Illinois deer herd getting smaller.

jrfrmn · 01-09-2011, 12:47 AM

I keep reading that the deer herd is getting smaller in many states. We need to STOP shooting does and smaller bucks because its easier, or we will have no deer to hunt in a short few years. I would like to see hunters that do insist on shooting one doe, only do it before the rut. Once the doe's are bred, the next years fawns are also killed. I have let them walk many times. Just because it's legal doesn't mean it is a good thing. I haven't seen any deer at all from any road I've driven on this season. So how many agree or disagree.

Sfury · 01-09-2011, 04:22 AM

Well, the number of bucks taken isn't all that important. From seeing the WI state DNR do many good, and some bad, things over the years I did learn that stopping doe harvesting is the most effective way to keep the herd size stable at worst, but to quickly increase the herd size.

Now, that has nothing to do with quality managment of increasing the size of bucks. In the end does in heat will mate with whatever bucks are available. So not taking bucks really has no effect on deer numbers if the doe population is high enough to keep the herd going.

Do not confuse quality herd management with basic herd management. They are different things to be done for different reasons. Doing quality deer management with a low population is pretty much a waste if you want to rapidly increase the overall deer herd size.

Bucktail_Bob · 01-09-2011, 04:01 PM

I have 4 doe tags for this weekends late winter gun season.
I'll be having fun. I'll be using my pistol.
I have not noticed any decrease in deer sightings this year.

bb

jrfrmn · 01-09-2011, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucktail_Bob

I have 4 doe tags for this weekends late winter gun season.
I'll be having fun. I'll be using my pistol.
I have not noticed any decrease in deer sightings this year.

bb

Not everyone has that deer park area to hunt in. Most of the people I talk to are not seeing deer. If an area is over populated,

I see no problem taking the does. It should not be in areas where it is already less than average to be over hunted and make it harder for most people to take a deer. I have taken a deer every year for the last fifteen years. I have been out more this year than any year before and I still haven't got one ''yet''.

isniper · 01-10-2011, 09:53 PM

jrfrmn, although people here and there are saying they are seeing fewer deer there is no real evidence to say the herd is shrinking. I have been hunting IL for over 30 years and this happens from time to time.

fastetti · 01-17-2011, 04:15 PM

I have to agree with Sfury. I've heard a lot of people say that for every doe that we kill, that is 3 less for next year and we are destroying the herd. If that was true than every piece of unhunted land with would be loaded with deer because the herd would at the least double every year which we all know isn't true.

I know people that see tons of deer one year and barely any next year. There are things that change every year. Last year we had a lot of standing crops for most of the hunting season. This year we had a record acorn crop so deer may have found a good oak stand that they never left. It varies every year. I hunted spots where I only saw one deer in two days and others where I saw 30 in two days. There are so many factors that depend on how many deer you are seeing.
As long as you dont have neighbors shooting 20 plus deer in a season on a 100 acre piece of property I wouldn't worry too much. It still seems the state has a good control on the herd and isn't doing the insane things that Wisconsin is. Personally though I would like to see a earn a buck on the second buck you can shoot in illinois and maybe limit doe tags to five a season but thats about it. I was out for the antlerless season last weekend and heard maybe a shot a day.

Kid · 01-20-2011, 08:20 AM

Harvest remains steady year after year. How does that equal substantially less deer? Wipe them out in a few years? Please. Does more deer always equal better, or are there too many greedy hunters for our own good? Should the deer herd be managed only with sheer numbers in mind? Should only hunters have a say? Seems a lot of people think there is something wrong if they're not seeing deer constantly.

Hunter4Life43 · 01-22-2011, 04:40 PM

I don't think the deer herd is decreasing. We farm several thousand acres here in Southern Illinois and me and my brother both kill around 3-7 deer each a year. I haven't seen anything even close to a decrease if anything ive seen a big increase in the population.

jrfrmn · 01-22-2011, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fastetti

I have to agree with Sfury. I've heard a lot of people say that for every doe that we kill, that is 3 less for next year and we are destroying the herd. If that was true than every piece of unhunted land with would be loaded with deer because the herd would at the least double every year which we all know isn't true.

I know people that see tons of deer one year and barely any next year. There are things that change every year. Last year we had a lot of standing crops for most of the hunting season. This year we had a record acorn crop so deer may have found a good oak stand that they never left. It varies every year. I hunted spots where I only saw one deer in two days and others where I saw 30 in two days. There are so many factors that depend on how many deer you are seeing.
As long as you dont have neighbors shooting 20 plus deer in a season on a 100 acre piece of property I wouldn't worry too much. It still seems the state has a good control on the herd and isn't doing the insane things that Wisconsin is. Personally though I would like to see a earn a buck on the second buck you can shoot in illinois and maybe limit doe tags to five a season but thats about it. I was out for the antlerless season last weekend and heard maybe a shot a day.

You have made the most valid points on my post.

jrfrmn · 01-22-2011, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kid

harvest remains steady year after year. How does that equal substantially less deer? Wipe them out in a few years? Please. Does more deer always equal better, or are there too many greedy hunters for our own good? Should the deer herd be managed only with sheer numbers in mind? Should only hunters have a say? Seems a lot of people think there is something wrong if they're not seeing deer constantly.

huh! -----------------------------------------------------------