Thoughts on your states wildlife management?

[OregonTom]

I just moved to Wenatchee Wa from Prineville Oregon.  It was  disappointing to learn  that jackrabbitt season is only a couple of months here as opposed to year round in Oregon.  Also Washington does not have a traditional only week for dear like Oregon has.  I kinda feel like I'm whining now

[the rifleman]

Ohio's division of wildlife has mismanaged our resources to the point of ridiculousness.  There is very little rabbit or pheasant---the division does little to nothing to promote habitat and the farmers remove more and more fencerows and woodlots every year.  The deer herd has been decimated due to 9 deer a year limits (8 does taken=16-24 deer that won't be around next year), rampant issuance of "nuisance" permits, and coyotes.  The division is concerned with pleasing insurance companies and farmers, neither entity contributes to wildlife...
Add in the circus within the division---recent allegations that administrators allowed out of state game wardens to use their (administrators) home addresses to purchase Ohio licenses and avoid the out of state costs (you know "professional" courtesy) and the scandal of last year---game wardens hunting on the clock and it is evident that they need reform starting from the top down.
Ohio division of wildlife is fine driven---they make the rules very complicated to understand and then pounce with the tickets and fines at the first chance.  Ohio used to have great hunting, but it is getting harder and harder to find now-a-days...

[KentuckyTJ]

Originally posted by Bowwild:
The best in the USA! Great deer- thanks to 1 buck rule in 1992.

Largest elk herd east of MS and larger at 10,000+ than some western states.

Sept-Jan deer season.

Agree with Roy on this one. Our state wildlife department has done a great job IMO.

My only wish is that the quail populations could be brought back. But that is a habitat/predation issue. I love training bird dogs but there isn't much need for one anyone here.

                     

[Dave Pagel]

I think Michigan DNR has a huge challenge. I am not certain they will ever be able to strike an acceptable balance among the differing stakeholders.  We have well over a million hunters and very differing opinions on what a successful hunt means, i.e. any deer, any buck, older buck etc....  

Different areas of the state have very different needs from a herd standpoint.  I hunted southern Michigan for many years (mostly agricultural)and we needed does killed. I recently bought some property in north central Michigan (mostly rolling oaks) and it has very different needs in my opinion.  We should not be killing does and we don't on my property.  However the southern area of my DMU needs some does taken.  They base the doe harvest on the past three years population and harvest estimates, but they don't include the immediate prior year.  So if we have a really bad winter, like last year, they can easily issue way too many permits.  And they have.

Also, we can kill two bucks in most areas and only the second one needs to have at least 3/4 points on one side depending on the area.  Way too many young bucks are killed in my opinion, but again many hunters would rather kill a young buck over a doe, even if the herd is way out balance or the area has more does than it can carry.

D.P.

[sswv]

I truly wish I could speak positive about the WV DNR's ability to manage wildlife in our state but I just can't. It seems (at least in southern WV) it's about the all mighty dollar to them. My opinion is there are WAY too many antlerless tags available in areas that just don't have the numbers to support it. I'm hoping with us coming off a very low kill year that they will rethink the amount of tags for antlerless deer for the next 2-3 years. I know everyone thinks you should kill antlerless and manage bucks and grow bigger antlers BUT, bucks don't give birth and, the little ones don't fall out of trees. Just saying.

jus' my 2cents

[Longbow58]

Feel your pain sswv!

[Kevin Dill]

I think of myself as a big picture guy. When I was 12 and just learning to hunt, Ohio was nobody's hunting destination. Very, very few deer statewide. No turkeys to hunt. No coyotes. Small game was hit-or-miss. You didn't eat a lot of venison back then. Since then, all these animals have reached abundant levels and in some cases TOO abundant in some areas. There is disagreement on wildlife management here, but the ODNR clearly points out that Ohio wildlife is managed in the interests of the state and all its residents. That's tough for hunters to hear, but I have no problem with it generally. I don't want wildlife managed specifically to make hunters happy; nor the same for farmers or insurers or motorists or politicians. I think management should be a compromise between special interests and wildlife health.

I don't have time or qualifications to write a book on Ohio's wildlife management strategies as well as my opinions of them. I do know that today I personally have far more quality hunting opportunities (including infinitely more game to hunt) than I did over 40 years ago. In the big picture, that's progress. I live in a part of the state which has relatively abundant game, low human population, rough terrain, decent nutrition, and much private land. Most states have something comparable, where conditions combine to make better hunting but less favorable living for people. Game populations can never be evenly distributed around a state, and access to hunt them is often uneven as well. It all combines to produce a variety of views and opinions on wildlife management, but for now I am satisfied that Ohio is doing it more right than wrong.

[Morning Star]

I believe most of Iowa's problems are due to agriculture and the ag lobby.  I feel that our DNR does a pretty good job with the money it can spend without the politicians interference.  Iowa passed a bill which will provide sustainable funding to our natural resources the next time there is a sales tax increase.  It will provide millions to our natural resources. Much like Missouri has.  Iowa Farm Bureau was actively campaigning against the passage of that legislation, but our public voted it in.  Iowa is the most changed State in the country in regard to our natural resources.  Something has to change.  I think our DNR will do a good job when it does.  

Our deer management plan was/is highly influenced by politics.  Overall the IDNR had a fair and sensible strategy in my opinion, but Farm Bureau and other interests really got their hands in the mix.  Our herd has been hit pretty hard as a result.  Unfortunately, a lot of people who don't take a look at the facts, blamed the IDNR for this.  When in reality farm and insurance lobby really molded the amount of antlerless deer that were killed.   A good friend of mine left a high ranking IDNR position because of the political poison.  When politics and money dictate wildlife management everyone looses.

[STICKBENDER98]

 This one looks really interesting, too many special interest groups with too much influence in too many states, politics deciding how wildlife should be managed.  I haven't seen a pheasant here in Michigan in several years, other than around the hunting preserves where you have to be a member and pay to hunt them. The only streams I can find native brook trout are in the U.P. anymore, our deer seasons start in mid September now...with rifles, and shotguns and go through the first of January.  I think we here in Michigan have the potential for a good deer herd, if the politics is left at the door, and we can somehow as hunters and individuals come together and agree on how things should be managed.  Just my two cents worth.

[sagebrush]

I am disgusted with our Division of Wildlife Resources. In my area, in the last three years they have been selling permits like they're going out of style. In 2012 they sold 1450 anterless elk tags. In 2013 they sold 2000. I didn't even look last year I was so disgruntled. I heard they sold 175 limited entry big bull tags. It's a joke. Four years ago there were nice elk herds all over. Now you are lucky if you see one set of tracks. They used to have trail rides and helicopter flights to check on the herds. Now they do it with computer modeling. If you try to call the area biologist you get a voice mail and no return call. You can even go to the RAC meetings and voice your concerns. Nothing happens. I don't know if they are just trying to make money off of tags or they are just seriously misinformed about the numbers of animals left. I am not optimistic about our future elk herds. I do not have first hand knowledge of other areas. This is the Wasatch Mountain/Currant Creek area.

[mooshkat]

wisconsin, worst dnr, very poor management, along with the worst govenor, dnr is all about the money,and the other guy is a crook

[riverrat 2]

Michigan has a unique set of problems as Dave Pagel posted. I honestly do not think our state can turn things around due to these factors. At least the Turkey hunting is still good.  rat'

[DennyK]

How true riverrat2 back in the day I'd wonder how many I was gonna see and what I was gonna see bowhunting deer in southwestern lower Michigan. I wasn't worried about not seeing anything. 2 seasons ago my count was 7 deer for the whole season. The number of firearm days is slowly catching up with the archery seasons that combined with a liberal tag system equals alot less deer.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I don't necessarily know if NY is good or bad but one thing I would like them to return is Officers to the field.

I don't mind being asked for a license. I feel poaching and trespassing here is an enormous issue.

They used to send biologists to the field too. if they do now, its incognito.

[BenM]

Illinois is such a corrupt state as it is, it's not hard to believe the DNR is run by lobbyists.  I sure wish I could say we have a top notch system here, but we don't.  Our taxes should reflect a world class state in every aspect.

[screamin]

Originally posted by sagebrush:
I am disgusted with our Division of Wildlife Resources. In my area, in the last three years they have been selling permits like they're going out of style. In 2012 they sold 1450 anterless elk tags. In 2013 they sold 2000. I didn't even look last year I was so disgruntled. I heard they sold 175 limited entry big bull tags. It's a joke. Four years ago there were nice elk herds all over. Now you are lucky if you see one set of tracks. They used to have trail rides and helicopter flights to check on the herds. Now they do it with computer modeling. If you try to call the area biologist you get a voice mail and no return call. You can even go to the RAC meetings and voice your concerns. Nothing happens. I don't know if they are just trying to make money off of tags or they are just seriously misinformed about the numbers of animals left. I am not optimistic about our future elk herds. I do not have first hand knowledge of other areas. This is the Wasatch Mountain/Currant Creek area.

Down south it's not to bad... yet. I'm from Nevada and considering the dry environment they have to work with, I always felt they did a good job.

Utah however is another story, especially when it comes to elk. What I can't understand is why they put the rifle hunt right in the middle of the rut? Rifle success rates run at 90 to 98%!! It's a slaughter!  If they moved the rifle season into October behind muzzy which should also be in Oct, the success rate would go down and they could sell more tags and move more guys through the system, just like every other state with an elk herd. However, suggest that on some forums and the rifle guys whine and cry and scream bloody murder. They would would rather wait 20 to 25 years to draw a tag and have an almost guaranteed kill with no work, than draw twice in 20 years and actually have to hunt.

[BUCKY]

Don't get me going on NJ!

[PUDDLE JUMPER]

Overall Kentucky does a great job. The state does a fair job of acquiring land but a fairly large percentage of the population hunts. Some good work is being done with upland habitat but a long way to go. Elk, deer, turkey seem to be doing fine.

Outlaw culture is rampant where I live. LE can only do so much but I would like to see more emphasis. A lot of deer and turkey killed by wives that don't hunt.

[Pine]

Here in Michigan there is a very noticeable difference in the amount of road kill . Not to many years ago you would see deer buy the side of the road all the time , but the last few years you don't see very many at all .
Also with the cross bows and the early hunts , and the uncontrolled off road vehicles , there is to much pressure on the wildlife .
I can't help but think that our deer herd is not as large as the DNR claims .

[Medic85]

Fl does pretty well.  The state has acquired large tracts of land and the less property that is available for development is good in my book.  The new antler restrictions are a good idea, so no more spikes.  Also xbows are only allowed on private land (unless you have a disabled permit)thankfully.  Im also fortunate to live on the zone border so I get two months of archery season...which in fl means I'm almost completely by myself.