Comparing Registration Methods

[lcornice]

The intent of this post is not to debate metal tags vs. sticky tags vs. paper tags (keyword: ziptie) vs. making the station owner inspect your deer. I've heard from many people that this change will result in gaming, people not knowing what they're registering, and people not registering at all. You'd swear the world was turned upside down because people can now use the phone to register their deer. When this was rolled out, I said those who cheat will cheat regardless of the system in place (read kitchen tags, shooting deer for youth hunters in lottery areas). We see violations every year at deer check stations and we'll continue to see them regardless of regulations, bag limits, or season structure. Some people do bad things; however, the data below indicates the vast majority don't do bad things.

In comparing the registration methods (walk-in, phone, internet) by both archery and gun you can see below IT'S THE SAME DATA. I did remove the areas where phone/internet were not active (SE, TB area). There are no differences in deer type based on registration method even when you break it out by season. The person who misidentifies a doe fawn at Gander Mountain will misidentify a doe fawn on the internet. In fact, you could almost argue that walk-in stations are less accurate because the person running the terminal call button bucks adults (yes, I've seen that a lot when working stations). The bottom line is we’ll register over 200,000 deer this year and some of them will be in the wrong area, some will be of the wrong type, and some will be of the wrong season. However, when N=200,000, it’s really hard to say those errors make a difference in the grand scheme of things. They just don’t. Granted, I’m looking at it from the population-level perspective and everyone else is looking at it from the individual perspective. There’s nothing wrong with that but if I looked at it as an individual, I wouldn’t be doing my job. The take home is the new methods (phone, internet) work just as well as the old method (walk-in).

Again, I’m not going to debate the first sentence of this post, I just wanted to share the numbers and clarify some of the wild perceptions that are out there. Trust me, if it didn’t look the same between methods, we’d re-evaluate continuing phone/internet.

If someone knows how to make the percentages look like a table, let me know. I couldn’t figure it out.

Archery (Sept. 18 - Nov. 5) N= 12,500

Method %Buck &Buck Fawn %Doe %Doe Fawn

Walk-In 36% 8% 48% 8%

Internet 34% 11% 46% 9%

Phone 34% 11% 46% 8%

Gun (Nov. 6 - 21, N =153,000

Method %Buck &Buck Fawn %Doe %Doe Fawn

Walk-In 54% 8% 31% 7%

Internet 51% 11% 30% 8%

Phone 51% 11% 30% 8%

[Deep]

I do not know how to make your table but I really like the phone in option in deer camp up north, but we were unclear on how to send a deer home with another person who tagged and regestered and another person transported the deer.

[Harmonica Bear]

Interesting info. Thanks, Lou!

I was wondering if numbers would get skewed. From everyone I've talked they love the phone/internet registration. It didn't work for our camp however (TB area 105), we wanted it to, all it really meant was regstration same as usual.

[picksbigwagon]

Thanks Lou, love the numbers as well. Not sure why some people are so upset about phone and internet registering. I know for a fact, Iowa just started registering their deer by phone and internet 3 years ago. 4 years ago, select hunters recieved a notice in the mail and they had to fill in the card about their hunt.

Interesting that the same percentage of buck fawn were shot by bow hunters as well as firearm hunters...

[laker1]

Cornice-thanks for the info. I do have a question. It would be good info if we could figure the compliance rate of people actually registering their deer. If registration per say went up maybe 10% with higher compliance because of phne registration, than compared to previous years the harvest will be down. I don't know what the new sytem affect was. Will you be able to see thru the fog deciper the info and compared. Maybe you need to do a random phone interview of hunters to figure out true registration rate? Do you have any data now on hunter registration rate? Thanks again.

[lovebigbluegills]

Method %Buck &Buck Fawn %Doe %Doe Fawn

Walk-In 36% 8% 48% 8%

Internet 34% 11% 46% 9%

Phone 34% 11% 46% 8%

Gun (Nov. 6 - 21, N =153,000

Method %Buck &Buck Fawn %Doe %Doe Fawn

Walk-In 54% 8% 31% 7%

Internet 51% 11% 30% 8%

Phone 51% 11% 30% 8%

Looks to me like the phone and internet registration is almost identical to what was done walk-in--glad to see it.

I thought I changed it into a table, but it didn't post like it shows in this box. Hmmmmmmmmm

[laker1]

yes type of deer stayed the same, but if a individual registered in the past, does method of registration make a person more apt to register or not?

[totally_addicted]

I do not know how to make your table but I really like the phone in option in deer camp up north, but we were unclear on how to send a deer home with another person who tagged and regestered and another person transported the deer.

Here it is straight out of the book: "A deer that has been registered may be transported by another person, if the signature, address, and license number of the licensee and the origin and destination of the transport are written

on the back of the possession tag."

[Jameson]

I believe the phone-in/internet registering is resulting in a greater percentage of the harvest being registered. Got any data to proof or disproof my theory? I can imagine that one year may be too small of a sample size and it may take several years to get accurate data on that theory.

[mnbuckhunter]

Cornice-thanks for the info. I do have a question. It would be good info if we could figure the compliance rate of people actually registering their deer.

I would think this would be near impossible to figure out as it would involve people being honest about not following the law.

[lcornice]

I believe the phone-in/internet registering is resulting in a greater percentage of the harvest being registered. Got any data to proof or disproof my theory? I can imagine that one year may be too small of a sample size and it may take several years to get accurate data on that theory.

For one, it would be nearly impossible to prove because you'd have to ask if they've broken the law. I do hear that one a lot and here’s what I think. I base what I say after working a variety of check stations (restaurants, sporting stores, gas stations) throughout the state over the last 9 deer seasons. I truly believe the vast majority of deer get counted (registered). The issue is the carcass is not present at time of registration. More times than I can count, I've seen a person walk in with a handful of stubs and walk out with a handful of possession tags. Technically, it's a violation because the deer wasn't present. Realistically, the deer gets counted in the end. So, when I hear "deer aren't being registered", what I really see is deer are registered but they're hanging in a garage.

Fundamentally, I have to believe there’s a small increase in compliance with the new system; however, I thought compliance was very high to begin with so any increase should be marginal. Again, by compliance I mean the carcass gets counted, not that it’s physically present at the station. I know everyone has a story about the deer that never gets registered but when you put 200K+ in the bag every year a few won’t get registered. Most do … individuals vs. populations. I think populations.

[Jameson]

...to believe there’s a small increase in compliance with the new system; however, I thought compliance was very high to begin with so any increase should be marginal....

I guess from my personal experience you are 100% correct. I have heard about a deer here or there in years past where a person who normally does register their deer doesn't, because of being short on time they skip registering one. It would be very tough for me to call TIP on the person knowing that 4 out of 5 years, 9 out of 10 deer, they do register them, and they are obeying all other laws. These same folks would be too afraid to go into a check station without the deer. This year they have no excuse, and I haven't heard of any. Hence, my theory.

( proof vs prove )

[Deep]

Thank you, that is the same thing that I had read in the regulations, but if I phone in my deer I do not have a transportation tag only a site tag.

[Archerysniper]

Thank you, that is the same thing that I had read in the regulations, but if I phone in my deer I do not have a transportation tag only a site tag.

When you buy your tag you get a site tag and a deer lic/registration slip the licenses/registration slip becomes yor possetion tag once you write your confirmation # on it in the correct area wich is just above where you sign your name.

[Deep]

When you buy your tag you get a site tag and a deer lic/registration slip the licenses/registration slip becomes yor possetion tag once you write your confirmation # on it in the correct area wich is just above where you sign your name.

[motley man]

Used the internet and it's easier than staying in line at gas stations, stores, and bait shops holding up paying customers. Was glad to see that most stations have started having a extra person working for deer season to speed registrations.

[ANYFISH2]

Deep actually the way I understand it is your site tag turns into your possession tag after you register the deer. If transporting a deer from someone else have thier info with you (license #, confermation number#). The license/reg part of thier lice3nse stays with the hunter especally if they are going to continue hunting.