Yes the buck kill dropped the first year because we couldnt shoot a lot of em. The second year weather was very much a factor in the lower kill. Maybe not the ONLY factor, but a significant one to be sure.
We harvested 86% of the buck that were carried over from 2002 and we had the second largest anterless harvest ever recorded. Therefore , weather conditions were not the cause of the lower buck harvest in 2003 , but the harvest of 77K BB in 2002 and the harvest of 52.6 K 2.5 + buck in 2002 was the reason for the lower than expected buck harvest in 2003.
When AR was implemented in Ark. the buck harvest decreased by 40% and Dr. Demarias said implementing Ar in Miss. decreased te buck harvest by 50% and neither state was ithe process of reducing their OW herd by 50% , as alt wants to do in PA.