GMMAT

I've heard a deer's chance for survival (season to season) is about 80%. I know his odds go down with each season.....but hunting pressure (what I take out of the woods)is 100% in my control.

"IF" your goal is only take mature deer.......is it far-fetched to think that we're our own worst enemy? I know in my area (only one I know of) ..... this would "seem" to be the case. I don't see any predators (other than those with wheels) taking out a full grown deer, here.

If I dont kill a 3.5 yr old or older........."I" think it's MY fault (assuming I was targeting those animals). I KNOW of twobucks that will never see that age in my woods.....because I killed them (which won't happen, again).

I'm lucky in that I saw a healthy (in numbers) concentration of 1.5 yr olds from stand, last year......but in other areas......I think we're likely our own worst enemy. It doesn't seem that far-fetched to me.....that there should be more of these deer surviving the off-season. 2-3 years from now.....I can see having quite a few of these deer in my woods.

Bullet Hole Bailey

Where i hunt its not pressured much or any at all. But the cougars and crazy drivers do take there toll.
Just yesterday a MONSTER mature doe was hit.

whata shame.......................

huntingson

Out where I live there are very few deer hit by cars but other hunters are an entirely different story. Also, it is difficult for a deer to survive to 5.5 without any human interaction just because of infection and disease and starvation in the winter (not a problem where you are I venture) and coyotes and dogs you get the idea. My dad shot a 4.5 year old 2 years ago. While cheking the jaw to age him we noticed that he had an infected tooth that was really bad and the infection had spread to his jaw bone. My father is a physician, and he told me that the buck would not have survived another year b/c once an infection gets into the bones you are a goner even with modern medicine. That same year we found a buck skull where the cause of death seemed to be the same thing; a tooth infection that spread to the jaw bone. Rough life man. I do not envy them.

Bullet Hole Bailey

Poachers are another thing around here. They used to take aboutadeer a day around here.

Sad and maddening.

GMMAT

Me neither huntingson (envy them).....and it's part of my justification for killing them (to myself).

Nature is NOT kind.

Paul L Mohr

Were I live you are your farmers worst enemy for letting deer walk. Not to mention someones car.

You are correct, in most places deer really don't have any natural enemies other than us and themselves. That is why we hunt them, so the numbers don't supposedly get out of control. We can't figure out how to stop building and taking up land, and they don't know to stop breeding (apparently we don't either[&o]) so something has to be done.

As far as you being in control over what deer you see or how long they live, not really. Maybe if you hunt a large piece of land and you know no one else hunts it. Where I hunt it wouldn't matter, because if I didn't shoot it the chances are someone else will, especially during shotgun season.

You also run the risk of the deer becoming pretty much nocturnal. Were I used to hunt there were some very nice deer, unfortunately they didn't venture onto our property until after shooting ours. Your only hope of killing one was during rut or during the first few days of gun season when he might be bumped out of his normal pattern.

My worst enemy is that I'm not rich. Because honestly it is getting to the point that if you don't own a lot of land or have a butt load of money to lease it you are screwed. And I'm not talking about trophy hunting, just hunting period.

I think I'm going to become a trophy woodchuck hunter, I don't think I will have to lease land for that. YET. besides they are easier to drag out and cheaper to have mounted.

Anyone want to trade a slug hunter deluxe for a decent 22-250?

Paul

CovertOps

About 3 years ago It was 3 weeks before gun season (didnt bow hunt then) & I kept seeing this big buck. Nice Rack (it was big enough to make him look front heavy). I watched him everyday out the back of our barn make the same trip across our swamp.

One day I was driving north of our place & they had just harvested a big corn feild. Out in the middle was that buck Dead. (at least I asume I couldnt see his rack too well). I didnt see another buck that size all season. He just sat out there & fed the coyotes.

Damn Cars. Conservation is all of our responsablitly. Taking deer to help regulate the herd is what its all about.

GMMAT

In thinking about this more......it would make sense that we'd need to determine who takes more (for this scenario.....we'll assume bucks, only) from the herd.....US (hunters) or nature? I guess it's different in different areas/states......but I cant help but think I'm sitting on a good little thing here in my woods in 2-3 yrs.

HuntingEd

I think it would be US. but probably like a 60/40 split, nature is tough.

CovertOps

Considering this over I definatly think it is where you live. In the rural farm areas I bet it goes 80 to 90 percent us. In wilderness areas I bet those numbers just about reverse. In wilderness Due to the lack of pressure due to the vast area's involved & lack of easy food Deer are more scarce so the numbers are skewed.