I just got an email from the head of the CT whitetail management program of the 2011 harvest stats in every zone of the state. I'm conducting a research report on the relative overabundance of whitetail deer in CT and management techniques related to cultural/biological carrying capacity, population distribution, harvest records, natural predation, human/deer populations in urban areas, etc. In the short time (so far) I've spent reviewing the stats I've received from him, I've gained a basic knowledge of which zones to hunt in my state for both increasing the likelihood of shooting a deer, to increasing the likelihood of shooting large bucks (there are actually differences in size from region to region in this small state). Size of the body/antlers is obviously related to genetic and environmental factors, which vary within the state. For those of you (like me) that can't seem to place themselves in a position to take a big buck, I strongly suggest that you contact your local/state wildlife management agency. All it takes is an email, and they'll hook you up with all the information you could imagine, and more. Even though my bow season has been in full swing for about a month and a half, I'm considering finding more property to hunt in other zones, where the big bucks are, and regions that produce the healthiest herds (abundance and size). I'm not exactly a selective hunter, but its nice to know which locations produce the best results, and so far I'm 0-fer on the season. I'm excluding the fact that the rut hasn't hit yet, or that I even know how to place myself in the position to shoot deer. Just thought I'd pass that information along to you guys. I know its going to help me for future hunts.
