted the population.
