AUGUSTA — Maine game officials say the fall deer harvest total was 11 percent higher than during the 2009 season. Preliminary figures show a tally of 20,063 deer taken by hunters.

State Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife deer biologist Lee Kantar said Friday that the winter of 2010 ranked as one of the mildest in the past 60 years, a contrast to the harsh back-to-back winters of 2008 and 2009.

Kantar said the mild winter provided a much-needed break to deer and that explains much of the increase in the 2010 harvest.

Increases were recorded across the northern tier of the state and portions of western Maine.

Overall, hunters enjoyed an increase in buck hunting success, but a decrease in the number of adult does taken.