Boca, I agree. That effect is happening across the nation. Fact is though, something else is making OUR ranks drop by OVER DOUBLE the national average. I think its quite obvious what that thing is.
Simply not true. According to the NSSF who has been monitoring hunting license sales for years, we are solidly on the middle of the national average. The States that have experienced better results are those with relaxed youth regulations. We didtake a step in the right direction with the mentored hunts but that needs to be expanded considerably.
GROSS exaggerations.
Your opinion. We all know what they say about opinions.....
We arent killing more when we have 40+ year low buck harvests.
More dont exist when many areas have had 50+% ow reduction.
The measuring sessions were a flop.
Now there we have some gross exaggerations!
We cant "assume" we have more bigger bucks based on the views of a few, when most arent seeing it, and the numbers tell a different story.
Funny howmost articles outside of the USP publications tell a bit different story. Most articles I see are very much like the one Muzzyman linked us to here.
A local archery shop in our area has an annual big buck contest. Currently there is ONE entry and its far from a "hawg". Usually by this time there are a few to several.
One contest one example. Funny though, most archery shops around here that run contests will tell you that it's always slow till around the end of October for the big bucks
Ive killed my biggest by far, and know most other that have beforethis program came into being.
Again, one mans opinion. That wouldn't be the consensus around here
Thats great. But I seem to recall seeing big bucks in the paper EVERY year.
That is true, but the overwhelming reports from taxidermists tell a story of more nice bucks than ever before
No. Not everything with the same brush. I am speaking of my area, and the state in general as a whole. My assessment in those regards are accurate. When pgc speaks of more and bigger bucks they didnt mean in just a few select areas widely spread and far fewer everywhere else....Well thats what we have!
Also, my main problem as most I believe is with very excessive doe allocations far more than needed and continues to be. With that problem addressed, you'd see far more big buck existing than there ever could be currently.
The doe allocations were dropped considerably after only two years in many cases yet the herd has not rebounded. The problem lies with fawn recruitment and the root cause is not the much reduced doe tag allocations.