Grasshopper13

Here's some numbers from the recent youth firearms season.

Totals for 2006 Youth Portion

6408 Antlered bucks checked
1559 Button Bucks checked
3951 does checked.


These numbers are a bit alarming to me. I really haven't checked them before, but that seems like an awful lot of bucks being taken for a given year. The thing that worries me a bit, is from all the things I've seen, the regular portion of firearms season seems to be headed for a similar ratio.
In my last 2 visits to the local processor, I saw at least 2 antlered bucks for every doe I saw being processed. The father of one of my hunting buddies has been helping out the processor and he said he's pretty well seeing the same thing. Any thoughts on why the numbers seem to be so out of whack? I can honestly say I've seen more bucks this year than I have in the past few years, but that was through the early bow season as well. It seems as if the rut coincided perfectly with the rifle season this year, in my area at least, but I really wouldn't think it would make that drastic of a difference.


GH

Grasshopper13

Numbers statewide from the opening weekend of the firearms portion:

59,063 Antlered bucks
16,413 Button Bucks
48,795 does

However, in my neck of the woods it was a bit different..

Butler county: 417 antlered bucks, 79 button bucks, 235 does
Carter county: 426 Antlered bucks, 90 button bucks, 251 does
Wayne county: 799 antlered bucks, 184 button bucks, 438 does.

Lotsa bucks being killed around here, and doe numbers are either down or they're just being passed for bucks. Wonder what the next fawn crop will be like......

GH

Mastevt

I'm wondering if people are fearing the antler restriction that some rumor to go statewide next year. Don't know if it's effecting their judgement in their hunting, but I hope not. But if the doe harvest is down this year, I would imagine that the fawn population will be up next spring.

Grasshopper13

I've heard that rumor as well. I don't think they'll ever get it done here in SEMO, because the overall deer population here hasn't yet reached the levels that they are at in the northern parts of the state. Too much poaching, and lotsa does being killed, it will be a while before the herd will need to be controlled in such a fashion in thsi part of the state. Like you, I tend to think it will be a good year for fawns next year, and a poorer year for big bucks. We'll just have to see.


GH