BSK
Well-Known Member
One of the most difficult aspects of deer management is 90% of SUCCESSFUL deer management is actually hunter management. Teaching hunters how their actions impact the local deer population, and getting them to understand and WANT to fully participate in the process--which includes WANTING to become a better, more knowledgeable hunter--is unquestionably the key to a successful program.
As simple as this sounds, we humans have a few traits that increase the difficulty of managing us, at least from a scientific perspective. For whatever reason, and I'm sure this trait was very useful when we were still living in caves, but we humans have the exasperating trait of believing even the slightest inkling of a perception as being "The Final Truth Handed Down by God Almighty Himself." Once we have a strong feeling about something, we will believe it to be true, no matter any "proof" to the contrary. In essence, the old adage of "Perception is Reality."
That fact was brought home again this year with my own hunting party. We experienced the worst rut we've ever had. We hunted before, during, and after what is normally the peak of breeding, and did not witness a single buck chasing an estrus doe--something that is commonplace on our property at that time of year. Because of those experiences, every hunter in the group spent most of their non-hunting time wondering what was wrong and talking about how this was the worst hunting year we've ever had. Even when we ended up killing more shooter bucks than we ever have--the most in 27 years of hunting the property--opinions and perceptions did not change. No matter what data was presented, because of their poor rut hunting experiences, the hunters were absolutely locked into their negative perceptions.
Eventually, the evidence that this year was not terrible, but actually pretty good, became overwhelming. Yet ask any of the hunters, and unquestionable this was the worst year EVER, and this year bordered on a DISASTER.
Yet here's reality:
[Looking at deer, buck, and "shooter" buck (any buck 2 1/2+) observation and harvest rates over the last six years--the period over which we have applied very heavy hunting pressure to the property]
This year:
Deer observed per hunting hour was dead on the average for the last 6 years.
The percent of hunts with deer sightings was right on average.
Bucks (any age) observed per hunting hour were 4% above average.
The percent of hunts with buck sightings was right on average.
"Shooter" bucks observed per hunting hour were 30% above average and was the highest rate of the last 6 years.
The percent of observed bucks that were "shooters" (46%) was 22% above average and the highest percentage of the last 6 years.
And what is usually most important to hunters--"shooter" bucks killed per hunting hour--was 42% above average, and actually the fastest rate of shooter buck harvest we've EVER had in 27 years!
Yet ask the hunters, and because the rut sucked, this year was TERRIBLE! I can't win... Perception trumps reality every time.
As simple as this sounds, we humans have a few traits that increase the difficulty of managing us, at least from a scientific perspective. For whatever reason, and I'm sure this trait was very useful when we were still living in caves, but we humans have the exasperating trait of believing even the slightest inkling of a perception as being "The Final Truth Handed Down by God Almighty Himself." Once we have a strong feeling about something, we will believe it to be true, no matter any "proof" to the contrary. In essence, the old adage of "Perception is Reality."
That fact was brought home again this year with my own hunting party. We experienced the worst rut we've ever had. We hunted before, during, and after what is normally the peak of breeding, and did not witness a single buck chasing an estrus doe--something that is commonplace on our property at that time of year. Because of those experiences, every hunter in the group spent most of their non-hunting time wondering what was wrong and talking about how this was the worst hunting year we've ever had. Even when we ended up killing more shooter bucks than we ever have--the most in 27 years of hunting the property--opinions and perceptions did not change. No matter what data was presented, because of their poor rut hunting experiences, the hunters were absolutely locked into their negative perceptions.
Eventually, the evidence that this year was not terrible, but actually pretty good, became overwhelming. Yet ask any of the hunters, and unquestionable this was the worst year EVER, and this year bordered on a DISASTER.
Yet here's reality:
[Looking at deer, buck, and "shooter" buck (any buck 2 1/2+) observation and harvest rates over the last six years--the period over which we have applied very heavy hunting pressure to the property]
This year:
Deer observed per hunting hour was dead on the average for the last 6 years.
The percent of hunts with deer sightings was right on average.
Bucks (any age) observed per hunting hour were 4% above average.
The percent of hunts with buck sightings was right on average.
"Shooter" bucks observed per hunting hour were 30% above average and was the highest rate of the last 6 years.
The percent of observed bucks that were "shooters" (46%) was 22% above average and the highest percentage of the last 6 years.
And what is usually most important to hunters--"shooter" bucks killed per hunting hour--was 42% above average, and actually the fastest rate of shooter buck harvest we've EVER had in 27 years!
Yet ask the hunters, and because the rut sucked, this year was TERRIBLE! I can't win... Perception trumps reality every time.
