Originally Posted by
bronko22000
Friday afternoon and Saturday were a bust. I guess the hunting pressure put them back deep into the laurel. I really put some miles on still hunting though and went to some places I haven't been to since I was in my 30's. (the trees are a lot bigger there now!)
I think I know what may be causing the decline in the deer population though. In all my 51 years of hunting I have never, ever seen so much bear feces. I saw more of that than I did deer droppings! And it is a known fact that bear take a toll on newborn fawns.
Went to a restaurant Saturday evening up in North Bend and the waiter told me his friend's group shot 24 bear and could have shot over 40 if they had the tags.
I do believe though that I also saw some elk droppings which is quite possible as they have been spotted only a couple mountains over.
Bronko...
I can remember not so long ago that it was normal to sit in my own woods on opening day of season and see 25-40 deer. Now on a good opening day, I'll see 6-10, maybe a dozen. Here's what I think has taken it's toll on the deer population...
First, I'm not gonna argue that we definitely have more bears ... but I wouldn't be so quick to blame them. We also have a LOT more other predators that guys like you and I NEVER had to compete with as young guys starting out hunting. Coyotes, Bobcats, Fishers, (yes, fishers will prey on fawn deer) plus a lot more opportunities to kill does than we EVER had.
I'm sure you remember when we only got ONE deer tag a year!! Now, multiple doe tags are available combined with a six week either sex bow season, which also carries a week of doe only ML season (peeps, scopes, percussion, flint, handgun, sidelock or in-line, whatever... anything goes, just go kill a doe) of which that same week also carries the youth/senior 3 day DOE ONLY firearm season. Crossbows are also allowed statewide now by anyone for ANY season when they used to be allowed for use by the handicapped or physically impaired only. We also have the youth mentor hunting program so there are young people (children) that would NEVER be allowed to hunt prior to that because of their age. Plug in two weeks of an either sex (basically a shoot it if it's brown) regular firearms season for the past ten years or so in most management units followed by a 2-1/2 week either sex flintlock and late archery season after Christmas and it's a
GD NO BRAINER why we don't have sheeut for deer anymore!!!!
Sorry for the rant fellas...
BPS