Deerbuster1996
Well-Known Member
Have you thought about the fawn crops growing in recent years. I know I have been getting more pictures of fawns each year. That could be a reason for yearling numbers having a increase.
2015 vs 2016 To Date: Current Harvest (GRAPHED)
- Thread starter Deerbuster1996
- Start date
lightsareout
Well-Known Member
Very interesting, I would like to see the year end results and maybe include another year or 2 back for more data comparison
AT Hiker
Well-Known Member
It may or may not have anything to do with a buck limit reduction, that point is useless to argue on this forum anymore.
However, your graph is interesting. Some people say lack of acorns, some say weather, some say license increase, some even say herd numbers are down. Who the heck knows.
I think the tell tale graph will be one that highlights the next three years and compares it to the previous few years. Maybe we can draw a conclusion as to why (assuming the trend follows your graph) and do something about it if need be.
Cool graph non the less.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
However, your graph is interesting. Some people say lack of acorns, some say weather, some say license increase, some even say herd numbers are down. Who the heck knows.
I think the tell tale graph will be one that highlights the next three years and compares it to the previous few years. Maybe we can draw a conclusion as to why (assuming the trend follows your graph) and do something about it if need be.
Cool graph non the less.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I also wonder how much lack of interest affects those numbers. I think we are on the tail end of the hunting boom myself. The hunting is cool/interesting bubble has busted. I may be completely wrong, but I think there are less people interested which also leads to some decline in numbers.
southernhunter
Well-Known Member
Wonder how many small bucks may not be getting reported ?
catman529
Well-Known Member
My numbers are down cause I haven't been able to hunt as much, particularly in mornings. I'm hoping for another doe tomorrow or Wednesday evening and then buck only until December.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
redhunterZ71
Well-Known Member
Somebody needs to go look at last 5 or 6 years and see what the difference was from year to year. I bet some years were lower than others for some unknown reasons. Can somebody pull these numbers up?
Any speculation on a drop in buck harvest a few weeks into season is misleading. Even when the season is over, if buck harvest is down, it would be hard to draw a conclusion that it was due to a 2-buck limit. Considering the small percentage of people that ever kill more than one, lowering the buck limit may not even matter. It may mean that with the supposed surplus of bucks that are running around, the people that normally do not tag one will have the opportunity to do so this year. The percentage of successful licensed hunters could go up without an increase in buck harvest.
swhackmaster
Well-Known Member
Weather has played a major factor imo
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
AXL78":fh5gp3ik said:
Excellent point.
I'd be more interested in the data over 3 years vs a year over year trend. Especially since we are just mid way through the season. A strong cold snap during 2nd week of muzzleloader through rifle could make a spike in harvest numbers IMO.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Interesting...Thanks for posting this. Will you be doing updates to the graph from time to time? I would especially be interested in seeing the update after the two weeks of muzzleloader.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I don't think it is at all unreasonable to conclude that the 2 buck limit is directly correlated to the reduction in number of bucks killed during archery... if it were the 'weather', 'higher license prices', 'fewer hunters', etc, the doe kill would have dropped as well.
I suspect that the decline during archery season will be made up by ML and Gun, however... as people get closer to the end of season and the liklihood of the 2nd tag going unfilled and burning a hole in the pocket of the average hunter begins to weigh heavily.
My prediction is that our buck kill will end up around 10% less this year. A significant drop, but not as significant as many think it will be.
I suspect that the decline during archery season will be made up by ML and Gun, however... as people get closer to the end of season and the liklihood of the 2nd tag going unfilled and burning a hole in the pocket of the average hunter begins to weigh heavily.
My prediction is that our buck kill will end up around 10% less this year. A significant drop, but not as significant as many think it will be.
You would have to have a doctorate in psychology to know that, and even then that theory doesn't pertain to everyone. It is statistically impossible to conclusively prove a 2 buck limit will save any measurable amount of deer just based on previous years numbers.
tree_ghost
Well-Known Member
I tend to agree with this postmegalomaniac":1l8sj4a4 said:
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
That is really kind of my point. By your own harvest numbers, statistically, the twra saved 0 bucks lives by you when they lowered the limit. I don't mean that offensively, really I don't. But you have no affect on the 3 buck limit. It could change mindset, but you can't statistically measure that. Who's to say that can't change without a limit change. It can't be numerically proven, certainly not in a few weeks.
It could also be argued that in the rare cases with people who can kill at will, they will be responsible for more bucks. They tag out quicker, and are no longer worried about themselves, and now have the freedom to put more people on bucks, which I see people do. The people who never killed 2, now have a larger amount of bucks roaming, and suddenly are able to kill 2, and the off/on people have more opportunities and kill more consistently. I just see no significant increase/decrease in the buck population, and any differentiation can not be attributable to limits. Maybe mindset, but you have to ask yourself if limit changed mindset, and does a limit that affected such a minute percent of the hunters have to invoked on a vast majority to do this. It won't accomplish anything extreme.
matt15
Member
I have never been for lowering the buck tags but of course fewer bucks are going to get killed with one less tag. Everyone I hunt with is going to be much pickier this year because we don't want to be down to our last buck tag
