these were the 3 reasons for VA's 31% harvest decline in 2014-2015. This year we are up 21% from last year and we have about 3 weeks of the gun season left. Our herd is estimated at 750,000. Down from 1.1 million a few years ago. Personally, I have seen a decline in numbers overall in my area. Bill Winkie on his show midwest whitetails says the golden age of deer hunting has somewhat passed, with the mid 2000's being the peak. He says overall as a country the numbers are in decline. It looks like the trend is the fact that most states had very liberal doe tags and this is the main reason for a decline, with EHD being the second reason. So how is your state and the areas you hunt? Over populated? Stable? In a decline?
In Indiana we have been in decline for the last 3 years. I think it's mostly for the reasons you have listed. They have decreased the number of antlerless tags in some counties but it's going to take several years to recover to the previous levels, if it ever does. Blessings...........Pastorjim
I would like to see NJ implement some changes in our harvest - we have the gun clubs who shoot everything, I drove by one club recently and they had a few deer hanging - a couple spikes and a button buck. It has been years since I have seen a deer with a decent rack around here.
So excited to see that in a nationwide survey of F&G officials and others, my home state of Vermont finished in 47th place! I guess that at least we weren't 50th.
In Illinois I think it's varied. We have definitely seen a decline in the south but there are concentrations scattered throughout the state with very robust deer herds. Not too sure but I heard even our famous Pike county got hit hard with EHD. Anyone on here from Pike or Adams weigh in?
I can only shoot 1 deer a year in my home zone others are buck only even for archery, we have a wolf problem that is going to suppress deer numbers in the northern half of the state. That being said 2-1/2 miles to the east of me you can get 5 tags Minnesota is a 1 buck state, I can not manage does on my property but I guess thats ok because I hate shooting does.
I know it's weird but shooting does to me is like butchering a goat, no thrill or enjoyment like buck hunting.
Some of the smartest deer that I have ever hunted were does. Pick out one old doe, hopefully a dry doe, and make her your target. A lot harder hunting a specific animal.
Not weird. It's definitely a different rush for me but I'm obsessed with killing my own food. I even like cleaning fish. Maybe I'm the weird one.
I have done it 3 years ago I could buy a bonus tag. I had a old doe that had not had a fawn in two years she was the head of security and also a herd bully. I took her out, I didn't take that hunt serious I sat in a ground blind and had an open beer shot the doe right after she smacked a fawn in the head with her hoof, finished my beer and loaded her up.
I live in Adams on the county line and have also heard rumors of EHD being around. I'm not saying it's not bit I'm also saying it's not near as bad around here as what people say. Only meaning that everyone around here finds a deer dead and automatically calls is EHD and tells everyone they see that's what it was. Which in most cases isn't the cause. As far as I have heard and talked to maybe only heard of a few that actually tested positive. Couple of the processors I use have them all tested and haven't found any. Where I hunt it started off real slow, like slow enough I was starting to get little worried. But once middle of Nov hit is was probably one of if not best years had on a while. Wasn't the same for everyone but the farm I hunt it was.
Good to hear. That's why I asked, you definitely have to take what you hear with a grain of salt. The properties I hunt have definitely taken a hit. I'm in Madison and Pope counties. But I hear people a few miles down the road are seeing butt loads of deer. It seems sporadic.
