RE: PGC Releases Preliminary Figures
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I don't believe people talk about it for one reason, it hasn't happened. If you have information that "proves AR's have failed", I'd sure like to see it. Oh, I'm sure some states have done away with it, but I believe every state that has used it has had the same results, an older age class of bucks. If you have data saying otherwise, like I said, I'd sure like to see it, it would be the first such evidence presented around here.
Your statement, "many, if not all" is completely untrue. I won't spoeculate on why you wrote that, but many states, and the two used in my example, continue to practice AR, with much success.
When you say ARs "fail", what exactly do you mean? They failed to increase the average age of bucks?
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6pt:
The biggest problem I see with this respones of yours I've quoted is you keep saying "I believe", when referring to what you provide as proof or evidence. I can tell you for a fact that the QDM measures that NJ has implememted in DMZ 35 have failed miserably. We have fewer bucks, and fewer big bucks than have been present since the mid 1970's. This isn't what I beleive, it's what I see, it's what other hunters in the area see, and it's what the numbers prove. Yes, a few nice bucks are still taken each season in that area, but nothing compared to what there used to be roaming the woodlands in that zone. Zones 27 and 29 aren't much better. They both have the QDM (AR) regs as well, and I've seen the same results in the area's I hunt there. Also, nearly to a man, every person I know that hunts there, and has hunted there for more than 10 years, says the number of big bucks has dropped off dramatically.
Now, take a look at zone 28: no antler restrictions, no other QDM regs (like killing every antlerless deer around) yet zone 28 produces some of the biggest deer every year from NJ, not ony for top-end antlers, but also for numbers of big bucks. Again, you do not have to "beleive" or "feel" this, it's all right there in the numbers. When you get the time to go over the numebrs from NJ's books, take a look at DMZ 37. There have been AR in place in that zone for 10 years now, yet very few, if any bucks entered in the Trophy Deer Prgram come from that area. In fact, I can't think of even one since the inception of the AR in that zone. As one last piece of evidence for you to look at, go down the list of entries of big bucks and tally up which counties have been hot the last six years or so. The one you find with the most entries doesn't have QDM anywhere in it, and the counties that used to be leaders of the pack (before AR), have nearly dropped off the map. I don't know what else you want as evidence, but let me know, I'm sure we can find it.
The evidence is there, all you have to do is look. Please don't be so quick to tell us what you "beleive", but take a few minutes to actually examine the data. As for the Western States I was referring to, I don't know why they considered it a failure, I was just relating the information from the DNR press releases that said they were discontinuing it. Again, instead of trying to insinuate that this was fabricated, just look it up for yourself.
One last thig to consider: which of the following states that are the "Go To" spots for trophy deer have antler restrictions? Montana,
Iowa, Kansas, Ill., Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, or how about Kentucky? That is an up and coming state for big bucks, do they have antler restrictions? I don't know the regs in all of these states, so if they do, please let me know. Or better yet, take a look at the Eastern Shore of Md. That is one of the best places in the country for Pope and Young bucks, and actually rivals even some areas in the midwest, does Md have a mandatory antler restriction policy? And please don't try to tell me that some landowners practice QDM and that is the same as what Pa is trying to do, because it's not. We are talking about state imposed antler restrictions and heavy antlerless deer harvests, not what some landowners who control large acreage can accomplish, I know it works there.
If you are having problems locating the data I suggested you look at, e-mail me, I point you in the right direction.
Edited by - NJ_Bowhntr on 01/20/2003 15:13:52