ORIGINAL: DougE
germain,you say there's plenty of food but then you say most of the regneration is beech,cherry and maple.Maple is a preffered browse species but the other two are not.What you expect the deer to eat during the winter?The bottom line is,the herd crashedaround here after the winters of 2003 and 2004 because there wasn't enough browse.The habitat is terrible around here and having 38 dpsm is the reason we're in this situation.
I agree that regeneration isn't going to be the same under a close canopy as it is where it can get alot of light.That's all part of forest succession though.As the forest matures,the carrying capacity is greatly decreased for many years until it slowly increases a little once mast begins to be produced.unfortunatly,if all you have it beech,maple and cherry,mast is very limited and the carrying capacity would be much lower.I didn't want to believe it myself Rich but we had way too many deer for too long and now we'll have to live with alot less for quite a while.
WOW why didnt you help feed them ??????? Thats one of the problems .Hunters to cheap to plani food plots or do anything past buying a license. I know Momma needs a new dress or vacation.I say to my wife ,tough I am spending the money to help the deer.She dont like it she can leave. i will quit hunting if it only means kill and dont put back.I am disabled and this past year I planted 1 acre myself on my knees and never shot a deer,because the population is down. Other years in the past I spent over 1000 dollars feeding them over winter and took the food out to them on a sled and pulled it along on my knees in the snow.that the dedication we need from both hunters and the PGC