j-bird
Well-Known Member
Harvest report is now available - just an FYI
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-DeerSummaryReport_2016.pdf
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-DeerSummaryReport_2016.pdf
Hoosier hunters - 2016 deer harvest report available
- Thread starter j-bird
- Start date
Blizzard Ridge
Well-Known Member
I would say here in Illinois opening day of gun season is the #1 kill day as well. With just a two weekend hunt everybody and their brother are in the woods for the annual deer slaughter.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
It always is - it's blitzkrieg on the deer.....they tend to wise up fairly quickly after that. Its also the one day it seems like anyone with a gun goes deer hunting.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
Well I have had a chance to look at the report some.
#1 - the DNR has finally included crop damage and deer/vehicle accidents in the report. These are the social carrying capacity indicators that most folks see. This report is the first time I have seen those numbers included. They report we are down from the previous year.....which is good, but without data from further back than that it's hard to tell just how far it has come. Still not sure what level is considered acceptable.....I'm sure the insurance companies are goin gto try to push to drive those numbers lower and lower as that is where they loose their money!
#2 - Harvest numbers are down (harvest hasn't been below 120,000 since 2003), and license sales are down (-30,000 since 2012). Fewer deer mean, lower harvests and fewer hunters. Think about that.....harvest numbers are down to levels that they where over a DECADE ago! Since the peak harvest in 2012.....statewide harvest has fallen %12+ Most of the top harvest counties have had their harvest drop by 25% or more.
In many counties a hunter can take as many as 8 "bonus" antlerless deer. That is above and beyond the 2 you can take with archery equipment, 1 with a modern firearm and another 1 with a muzzleloader. Even in my county where we average around 800 deer killed a year - I am allowed to take 3 "bonus" deer......meaning I could actually legally take as many as 7 deer if it all worked out. There is no need for this. Even the report showed that a very small portion of hunters actually killed multiple deer a year (72.4% of successful hunters only killed a single deer, 19.5% killed 2 and the remaining 8.1% killed 3 or more).
So now the question to be asked is that now that the DNR is setting up pilot CDAC's in a select few counties will we see any real change in management and this "kill more deer" mentality the DNR has been pushing the last decade? I hope so. I doubt the DNR will allow the deer numbers to reach the levels we have seen in the past, which may not be a bad thing. But I do hope that with data and cooperation we can reach a balance between hunters, non-hunters and the natural habitat to ensure we have healthy wildlife for future generations to enjoy.
#1 - the DNR has finally included crop damage and deer/vehicle accidents in the report. These are the social carrying capacity indicators that most folks see. This report is the first time I have seen those numbers included. They report we are down from the previous year.....which is good, but without data from further back than that it's hard to tell just how far it has come. Still not sure what level is considered acceptable.....I'm sure the insurance companies are goin gto try to push to drive those numbers lower and lower as that is where they loose their money!
#2 - Harvest numbers are down (harvest hasn't been below 120,000 since 2003), and license sales are down (-30,000 since 2012). Fewer deer mean, lower harvests and fewer hunters. Think about that.....harvest numbers are down to levels that they where over a DECADE ago! Since the peak harvest in 2012.....statewide harvest has fallen %12+ Most of the top harvest counties have had their harvest drop by 25% or more.
In many counties a hunter can take as many as 8 "bonus" antlerless deer. That is above and beyond the 2 you can take with archery equipment, 1 with a modern firearm and another 1 with a muzzleloader. Even in my county where we average around 800 deer killed a year - I am allowed to take 3 "bonus" deer......meaning I could actually legally take as many as 7 deer if it all worked out. There is no need for this. Even the report showed that a very small portion of hunters actually killed multiple deer a year (72.4% of successful hunters only killed a single deer, 19.5% killed 2 and the remaining 8.1% killed 3 or more).
So now the question to be asked is that now that the DNR is setting up pilot CDAC's in a select few counties will we see any real change in management and this "kill more deer" mentality the DNR has been pushing the last decade? I hope so. I doubt the DNR will allow the deer numbers to reach the levels we have seen in the past, which may not be a bad thing. But I do hope that with data and cooperation we can reach a balance between hunters, non-hunters and the natural habitat to ensure we have healthy wildlife for future generations to enjoy.
X-farmerdan
Well-Known Member
What you write j-bird could very easily be applied to my state. I could name that tune in one note! I have only the most complimentary things to say about our game managers. St the same time factors beyond human understanding and control seem to be in play making achievement of plan goals seem like a long shot.
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Brutus
New Member
J-bird,
"But I do hope that with data and cooperation we can reach a balance between hunters, non-hunters and the natural habitat to ensure we have healthy wildlife for future generations to enjoy."
That is the million dollar question....the Ohio DNR (where im from) speaks of this continually but I never hear what those key indicators are and what the goals are within these key indicators. I'm not even sure anyone knows this.
Guess I'll just go ask them. Not that I'm expecting an answer.
"But I do hope that with data and cooperation we can reach a balance between hunters, non-hunters and the natural habitat to ensure we have healthy wildlife for future generations to enjoy."
That is the million dollar question....the Ohio DNR (where im from) speaks of this continually but I never hear what those key indicators are and what the goals are within these key indicators. I'm not even sure anyone knows this.
Guess I'll just go ask them. Not that I'm expecting an answer.
