Originally Posted by
WV Gino
Pike
Ohio is 44,825 sq miles. At 25 deer per square mile the statewide goal would be 1,120,625 deer. The 25 DPSM must per per square mile of what the DNR considers deer habitat. Assuming your 560k and 25 figures are correct, it looks like the OH DNR only considers 50% of Ohio to be deer habitat. So just how is this any differnet than what PA is doing?
Another thing, let's say the OH DNR get's to a pre-season figure of 560k deer. You won't have sustainable harvests of 280k a year. Think more like 140k.
Gino
Gino, there isnt anything wrong with that!! I never said there was, (who would consider a walmart parking lot or a sub-division as deeer habitat?)But OH. does consider Non forested habitat such as farmland to be deer habitat but the PGC. does not.
I also never said that OH. should have substainable harvest's of 280K a year! Because they never had one deer harvest of 280K
There is nothing wrong with 400,000 OH. hunters harvesting 230-235K ACTUAL deer per year, (remember the ODNR uses worst case scenerio when it comes to deer harvest and the PGC. uses their ESTIMATED best case scenerio) I always considered that to be pretty good actually! But the Problem I have is that in the very near future PA.'s ESTIMATED deer harvest is going to drop to under 300K and remain there. And for 900,000+ hunters that is pathetic.Pike