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Tag Soup, Deer Population and getting it done?

I blanked out last year, by waiting on "the big one", while watching 2 eight point bucks fight...which I could've shot either one. Never got a shot at the big guy and then a half rack 10 point buck shows up. The 2 eight pointers ran him off, as I watched...all the while having a shot at any of them. Later that same day, I got a second chance at the half rack buck and passed.

Similarly, I passed on a couple of does, during the Gun Season...waiting on a buck.
What did I end up with? Tag Soup! The deer simply disappeared during the late season...no sign of more than one or two deer being in the area.

This year has been a VERY different year with all of the coyote sightings. I believe that the coyote population is such, in this area, that from the Spring of '12 to this Spring, the coyotes have killed a solid 90% of the fawn population. I stopped shooting does, two years ago, but it's too little too late and now there's no "bouncing back" for the deer. :smiley_badmood:

I have to look forward to next season and start killing coyotes, NOW, to have any hope of hunting deer next year. "Getting it done", is going to have to consist of killing coyotes, if there is to be any future for the deer and/or deer hunting. :smiley_chinrub:

Has anyone else noticed a serious drop in the deer population, in your area?

Thank you for listening and I wish everyone the best with their deer/coyote populations.
Bowhunter57
 

TwistedX

Junior Member
35
13
I hunt both northeast and southwest ohio. In Brown, Adams and Clermont counties the deer population seems to be dwindling while coyotes are going through the roof. The cooler has far fewer deer this year than any years past i can remember. The coyotes have lost 6 this week alone and one that should have died and didn't. As for Lorain county the deer population is doing quite well and ive only seen one coyote in 17 months. We just moved to this area and I took a job delivering equipment for an agricultural dealer. I spend 20-30 hrs a week driving and see approximately 10-50 deer a day. Depending on the time of year and the crop stages. In this whole time I've seen one coyote and that includes two coyote hunts.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Down here in Warren county I've noticed a lot less deer sightings,roadkills and deer sign...and yes our yote populations is doing fine! Fuggars! Gonna have to learn the art of snaring I guess.