This is part of a $60, 000. 00 survey that Delaware is doing to get a handle on the deer herd.[/align]
Agenda Item 3. Infrared Counts (Ken Reynolds).
Ken Reynolds presented the results of the 2005 aerial infrared deer survey conducted by Vision Air Research of Boise, Idaho. A 2 mile by 8 mile survey block was established in each of Delaware"™s 17 deer management zones. These sample blocks were representatives of the entire zone in terms of habitat type. Transects were set 500"™ apart which resulted in the entire sample block being surveyed. Surveys were flown after dark. All deer seen in the blocks were recorded on tape and later counted. As expected, results varied widely by zone. Highest deer densities occurred in zones 1, 7, 9, 11, 14, 15, and 16. Each had over 20 deer per square mile with zone 16 having the highest density at 36.5 deer per square mile. Expanding the zone totals to the whole state provided a total deer population estimate of 38,456 at the time of the December survey. Ken cautioned that this estimate is preliminary since urban areas have to be factored out of the estimate and detection rates by habitat type have to be factored into the estimate. Work will continue on refining the numbers to get a pre-season and post-season population estimate by deer management zone.
I was just about to post this. I thought it was interesting that the high density zones are zone 1, up north were development is making the deer inpossible to hunt and the other zones are all down south. I hope now that DNREC has the data they will concentrate the liberal seasons, and yes i mean Shotgun Antlerless OCT Days, to those zones and stop the bloodshed elsewhere. Of course, only time will tell.
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If its not about hunting, I don' t want to talk about it,,,,
I agree with Duckmaster about the liberal OCT. GUN SEASON [:@]
Even though they spent all that money, I doubtthey will change the Oct season even though it screws up all us bow hunters.
Delaware Infrared Deer Count
