ORIGINAL: ddear
My secondary point that relates directly to this thread is that, as the herd is reduced ,it takes lower anterless allocations to reduce the herd even more. Therefore, the recent reduction in the anterless tags does not mean that the PGC has changed their plan to reduce the herd by 50% from what it was in 2003.
Maybe some of you should listen to the numbers.
In NY last season, the DEC reduced the antlerless permits by 17%, statewide, in response to a reduced harvest in 2003 caused by a bad winter. (DEC info - I'm not editorializing, here.)
The 2004 antlerless harvest was down 18% statewide. Seems reasonable...on the surface. DEC calculates that only 17% of DMP are filled, so a reduction in DMP of 17% should have resulted in an antlerless harvest decrease of about 3%.
Oops.
As a result, DEC has announced they will make significant cuts in the antlerless allocations for 2005. Can you say "overharvest?"