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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?
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RE: How many deer are enough
It is easy to get spoiled with a good deer population.
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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.[&:]
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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RE: How many deer are enough
ORIGINAL: baldntatted 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
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.
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RE: How many deer are enough
I have to scratch my balding head when I hear people claiming that it was common to see 100 deer a day in states like PA, NJ or NY. I would only have to assume that this was in some sort of suburban type area where there was very limited hunting and very few predators because in the more rural, wilderness areas there has NEVER been anywhere close to such numbers of deer in most places in the Northeast. The deer weren't there in such number be it 50, 30, or 20 years ago and there still isn't today. I could only suggest to these suburban hunters to go try to hunt in true wilderness areas like the Adirondacks or Maine and learn how to actually hunt deer and not just count them like sheep from a tree stand that is about 50 yards away from someones backyard swimming pool.
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RE: How many deer are enough
Here we go again with the peeing match of who's the better hunter:eek:
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RE: How many deer are enough
No, you're wrong. I am not making this into a contest here. I am simply saying that any hunter who complains about not seeing 100 deer a day really has never been hunting and frankly doesn't know what hunting is, period. Where is it written that a hunter needs to see scores of deer each day to make hunting worthwhile?? It wouldn't be called "hunting" if it was supposed to be as easy as picking up a package of beef or chicken at the supermarket, would it? They should then call it "shooting", "killing" or "deer picking" if it was supposed to be as easy as picking strawberries. I think the guys hunting suburban areas where there are scores of deer serve a purpose in deer management, but as far as them having a true hunting experience hunting an animal in it's natural environment, I can assure them that they are not getting it in such places.
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RE: How many deer are enough
There are places in my county (around 80-90% rural timberland) where the deer are considered heavily populated on private landand on the public land(WMA) across the highway the population drastically falls. I attribute it to management practices and differing habitats among the two. The county as a whole has seen deer populations skyrocket in the past 30 years, as with many otherareas in the US.
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RE: How many deer are enough
too many or not enough is all relative to each individual situation. in areas of good deer habitat and agriculture the carrying capacity of the land is much more. in areas of poor deer habitat and no agriculture 10- 15 d/sm might be the limit. i took a 250 acre property from 04 seeing on average 5-10 deer a day to in 07 you could see 30-40+, which in my opinion was too many. all it took was creating better deer habitat and planting some food plot's combined with low hunting pressure.
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RE: How many deer are enough
If you consider yourself a good hunter, c'mom up to northern New England where the deer population can be less than 10 deer per square mile.
If you can consistently drag out your buck, I tip my hat to ya! |
RE: How many deer are enough
ORIGINAL: Jimmy S If you consider yourself a good hunter, c'mom up to northern New England where the deer population can be less than 10 deer per square mile. If you can consistently drag out your buck, I tip my hat to ya! |
RE: How many deer are enough
ORIGINAL: MikeVT ORIGINAL: Jimmy S If you consider yourself a good hunter, c'mom up to northern New England where the deer population can be less than 10 deer per square mile. If you can consistently drag out your buck, I tip my hat to ya! That's what separates the men from the boys...;) Anybody can shoot a deer when you see 30-40 every day. :D |
RE: How many deer are enough
ORIGINAL: Jimmy S ORIGINAL: MikeVT ORIGINAL: Jimmy S If you consider yourself a good hunter, c'mom up to northern New England where the deer population can be less than 10 deer per square mile. If you can consistently drag out your buck, I tip my hat to ya! That's what separates the men from the boys...;) Anybody can shoot a deer when you see 30-40 every day. :D  |
RE: How many deer are enough
I live in Alabama and in some Areas " OUT IN THE COUNTRY " its notunusual to see 10 deer in one evning or morning hunt, but in most common places that i hunt, if i see a deer, im HAPPY..
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RE: How many deer are enough
ORIGINAL: Steve863 I have to scratch my balding head when I hear people claiming that it was common to see 100 deer a day in states like PA, NJ or NY. I would only have to assume that this was in some sort of suburban type area where there was very limited hunting and very few predators because in the more rural, wilderness areas there has NEVER been anywhere close to such numbers of deer in most places in the Northeast. The deer weren't there in such number be it 50, 30, or 20 years ago and there still isn't today. I could only suggest to these suburban hunters to go try to hunt in true wilderness areas like the Adirondacks or Maine and learn how to actually hunt deer and not just count them like sheep from a tree stand that is about 50 yards away from someones backyard swimming pool. |
RE: How many deer are enough
yes pa deer herd is thin compared to what it used to be im only 22 but thats what ive heard. ive been hunting ten years and i am seeing less deer then when i first started been hunting a farm for six years and used to see 30 opening day and and now its more like 9-12. IMO the herd around here is slim to enough. the difference is i will give the game commission props on their buck program i have seen more bucks and nicer bucks then when i started. i have nothing more then a 5 point to show for ittho it was my first buck kill. i live in franklin county close to the maryland line. i also hunt in mckean county close to the new york line and the deer numbers ive seen havent changed to much up there if anything there is a little less BUT for the amount of ppl who live up there it had to help the deer to vehicle problem i would think. so i must commend them they did an ok job but now they need to bring back the 3 day program or saturday program. because pa has ALOT of hunters to many really and it creats ALOT of revenue so i bet they dont want to lose that.
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RE: How many deer are enough
you poor ppl being aloud to kill 30-40 deer they are either trying to kill the sport or you really must have WAYYYY to many deer.
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RE: How many deer are enough
in southwest ga, you have a smaller amount of deer as the season goes on but you can have the monsters for hereif you spend a year or two on it in a rural area. where i hunt in southeast ga, deer are everywhere at first but they are so small... your more likely to shoot a button that you mistake for a doe even with binocs than you would a mature doe
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RE: How many deer are enough
ORIGINAL: forddeerslayer you poor ppl being aloud to kill 30-40 deer they are either trying to kill the sport or you really must have WAYYYY to many deer. |
RE: How many deer are enough
ORIGINAL: AmateurHunter44857 ORIGINAL: Jimmy S ORIGINAL: MikeVT ORIGINAL: Jimmy S If you consider yourself a good hunter, c'mom up to northern New England where the deer population can be less than 10 deer per square mile. If you can consistently drag out your buck, I tip my hat to ya! That's what separates the men from the boys...;) Anybody can shoot a deer when you see 30-40 every day. :D
The winter up here can be brutal and really take a toll on the deer. They are also some of the biggest bucks in the country. It is not uncommon to shoot a big buck that dresses at 220 pounds plus. They have to be big and strong just to survive the winters. I have hunted with friends and relatives who consider themselves good hunter and they are, no doubt.They come from Georgia and Wisconsin where they are very successful but these guys will admit they can go days hunting up here without seeing a deer. One buddy has been hunting in Wisc, his home, for 30+ years and he said he has never hunted a full day without seeing at least one deer. The deer population there is almost 60 deer per square mile. To me, that's amazing. And I never said anything about it being too easy. Hunting where you see less deer is simply more difficult. |
RE: How many deer are enough
ORIGINAL: Jimmy S ORIGINAL: AmateurHunter44857 ORIGINAL: Jimmy S ORIGINAL: MikeVT ORIGINAL: Jimmy S If you consider yourself a good hunter, c'mom up to northern New England where the deer population can be less than 10 deer per square mile. If you can consistently drag out your buck, I tip my hat to ya! That's what separates the men from the boys...;) Anybody can shoot a deer when you see 30-40 every day. :D
The winter up here can be brutal and really take a toll on the deer. They are also some of the biggest bucks in the country. It is not uncommon to shoot a big buck that dresses at 220 pounds plus. They have to be big and strong just to survive the winters. I have hunted with friends and relatives who consider themselves good hunter and they are, no doubt.They come from Georgia and Wisconsin where they are very successful but these guys will admit they can go days hunting up here without seeing a deer. One buddy has been hunting in Wisc, his home, for 30+ years and he said he has never hunted a full day without seeing at least one deer. The deer population there is almost 60 deer per square mile. To me, that's amazing. And I never said anything about it being too easy. Hunting where you see less deer is simply more difficult. |
RE: How many deer are enough
A pop of 30 deer per/square mile is probably a perfect
amount where I live and hunt..This would still allow for a healthy and stablepop for future years, even if you figure in annual mortalities from, successful harvests from hunting,winter kills ,predator kill, and urbanization.. Whats just as important (I fell its even more so)is a high buck to doe ratio, at least one third of the deer pop in any square milethat holds deer,has tobe bucks..And if it isn't than something has to be done thats imparitive for a healthy deer pop.. |
RE: How many deer are enough
I've hunted close to where Bowhuntercop hunts and years ago(I'm a little older) there was no problem seeing herds of deer 15-25 going by, Then they implemented the shooting of does.Now it's more like 2-3 here and there. [&o]
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