Is your woods better or worse compared to 5 to 10 years ago? Explain why It Is or Isn't also.
As for myself the woods I've hunted In for the last 20 years has really gone down the pots with mature buck numbers. The genes are here, they just don't get a chance to show their potential. The neighboring landowners don't know what It takes to manage a deer herd period. Our doe to buck ratio Is pretty high, hardly anyone shoots doe's In my area but myself. That's the biggest problem I believe. 70% to 80% of the deer shot around my area are 1.5 year old bucks during the gun season. The Mn DNR Isn't helping out the situation here either, It's pretty much a one tag area most years In an area that has way to many doe's. Our population Is big, the quality of It Isn't.
10 years ago my mature buck sightings were almost double what they are now. It's to the point now that If I do see a mature buck (4.5 year old) I should consider myself damn lucky.
This thread Is no rant on hunters and how they hunt (each to their own), It's just the reality of my woods and what It's turned Into. It Is what It Is whether I like It or not.
Lets hear It folks, how's your area's holding up? Looking forward to the replys.
In the area of our Camp in PA things are much better now than 10 years ago. Antler restrictions became law in 2001. Big buck (relative to area) 120+ are much more frequently seen. Hunter numbers due to enconomy or what-ever is lessening although still high but not increasing.
I would imagine this archery season will be different with the cross-bow, beinf past (in some form) for the up comeing general archery season. Time will tell.
In Ohio things really have remained pretty constant, early season you can have the woods to yourself, bring on the rut and the later weekends in the season and the woods fill up pretty fast.
Comparing years
