Ron laClair other long time BHers

[wollelybugger]

The deer population in Pa. had done a complete turn around. It used to be the mountains were full of deer and were scarce every where else. Now it is just the opposite, the mountains have no deer and the populated counties have the deer problem. I see more deer in town when I hunt than I do in the country.

[Stone Knife]

I see more deer now than ever.

[JCJ]

I started deer hunting here in MN in 1972. In 1971 our season was closed due to lack of deer. I remember that first year of firearms hunting our party of six hunters saw one deer in four days of hunting. Since that time our herd has grown by leaps and bounds to the point where in the mid 2000's we were literally covered up with deer. Today in my permit area I can take 1 buck and up to 4 does. 1/2 mile south of me in a different permit area I can take an unlimited number of does. I see deer almost every day that I hunt. Our annual harvest is about 200,000 animals. The real beauty of MN as a place to hunt is that we have approximately 10 million acres of land open to public hunting.

[Bowwild]

It is amazing to realize the differences in situations from state to state, even within a region and in some cases the state itself.  Boy, if I had known in the 1970's (Indiana) you didn't have to be satisifed with one bow-range opportunity per year, if you were lucky, I would have loved to have gone to Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, etc.  I hadn't even seen a deer track until about 8 hours before I saw that first deer on opening evening! Shoot, I remember around year 2 or 3 of my deer-hunting "career" I saw a grove of "rubbed" up trees and got excited!  Then I realized I was standing in a utility right-of-way and utility worker trucks had driven over these trees and skinned them all up! I would have been setting up to hunt a Dodge Ram (before Dodge rams I think) instead of a Hoosier buck!

In many parts of white-tail range we waited way too long to begin undoing the bias against killing does.  Sure, when you are building the herd they should be protected. But when the herd reached a point where its growth should be slowed we couldn't reverse the anti-doe-killing attitudes.  I fear this is what lead to some of the bad blood between other interests and the hue and cry for herd reduction.  Now, it appears we're going to far the other way (but not in my area) in some places.

Now, in my state I hope we don't do the same thing with elk. We shouldn't protect the 10,000-animal herd so much that it earns a bad reputation with other citizens to the point where "kill em all" becomes the motto of the day.  

Certain wildlife diseases such as CWD and TB have scared the bejeebers out of deer managers. A huge tourism economy (resident, nonresident, and family NR visiting residents) is supported by an abundant deer herd. One thing is certain, a deer herd that is too large (whatever that is) can see what normally might have been restricted movement of the disease become rapid and widespread from animal to animal.

[maxplan]

Ohio Populations have grown. The Central WV deer herd has dramatically shrunk due to disease the past 10 years.

[bkyrdshooter]

I live in central Ohio and have hunted deer and small game in this area from the time I could carry my own weight and keep up with my stepfather. Mind you that I'm only 36 and and I have no where near that years under my belt as some here do. I can attest that our deer population has increased in the few years I have been at it. I have not put so much time into deer hunting in my recent years but more towards small game. I love the fun of the hunt when it come to small game. Around here most of the small game has all but disappeared.I think this is due to the fact that there is more predators out there for small game versus large game.

 In the three adjoining cities where I live have adopted urban hunting only for bowhunters. I think this is great and an easy solution to the issue of posies being eaten and deer being stuck by vehicles. The hoops you have to go through just to be able to hunt in an urban area is crazy. Some of the requirements that need to be met restrict so many that the area you could hunt are limited to a hand full of select areas. It is hard to find good areas to hunt that aren't already flooded be the run of the mill weekend hunters that are out there and or only permit freinds and family.

  In my oppinion these ares need to be doe only forcing the population to decline or move else where to take away that over population. sorry for the rambling. Just get typing and cant't stop.

[tippit]

There wasn't even a deer season in Ohio when I was in high school in the 60's...Doc

[Ray Hammond]

ronp,

I was speaking specifically about SC, since that's wehre most of my hunting takes place nowadays.

The severe winter I'm talking about is really unrelated to snow since we rarely get that, although we had a really unbelievable 5 or 6 inch snow event last March 25th!

What I'm talking about is this-

Historically, our winter is about 4 weeks long- and we'd have maybe 5 days of sub 32 degree weather that would be a single day, then followed by three to four days or more of over 50 degree weather, and very little rain. So we tend to have an 11 month growing season, so food is almost always available to deer.

Our deer are much smaller in stature,80-90 lb live weight does are the norm, they have shorter hair, and are unused to living in a place that now has a 2 month or longer winter where temps are staying sub 20 degrees for several days in a row- having 5-6 inches of snow at the end of March, and two ten inch rains within a 10 day period in 2009,with very low but not freezing temperatures. We have also, with teh exception of those two enormous rain events, been plagued by multi-year severe, record breaking droughts during the last 10 years.

We don't have agriculture....so our critters depend on wild browse and grasses in those lean months with a sprinkling of corn from feeders.

2009 we lost our entire turkey hatch due to floods of record proportions ...I don't know how much impact its really having on deer- the two multi-year droughts and all the rest, I'm just speculating, but I would say two months of almost nothing to eat alone during the time the does are carrying those fawns would tend to impact fawn production where in the absence of such tribulations in the past would have favored fawn production more?

In Georgia, where I live, I know the deer herd is down - I was a member of the GA Dept of Natural Resources Whitetail Deer Management Committee that developed a 10 year plan for herd management.

They aggressively addressed the reduction in the herd they wanted to see- our auto insurers and farmers lobbies were adamant they wanted to see the numbers reduced- 12 tags a year and lengthened seasons-( the addition of crossbows to bow season-done prior to the committee formation) are all evidence of their aggressive approach to herd reduction.

If you kill more deer, and with 10 doe tags per hunter plus cull permits etc I think that would tend to work in that direction, you're going to see less deer.  

On the other hand, with the addition of QDMA style selective buck harvest in many counties, and also that being implemented on many WMA's and private property as well, the 125-170 class of buck deer have virtually exploded with more and better deer being taken year after year.

[Razorbak]

when I started hunting in NH 15 years ago..in the area I hunt and  and live has the highest amount of deer in the state..I was seeing about 15 to 20 deer a DAY and filling ALL my tags..even with the extra doe tag..I was filling that as well..then about 8years ago..I started seeing a decline in sightings even road kill and then all a sudden..you was lucky even to see 10 deers a season...now Im lucky if I see 1 deer a season..this is just not a coincindence..alot of my buddys say the same thing..1 of my friends hunt 90% of the season and very knoweledgeable and hasnt even seen a deer in 2 years..not even seing deer in the summer time and barely seen any roadkill but the state says the population is stable and getting better..alot of people over the years that I talked to wish that our deer population is more like our neighboring state of MASS..alot of guys I know dont even look forward to hunt NH...but deer are being killed in our state but has low success rate compared to other New England states and anywhere else..when I first started hunting in Ga as a kid..it was awesome..I was seeing deer everywhere and filling my tags..population was at that time was 750k+ then increase to 1 million + before I moved to Germany and unable to hunt for 9 years..havent kept up in Ga. population since then so I dont know..went to hunt a couple years in NY a few years ago with a friend who I lost touch with and that was AMAZING..we drive around at night and see 100s of deers and during all parts of the day see tons of deers and turkeys everywhere..people yards on the roads..just everywhere and keep seeing deer during hunting time..just amazing..probaly help where my friends family lived and the country side..it was in the cooperstown area..most awesome place I ever seen ...so what Im gathering in recent post..every place is regional..either hit or miss..1 person in one state is having the time of his life but another person in the same state is struggling...hopefully when Im able to hunt again next year (recovering from work injuries) I can see a deer and hopefully kill it because now I definitly need it for food more so than other years

[greyghost]

Originally posted by Lin Rhea:
Where I hunt, the population is higher BECAUSE I started trad hunting.       Lin

 


Since 1958, deer, bear, turkey populations have increased expeditiously. Of course I am sure it depends on the area one hunts. Food sourse, diseases, etc. over the years.

[bear1336]

Been bowhunting 53 years deer numbers are a lot greater than back than.

[MnFn]

In the 60's, my mom would drive me out to a patch of woods,drop me off and then she and/or my dad would pick me up after dark. I was too young to drive, but old enough to deer hunt with a bow.

It was exciting when I just got within 50 yards of a deer. I loved being in the woods. Still do.

Yes, I see a lot more deer now. Although this year was down some in numbers.
gary

[Huntschool]

I moved to Southern Illinois in 1968 for school so I guess I have been here for the better part of the re development of the Illinois deer herd.

Old timers here said it was an unusual sighting to even see a deer track in the late 40's and early 50's here in southern Illinois and its some pretty wild country. Food and cover resources have changed dramatically over the course of time as well. I can tell you without a thought that the deer herd has grown in an almost exponential curve. However, currently, we seem to have either leveled off or droped a bit.  Illinois manages its herd on a numbers base...  Most deer for the most people.. (read some of that as $$$$$)

The first year I bowhunted here (1968) I saw about 30 deer.  Killed a great buck but saw very few hunters.  Thats all changed now including tag costs and bag limits.

The reintroduction repopulation was dramatic to say the least.

One more comment.. Bowwild has hit the nail on the head with everything he has written here.  I did not go into Gov employment.  My choice.  But I have to loudly second his comment regarding biologists being hunters.  You need to watch yer butts on this one....  I mean it!!!!  Seems to me that the majority of biologists today are non hunters and this ain't gonna work.  Not to mention the Gun and Badge CPO's we are producing.

Do not get me on this soap box...  I fear Bowwild and I would rant for months on this stuff....