Unfortunately though I am seeing bout 1/4 the deer i did 5 years ago.

It's totally opposite here, Sport.

When I was growing up.....I can count on both hands the number of deer I saw......TOTAL.

Now.....I sometimes see 10 or more in a morning/evening.

jeff

Sport,I live near Dubois in 2G.One of areas of the state with no deer.

Gobblers, the deer populations are really localized....

On our place(1700 acres in West-Central Texas) we're not seeing near as many deer nor the quality of deer we did when I was a kid. Mainly because we have Day-lease operations all around us that are killing as many deer as they can find paying customers.... 1 neighbor that bought his place (1900 acres) about 7 or 8 yrs ago killed killed over 200 deer their first year.... It's never been the same since.

That "Optimum 1:1 ratio" is more a tool of megabuck growing highfence QDMA farms than can be even remotely possible as a goal for a state DNR. Besides, the theory has less to do with healthy herds than it does with big bucks(and big $$$)

I hunt 1B. there are a good number of deer in places. but not everywhere. One reason I am sure that I am seeing far less deer in rifle season is I see about 1/4 the guys hunting. and most the ones I do are close to the road and don't hunt very long. I hopethat after last fall having somuch mast crop that the deer population will be better this year.

Ryan,our deer herd took a dive around here as well.I look at it as a good thing though because the habitat was absolutely trashed.Hunters reduced the herd a great deal but so did the winters of 2003 and 2004.Deer need browse to sustain them through the winter and we have very little high quality browse.Once a doe loses about 20%of her weight,she'll most likely abort her fawns or they'll die shortly after birth.That's what happened around here.The last two winters were mild and the mast crop was huge last year.I'm seeing more fawns then ever right now.

welll i have a very small area to hunt and have 2 does, 1 huge buck, and twin fawns on camera so far, its just the same ones over and over again....so I am kinda jealous when all you guys are talking about seeing so many deer...

I saw those 37 bucks over a very large area.I rarely see more than a handful of deer during a days worth of hunting and many days Idon't see a thing.

I hunt in Del. Co. and Mont. Co. (5-D) and we have alot of deer but the B/D ratio is indeed out of wack, about 10-1. I would say. That's crazy. I'm all for ARs but I also think Earn A Buck should be put into effect to really get that ratio closer. Just my opinion about my hunting unit.

I will agree that 03 and 04 was not good for the deer population. Unfortunately I think that many people link this with the ARs (thats when it started in my area) and that is why many people dislike them.

DougE: Are you seeing all these deer driving around at just before dark or at night spotting?