FFTJ

You may think so, but MANY Centerfire hunters will disagree with that assessment. It is easy to say that when you have 2.5 months to hunt and not 12 days that an extended season has no effect. With a 50.1% success rate for Centerfire hunters, very few are taking 4-6 deer, some, but not many. We also have at least one order of magnitude increase in herd population since the 1991 season. I agree that hunting is a management tool and should be used wisely. Management is the heart of my discussion. KDWP is not doing any.

Ask KDWP for and review the Public Meeting minutes and attachments for the last 7 years, the deer management reports, historical data, statements and reports from the past and present from KDWP and compare them. You will then find the facts and figures do not jibe. Many of the assumptions and conclusions made previously (stating good management) disagree with the future assessments of the same set of data and event.

The KDWP, the Big Game Program, and Game Commission has increased and decreased tags without actual data for the last 10 years, last year and this year there was none presented at all. They usually use wildly unsubstantiated and non peer reviewed extrapolations in order to " manage" our great deer herd. Our herd population is determined on car/deer accidents...the only state to use this ratty data to make that determination. The other paramater for population determination is a survey of successful permits and extrapolating this result onto the total number of successful permits, then indexed to car/deer strikes. Very error prone and error propagating. (We are paying for THIS??)

Additionally, if management is used to reduce a population, why did the Big Game Program, and Game Commission try to exclude centerfire from Unit 19?? Why would there be an out cry against that management tool?? Makes no difference whether it is a bow, ML, shotgun, or centerfire, all should be given equal access. The area needs to have herd reduction. True it has " Surburban" area, but the whole of the Unit 19 is not, and " Safety" is not an issue in those areas, because it wasn' t before when it was part of other units, and centerfire was allowed then (last year). You will just have to wear orange (deer can' t see it anyway).

The State has been involved in deer management for 38+ years, and all we have to show for it is hunches. KDWP has no value or description of herd characteristics ie, gender of birth and number of births per doe per year, a solid buck doe ratio, and hunter success COUNTS or CHECKS. KDWP currently uses data gathered only on public land which indicates a 1:4 buck doe ratio and extrapolates this onto private land which is vastly different than public land interms of nutrient value. Higher nutrient value land produces more offspring per doe and more female fawns than male fawns. KDWP also maintains that they manage for " Trophy Deer" . This cannot be accomplished on large tracts of land, say a state. Trophy Management can be accomplished on smaller parcels of land. You can only manage for maximum sustainable yeild on large tracts of land. What is the MSY for Kansas??? KDWP doesn' t know either.

Question KDWP, quit defending them. They have screwed this up and it is obvious. We are in a WOS as far a deer management in this state. This is the main job of this State Agency and their responsibility and we are paying for a big flipping zero. So, as you can see that KDWP is not being judisious or even reasonable. What they have been is incompetent, ineffective, and unresponsive.

Here is something about leasing. What will it do to our herd?? I woud like to bounce a few things off you and see what you think. Peer reiview is good and I would appreciate it.

Good Hunting ALL!!!