http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/New...White-tailed-Deer-Harvest-Numbers-Weekly.aspx
Numbers are up. Thats gotta be a good thing.
Numbers are up. Thats gotta be a good thing.
deer kills 2011 vs 2012
- Thread starter motorbreaker
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Scary stuff. EHD outbreaks and we are still up in most counties. Up 40% statewide. DNR must be giddy with excitement.
woodyw333
Junior Member
It's only scary if the deer herd is in trouble. And so far, I'm not seeing any evidence of that. I know it's early and everything could change, but I see no reason to believe the sky is falling right now.
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This has been the very best October for bowhunting I can remember. Crops are coming off, and we have had an usually cool start to the season. I suspect the higher kills will cease and we will have a total kill similar or less than last year. If not, it will show the herd is in better shape across the state than what I see locally. Still, I believe the downward trends of the last couple of years will be reflected this year.
I will admit, this thought has crossed my mind as well. What is the difference between tagging out in October vs taking 4 months to get there? Or. . . . maybe more people will tag out this year and the overall harvest is higher. Hard to say but it is interesting to watch unfold.
Your lucky then. The kill numbers reflect an increase in hunter numbers in my opinion, in part with the killing weather. I have never seen so many bowhunters hunters in my life, its almost like gun season. Said it before and I'll keep saying, this onslaught will only be sustainable for so long. Maybe not in your county, but in mine the damage has already been done. It's just like Mitt said about Obama, WE CAN NOT AFFORD FOUR MORE YEARS LIKE THE LAST FOUR YEARS. The sky is not falling, but the deer population has been dropped to a level that is very scary for anyone who cares about deer hunting and conservation. Poor deer management, misinformation and catering to special interest groups have replaced our deer.
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Hunter numbers are not increasing... That's a fact. More people picking up bowhunting?... Very possible. But dude the harvest is up 40.2% statewide right now. That's pretty significant. Is the population up or down?... Is the DNR mismanaging?... Is the deer herd truly in trouble?... I don't know. All I'm saying is, we're only 3 weeks into season and people are already talking about "how the population is in trouble" and how "the DNR and insurance companies must be giddy." I mean come on... If I should "wait and see" because it's too early to say the population is up, then all the pessimists should also "wait and see" before condemning this year's deer season and deer population.
It's not very possible more people are bowhunting, its a fact. Bowhunter numbers have exploded the past 3 years. If you do not believe it I suppose I can look it up for you and show you documentation. I also know that nationwide, hunter numbers are up as well. Again, I can provide you documentation to that as well if you would like. Don't have any information that Ohio numbers overall are up, but I know locally they are. I have no clue what is going on in your hunting area, but from the sound of it, it appears all is well. I am very glad for you, but it simply is not that way in many other areas of the state. You are right in saying that it is still extremely early and I am sure we will see a lot of fluctuations in the harvest. I just wanted to point out that there are a lot of factors that are going in when figuring this harvest, and increase in harvest could come from many other things besides increase in deer numbers. Increased bowhunter numbers is one of them.
BTW, I have been "Waiting and seeing" for the past four years since Ohio adopted the slew of liberal regulations that we currently have. Or should I say waiting and NOT seeing.
No need to be so defensive. I don't see anywhere in my post where I called you a liar, so I really don't have a need for you to shove documentation in my face. Of course there are many factors involved... That's pretty obvious. It's already been pointed out in this thread, as well as in the previous two others regarding this same topic. And I don't know why you keep referencing "my area." My first post said, broadly, "...I'm not seeing any evidence of that (herd being in trouble)," as in, I'm not seeing any evidence from these harvest numbers (STATEWIDE) to indicate a declining deer herd. It's not just my area... it's not just parts of the state... Right now harvest is up 40% STATEWIDE.
All I did was make a broad statement about why there's no reason to be pessimistic just yet. I could've made that same statement based on the current stats alone, without even stepping foot in the woods this year. No need to make assumptions that I must just be lucky to hunt where I hunt.
I have hunted 6 evenings this year and seen 30 deer. Now that is here and not anywhere else. What does this mean? Not much except I seem to have alot of deer around me here. And you know what I am not sure were I am going with this. Confusing isn't it?
Frank
Frank
woodyw333
Junior Member
At my house in clermont county 3 years ago it was nothing to see 15-20 or so deer on the hill side in my back yard, now im lucky to see 5.. On the farm I hunt in Ky 5 years ago you would see 40-50 deer in the fields right before dark, now the most at one time that has been seen is 6.. IMO the deer pop is dropping..
Was not being defensive at all. Just to prepared to back up what I say with solid facts, which is something that a lot of people ( in no way implying you) fail to do. I do get a little tired of hearing people say that hunter numbers are down, because what I see in my hunting area, as well as what I know to be true as a nation, hunter numbers are not down at all. With urban sprawl, habitat loss and poor management, I am fairly certain we will run out of things to hunt long before we run out of hunters. Just look at our quail and pheasant population right now. They are even worse off than deer. They will be gone like the Bison within our lifetimes. Perhaps instead of spending money on creating giant fair booths full of big Ohio buck pictures aimed at getting more people to go deer hunt, the state should spend that money to create better wildlife habitat to insure that all wildlife species will be around for a little longer. In my opinion that will give far more opportunity for people to enjoy our wildlife resources well into the future, as opposed to the "here and now" approach that the state seems to take. Sorry I got a little off track there, just a personal peeve. Back to the topic.
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Now that right there is something we can agree upon. I wish it were simply a matter of money, though. Instead, it's mostly the crazy-ass tree-hugging groups that keep the ODOW and Forestry Division from practicing textbook habitat management. If the pussies in Columbus would stand up for themselves and go out and cut some trees down, our national forests would be A LOT better off. But, as you said, this is a whole separate topic... lol
Buckslayer
*Supporting Member*
Speculation on my part: Maybe LWNoPack is right about all the new hunters? Just a guess.
Buckslayer
*Supporting Member*
I guess it doesnt matter, I just think of more bucks for the future, I dont shoot anything with a lil short nose.