Originally Posted by
bluebird2
If the habitat is so terrible in 2G , please explain why the adult doe have the third highest number of embryos/doe in the state.
It may take less deer to "impact" a stressed habitat, but that stressed habitat can still support 70 DPSM. But, at that DD non-hunting morality equals recruitment. That is why it is ridiculous for RSB to claim the habitat is controlling the herd in 2G at 8-9 DPSM while hunters are still harvesting 11,800 deer.
We've been through this too many times.Only 40 does were checked accross the entire wmu.That's hardly statistically significant.What areas did they come from?Unless you know,that stat is meaningless.Less deer also equals more food for the deer that are remaining.I guess that means the plan is a success.How many fawns were pregnant?
The fact is,we have a very even aged stand of timber across 2G and we were faced with so many deer for so long that they destroyed the habitat.In areas that are being timbered,the herd is growing and the deer are healthy.Unfortunately,because we have such an even aged stand of timber,the amount of logging taking place is slow.In the areas where the habitat is very poor,it doesn't take many deer at all to have an impact on it.The areas that have large acres of early succession forest do have more than 30 dpsm.