Deer population in USA

[Bighornangler]

I was wondering if the deer population is down all accross the country. It is definately down where I live in New Jersey and I have similar reports from other Jersey hunters as well as some New York hunters. How about where you live?

[kleine]

We don't have anywhere near the pop. we use to!

[LKH]

After this winter, there will be many areas with a lot less deer and zero yearlings.  

Also, the east coast guys are facing the coyote, one of the most efficient fawn killers in existence.  

You will never get the coyote under control.  The more you kill, the bigger the litters.  I think you just have to face the fact that your numbers will be less than historical. In many areas that's a good thing.

[snag]

We get one deer tag. Numbers have been falling since the bad winter kill off of '94. The public voted to not allow hunting cats with dogs or bait bears (which are effective ways of killing predators and keeping their numbers in check) which has taken a toll on them. We used to have 3000 cougars now we have around double that amount. Biologist will tell you that a cat will kill on the average one deer a week....52 weeks in a year...NOT GOOD! Now we have wolves coming in and establishing packs. Not a good future for deer here in Oregon.
Compare that to some states that give out 5 or 6 deer tags.....     :rolleyes:

[Sharptop]

I'm in a hunt club 30 miles north of Atlanta, about 3,500 acres. Last year we started trapping coyotes and caught 72. No telling how many more are out there. I believe it is taking a huge toll.

[ArrowAtomik]

When I lived in Jersey, the population being down would have been a good thing.  It seemed like I couldn't walk through the woods without tripping over a half dozen scraggly 60lbers.  A good winter kill leaves the strong behind and helps get things a little better balanced.

[katman]

It is down here in SC. Local biologist said it is a problem all across the southeast. Coyotes and hogs are expanding here.

[head_hunter]

I didn't see any decrease where I hunt but I did see less bucks this year. I usually see about a dozen different bucks and get 20 or so on my cameras. This year I only seen about half that. I did see a significant dcrease in the turkey population everywhere I hunt though

[hydrasport205]

down in ohio and kentucky  coyotes!!!

[Bonebuster]

In my area of the north east protion of Michigan`s lower penninsula, the deer population is a mere shadow of what it once was.

[Ranger44]

Minnesota's herd is doing well depending on whom you ask.  In my part of the state (SE) we have been getting bonus permits for a few years and they are getting close to where they want the herd in many places and planned to cut back on bonus permits a little.  

Then a deer taken last year tested positive for CWD.  They are in the process right now of taking around 900 deer out of a circle of about a 10 mile diameter.  They took around 450 by landowner permits and the USDA sharpshooters are now shooting. So far no more have tested positive.  We'll see where it goes from there.

[John Scifres]

Still rockin' in IN.  We set another kill record last season.

[rdoggsilva]

Here in Utah the mule deer herds are also down.The 2012 season we will lose about 13000 deer tags and go the 29 micro regions. But no one knows why there down, but after this winter there will be less.

[TxAg]

There are gazillions down here.

[LCH]

Here in the piedmont of NC it seems like there are more deer than ever but it may be because there is less habitat. Urban Sprawl is reducing the size of wood lots. The bucks seem to be getting bigger.LCH

[brian brooks]

Talking with buddies,and with what i've seen lately we are definatley down here in southern iowa/nortern mo.Iowa shot over 1800 shed bucks in the last two years during a late doe season w/rifles.Can't understand it......Why do they do it so late?????Sickening think'n about what some of them would be like

[Bighornangler]

From reading these post and talking to other hunters, my read is that in some states the population is down all over and in others only in some areas. Example: John Scifres says that they are rockin in Indiana, but another member of this site who I know and is from the NW part if IN. says it is definately down there.
For LKH-It is not only the coyotes here in NJ, but even worse are the bears. I have a friend who's daughter is a bioligist in NY and she claims the bears are a bigger threat mainly due to there nose. They don't miss many newborn fawns.
I personaly think that here in the east and particularly where I live in NE Jersey, the larger problem is the change of habitat. It is now mostly hardwoods with very little vegetation that the deer can reach. One thing I can say for sure is that it is not hunting pressure. That is way down here.

[redpepper49]

Tennessee population stable. Unit L has a limit of 3 does per day.        feed them coyotes gut piles.

[Blackstick]

I personally saw fewer deer and no bucks. I hunted 40 days both on public and private grounds. Even though we set a new record this past year in Indiana, I think this was because there were no crops in the fields when the gun season started. Also, we have extremely liberal harvest numbers thanks to the Insurance industry. A person can legally kill over 400 in one year.

[wapitimike1]

The state of Connecticuts way down in the last ten years also. The allocation of way to many tags along with exploding bear and yote populations have done them in. There's several so called deer management organizations that have just decimated the deer herd in zones. Night permits with starlite crossbows and unlimited tags have destroyed it. You have guys bragging about shooting 50+ deer a season. It's over Johnny!!