How many deer are enough
 

I have been following some of the threads where people are complaining about decreasing numbers of deer in some areas, especially in Pennsylvania. To me, however, it seems that whether there are "not enough", "enough", or even "too many" deer can depend on your individual perspective and experience. For example, in southeastern Illinois where i grew up, deer were very rare in the 1950s until restocking started. Up until the early 1980s, there was a small, but significant population, and people who put a lot of effort into it had a decent chance of getting at deer. Over the last twenty years the population has exploded to the point that I feel they are overpopulated, yet people are happy because, with not much effort, many people can get a good sized buck. However, many of these new hunters would be complaining if the population dropped over the next several years, even if the numbers were still well above that of 30 years before. On the other hand, some folks like myself wouldnt see it as disturbing since we grew up with more modest deer populations. Your thoughts?

RE: How many deer are enough
 

It is easy to get spoiled with a good deer population.

RE: How many deer are enough
 

I live not far from where you grew up Lanse, and I know what you mean about deer populations. When I started in the mid 80's, seeing deer while bowhunting was a real rare event. Now if I go 2 hunts in a row w/o seeing a deer, I'm second guessing everything. There are areas around me that need alot of deer killed, usually places that are posted or leased.You'll never hear me complain if I get a few chances a year to take a deer, buck or doe. Some guys I hunt with squawk if they don't see 10 a day.[&:]

RE: How many deer are enough
 

Hell, even spoiled is a relative term though. I mean what was a decent number of deer for people starting to hunt in the mid-70s was viewed as an abundance of deer for people who started out hunting in the 60s.

RE: How many deer are enough
 

I can't speak for other states, but here in New Jersey there was a time that it wouldn't be uncommon to see 50/75 or more deer per day, the herd needed to be thinned out, and over many years it was. There are small pockets that still hold large numbers of deer, but hunting isn't allowed or is very limited. NJ hunters can kill an unlimited anmout of anterless deer, but these are the same people that complaine the herd isn't what it once was.....DUH!!!!!! I killed two bucks here in NJ, and two in ILLINOIS in 2007, but I do know guys that have taken 10 or more deer per year, over bait, then claim to be the next Fred Bear

RE: How many deer are enough
 

Here in northern Ohio where i bowhunt i would usualy see atleast 5 deer a day.During shotgun season and winter id see 20-40 deer a day.And if i didnt see any i would blame myself for improper scent control or making to much noise getting into my stand.

RE: How many deer are enough
 

here in tennesse henry co where i live we can harvest up to 138 deer a season 3 bucks and 3 does a Day all season long.

RE: How many deer are enough
 

Go ahead and rub it in Baldntated!!I live in Unit B...BTW,Im Cecil30-30 from tndeer.

RE: How many deer are enough
 

Ilive Aolbama. Ispend most of my hunting dayson 3100 acres in SEAlabama. It is prime deer habitat and that property is loaded.

Estimates are that the state deer population is nearing 1.5 - 2.0 million. Recalling last year, I cannot recall a single day of deer hunting when I could not have taken at least one legal deer. We have plenty .... for sure.

RE: How many deer are enough
 

Before the longer doe season it would be common to see over 100 deer a day during rifle season, and over 30 a day in archery season. Now its maybe 2 a week in archery and you will see maybe 10 during rifle season.Deer numbers took a HUGE drop.