Guys this has basicly turned into an anti alt, anti present management thread. With a few comments like The heard was stable back then, etc, etc,..... based on what.... the same estimationing principles Dr. Alt is using and getting hammered for???
"Back then the biologist were not trying.... " Back then the biologists were largely ignored. The bottom line is folks would rather see more deer, shoot a buck every year, even if its a spike or Y buck and don't care what effect that practice has on the herd, on the environment and had little belief that there would ever be consequences down the road. Were seeing that now and can't accept it. Allowed to continue it will only get worse and attacks from folks like foresters, Audobon Society, land owners who can't sustain thier own land because the deer are hammering it. Gosh, I hope public land hunting doesn't dissappear, that's what I hunt!
I think you folks are proving my point..... Up until change was implemented no on really gave a darn or thought about what effect hunting had on deer populations, what effect deer populations had on habitat, and what effect poor habitat had, in turn on deer numbers, deer health, and long term results. Folks only complained a bit when they thought too many deer permits or too few deer permits were issued. Not caring about the politics behind it, the biologists recommendations followed or not, effect on habitat, etc. Juniorpc.