Harvest Numbers Down

[catman529]

In the Western Highland Rim, red oaks had a big crop as well. Not as huge as the Whites, but still pretty big. Deer are feeding on them heavily. Seeing a little more use of ag fields and food plots, but deer are still back in the woods chowing down on Red Oak family acorns.

Yep I noticed that as well. Black oaks were dropping heavy in mid November.

 

[TheLBLman]

Personally avoided hunting CWD transportation restriction counties I always hunt and take several deer. I didn't want to have to bone out a deer deep into the woods or even worse bring a turkey fryer out and a pressure washer to clean a bucks skull vs. leaving it for scavengers. No worries eating deer from those counties. I just don't care to deal with the extra responsibilities. I would rather process them at the house.

THIS!
This was a very big issue this year!

Personally, I was on a quota hunt with 4 other people in Henry County.
ALL 5 of us were planning to hunt UNTIL
TWRA placed Henry County under the CWD transportation restrictions right before this hunt.

This was a 3-day quota rifle hunt BEFORE the statewide gun season opened, and again, all were excited to have been drawn, all planned to go.

At the last minute, hearing about the CWD transportation issue, all 4 my hunting friends backed out, and it was for that single reason alone. After they backed out, I decided not to go myself, but then changed my mind, ending up going on the last of the 3 days.

And how many other hunters did I see on this normally high-value quota gun hunt?
Zero.
And I believe the main reason so many hunters didn't show was because of the CWD transportations issues. For certain, it was with the 5 in my hunting group.

THIS would have to have had an impact on the statewide deer kill, considering so many hunters have traditionally & habitually travelled to such counties as Henry to go deer hunting, but have now suddenly just stopped deer hunting.

 

[Mb423]

I was curious about this myself.

I have killed 2x more deer this year than last and have seen alot more deer the entire season. Not sure if luck is on my side or some new spots just paid off this year.

 

[102]

You can't tell much at all (except maybe a weather trend) from a harvest report from ONE year. Like BSK said...
And so do most deer managers, biologists, etc. Just doesn't mean much . Now do this THREE seasons in a row and it will be noticed.

 

[BSK]

You can't tell much at all (except maybe a weather trend) from a harvest report from ONE year. Like BSK said...
And so do most deer managers, biologists, etc. Just doesn't mean much . Now do this THREE seasons in a row and it will be noticed.

THIS

Hunters freak out too quickly over a single year's data. Show me a TREND and I'll be interested.

 

[kentuckylakebuck1]

THIS

Hunters freak out too quickly over a single year's data. Show me a TREND and I'll be interested.

TREND? look at Henry co. from 2012 till now and tell me what kind of trend you see?

 

[BSK]

TREND? look at Henry co. from 2012 till now and tell me what kind of trend you see?

I will. I don't work in Henry County so I haven't looked at the county's data.