Biologists Claim Deer Have the Biggest Impact On Regeneration.
#11
I think what you might have heard is that limited browsing by deer can reduce the number of seedlings competing for water and nutrients which results in a better growth rate for the seedlings that survive. But , regeneration is based on the total number of seedlings that survive, so increased deer browsing usually results in decreased regeneration.
#12
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,879
If deer are the the factor that has the biggest impact on regeneration (as your post illustrates) then they're not scapegoats, they're the cause. "Many years of poor forestry practices"....I would say "Many decades of poor deer management practices."
Deer are definitely being used as scapegoats for poor forestry practices that began with the massive clearcuts at the turn of the century and the massive forests fires that followed. That was then followed by years of high grading and cuts on steep slopes with no concerns for erosion. All of this practices permanently changed the conditions that existed when much of our current hardwood stand got their beginning.
#13
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Posts: 2,978
"Many years of poor forestry practices"
"....I would say "Many decades of poor deer management practices.""
#14
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,879
I would say "Many decades of poor deer management practices."
In 1998 and 1999 the PGC issued 890,700 antlerless tags . In 2000 Alt reduced that allocation to 830,650 tags and in 2001 he reduced it to 780,250 tags. And after that allocation reduced the herd by 8% he increased the allocation to over 1M and after a 40% reduction in the herd the PGC is still issuing more tags (plus DMAP Tags) that were issued in 2001. Please point out the science that supports that insanity.
#15
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 593
bluebird2
The only science is sheer stupidity. Matters not about what is good for the PA hunter and the future of our sport. Admitting you are wrong is always difficult and the PGC is trapped in a "WRONG" deer management policy for the past 10 years. If they admit they were wrong, watch out, they will be pounced upon by every organization that has been fighting the horror (Game Management) that has been going on here in PA.
Makes me sick!!!!
The PGC sounds like the same people that want to ruin every view in PA and put up a windmill because of the bad bad humans ruining the environment and heating their homes with electricity generated from Nuclear and Gas plants.
The only science is sheer stupidity. Matters not about what is good for the PA hunter and the future of our sport. Admitting you are wrong is always difficult and the PGC is trapped in a "WRONG" deer management policy for the past 10 years. If they admit they were wrong, watch out, they will be pounced upon by every organization that has been fighting the horror (Game Management) that has been going on here in PA.
Makes me sick!!!!
The PGC sounds like the same people that want to ruin every view in PA and put up a windmill because of the bad bad humans ruining the environment and heating their homes with electricity generated from Nuclear and Gas plants.