BSK
Well-Known Member
Although I had seen the same research conducted years ago in PA, with the same general findings, just wanted to reiterate to those who hunt WMAs, get away from the roads!
Here is some recent research from north Georgia WMAs concerning hunting pressure:
"The average distance between hunters' stands on Georgia public hunting land and the nearest road open to motor vehicles was 247 yards. Jackie Rosenberger of the University of Georgia Deer Lab used GPS to track 58 volunteer hunters on two north Georgia WMAs to study hunting pressure and deer movements. She found 90% of hunting pressure occurred on only 51% of the WMA land, with low or no hunting pressure on most of the remaining lands. Hunters preferred areas nearest to roads and avoided steep slopes, inadvertently creating deer sanctuaries in more remote and rugged areas."
Although TN's public lands see considerable hunting pressure, they pale in comparison to the hunting pressure on PA public lands. Yet research on PA public lands not only found the same "hunter created sanctuaries" existing everywhere that was more than a quarter mile from an access road, but also found survival rates of GPS-collared deer that used those inadvertent sanctuaries during hunting season was 90%.
Here is some recent research from north Georgia WMAs concerning hunting pressure:
"The average distance between hunters' stands on Georgia public hunting land and the nearest road open to motor vehicles was 247 yards. Jackie Rosenberger of the University of Georgia Deer Lab used GPS to track 58 volunteer hunters on two north Georgia WMAs to study hunting pressure and deer movements. She found 90% of hunting pressure occurred on only 51% of the WMA land, with low or no hunting pressure on most of the remaining lands. Hunters preferred areas nearest to roads and avoided steep slopes, inadvertently creating deer sanctuaries in more remote and rugged areas."
Although TN's public lands see considerable hunting pressure, they pale in comparison to the hunting pressure on PA public lands. Yet research on PA public lands not only found the same "hunter created sanctuaries" existing everywhere that was more than a quarter mile from an access road, but also found survival rates of GPS-collared deer that used those inadvertent sanctuaries during hunting season was 90%.