Explain to me please

[SmellEsox]

In a perfect world, that would be nice NoWiser. The truth is that most deer hunters don't think about deer hunting year round like a lot of us here on these boards. They trust the DNR and shoot what they say they can shoot when the regs come out. They don't think about what effect they are having on their local deer population. The answer is simple to me, just back off does for a couple years and the herd will increase fairly quickly. Probably take longer in wolf country, especially if these arsskicker winters keep coming.

[matchset]

I'll be posting another thread in a min

[Bear55]

I suppose it depends on what areas you actually consider to be northeast, but my numbers show the harvest was actually down 27% from 2012 to 2013 (areas 117,118,119,122,126,127,176,177,178,180,181).

Of course, much of that decrease was due to a reduction in available antlerless permits in the lottery areas, and that 176 went from Managed to Lottery, and that 178 and 180 wend from Managed to Hunter's choice, which skews the numbers. Take those out, and you're at a 12% reduction.

I was basing my numbers on a radio report last year that stuck in my head, no idea how accurate it was. Where are you finding 2013 info, I don't see the 2013 harvest report on the dnr HSOforum yet?

I hunt in 108 and all I really know for sure is since 2007 our buck harvest is half of what it was then and we barely have gotten any doe permits in that time so things have been getting worse and worse and I can't really blame the DNR, hard winters up there and lots of wolves around as well.

[mntatonka]

I was basing my numbers on a radio report last year that stuck in my head, no idea how accurate it was. Where are you finding 2013 info, I don't see the 2013 harvest report on the dnr HSOforum yet?

I hunt in 108 and all I really know for sure is since 2007 our buck harvest is half of what it was then and we barely have gotten any doe permits in that time so things have been getting worse and worse and I can't really blame the DNR, hard winters up there and lots of wolves around as well.

I don't know what area 108 was before 2010, but the buck harvest in 108 is higher now than it was in 2011 (lower than 2010 or 2012 though). That area's harvest could be drastically affected by weather during the season though I imagine.

I had to email the DNR to request the data. There's no reason for it not to be on the HSOforum yet. And there's certainly no reason for it to take 3-4 months to compile the data.

[laker1]

2013 area 108 harvest-all season types:

Adult male-934,Adult female-166,fawn male-24,fawn female-19,TOTAL=1143.

[Bear55]

108 use to be 107, it would seem the DNR likes to change the numbers of the areas when they make a very minor border adjustment. I dont' know if this is just a coincidence or if they like to cover their tracks by hiding old data that shows massive decline is harvest rates.

I've been keeping track over the years, I won't bore you with all the numbers but here are some highlights. Its been pretty much a steady decline save for slight update in bucks in 2012. Too many doe tags followed by some bad winters = perfect storm population decline.

First Year Management Area

2003 - Bucks 2992 - Does 2214 - Total 5206

Last Year of Management Area

2008 - Bucks 1852 - Does 1296 - Total 3154

Current Harvest According to Laker1

2013 - Bucks 934 - Does 209 - Total 1143

[mntatonka]

Maybe I'm missing something, but there's only 100 antlerless permits given out in 108, over 1700 sq mi. That doesn't seem like a lot. Although, when I look through the numbers there were 209 antlerless deer registered in 108, so where do those extra 109 anterless deer come from?

2 permits given to muzzleloader hunters, 2 antlerless deer registered by them.

Archery hunters don't apply for permits, but they registered 22 antlerless deer.

That leaves 185 antlerless deer that were registered by firearms hunters, but only 98 permits were given out to firearms hunters. Something isn't adding up. Makes it kind of tough to manage your herd if you're not even enforcing your own permits.

[laker1]

Maybe I'm missing something, but there's only 100 antlerless permits given out in 108, over 1700 sq mi. That doesn't seem like a lot. Although, when I look through the numbers there were 209 antlerless deer registered in 108, so where do those extra 109 anterless deer come from?

2 permits given to muzzleloader hunters, 2 antlerless deer registered by them.

Archery hunters don't apply for permits, but they registered 22 antlerless deer.

That leaves 185 antlerless deer that were registered by firearms hunters, but only 98 permits were given out to firearms hunters. Something isn't adding up. Makes it kind of tough to manage your herd if you're not even enforcing your own permits.

I think that is automatic youth anterless permits.

[mntatonka]

I think that is automatic youth anterless permits.

ah, maybe you're right.

[Bear55]

Correct youth licenses.

[candiru]

If I remember right these youth have a real good success rate.