My theory for increase in buck kills

[mathews338]

I believe that if we would have been under the old 3 buck limit we would have set harvest records this year by a large margin. no acorns meant the deer would have to move around a lot to find food. deer would have to hit the fields and other open areas to feed making them much more visible. I saw more deer this year in fields feeding than I can ever remember. I would bet the majority of hunters hunt around fields therefore more hunters had more opportunities to kill bucks. If the woods are full of acorns most deer might not have to leave the safety of thick cover. I can't explain why we got off to a slow start though unless a lot of hunters hunted the woods early out of habit.

This is just a theory I had that I wanted to share. May be wrong but it is possible I guess. Just to be clear I am neither for or against the 2 buck limit. I liked a 3 buck limit but I don't mind the 2 buck limit. I am a hunter and no matter what the regs are I will continue to hunt and be happy about it.

One thing is for sure though, we will have to give the 2 buck limit a few years before we start comparing data. At this point it is interesting to see but useless imo.

 

[TheLBLman]

I believe that if we would have been under the old 3 buck limit we would have set harvest records this year by a large margin.

I find that very plausible. :)

 

[Realtree]

I agree!

 

[280longshot]

We had more acorns than the deer could eat, All of my double digits numbers were in the woods not in the fields. The only time I seen several deer in the fields was on one lease late in the season when the Hatchie River had the deer pushed out of the bottoms.



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[Deer Assassin]

good theory

 

[wskp11]

After the very beginning of the season I didn't see but a couple deer and that includes a cornfield with a pond in the middle of the woods! With the low acorn crop our deer vanished, when the acorns are good I usually have to beat them away to get to the stand

 

[gator-n-buck]

I wonder if the weather this season might of also played a role????

 

[Poleaxe]

Let it lay man. Come on. For the love of God can someone not bring up this subject for one day.

 

[mathews338]

Let it lay man. Come on. For the love of God can someone not bring up this subject for one day.

just don't look at tndeer for one day, one week or one month

 

[Realtree]

Lol I love it!

 

[catman529]

Acorns were decent here but they did run out eventually. Early in the season the deer were hitting fields with bellies already full of acorns. It was not a normal year at all, rut was spotty at best, deer much less predictable overall due to the weather. I don't know if it has much to do with the buck harvest numbers. I guess people just did pretty well this year. Mast was different across the state so I don't think you could accurately say acorns had much to do with it


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[megalomaniac]

Every year the kill is up or down 'because of the weather', 'because of the acorn crop', 'because of the limit', etc, etc, etc.

I think you are reading far too much into it. It really is simple... if we had a good fawn crop the year before last, the kill will be up. Miserable fawn crop 2 years ago, and the kill will be down. If the deer are there, hunters will kill them. They aren't that smart.

 

[snaildarter]

My place in Jackson Co was covered up in acorns, as a matter of fact, they still were laying thick on the ridge tops last weekend. I saw very, very, few deer during archery and even into muzzleloader season. I did not even have a chance to take a doe on my place this year. I did end up killing a buck during Thanksgiving weekend, which always seems to be the peak of seeing bucks during daylight on my place.

I could care less if limit is 2 or 3. I've only killed three bucks once, but I do not make a habit of killing spikes anymore.

 

[mathews338]

My place in Jackson Co was covered up in acorns, as a matter of fact, they still were laying thick on the ridge tops last weekend. I saw very, very, few deer during archery and even into muzzleloader season. I did not even have a chance to take a doe on my place this year. I did end up killing a buck during Thanksgiving weekend, which always seems to be the peak of seeing bucks during daylight on my place.

I could care less if limit is 2 or 3. I've only killed three bucks once, but I do not make a habit of killing spikes anymore.

you are the first and only person to say they had acorns in Jackson co that I talked to anyways.

 

[mathews338]

Every year the kill is up or down 'because of the weather', 'because of the acorn crop', 'because of the limit', etc, etc, etc.

I think you are reading far too much into it. It really is simple... if we had a good fawn crop the year before last, the kill will be up. Miserable fawn crop 2 years ago, and the kill will be down. If the deer are there, hunters will kill them. They aren't that smart.

it was just a thought and I said I could be wrong. I agree about the fawn crop.

 

[knightrider]

Every year the kill is up or down 'because of the weather', 'because of the acorn crop', 'because of the limit', etc, etc, etc.

I think you are reading far too much into it. It really is simple... if we had a good fawn crop the year before last, the kill will be up. Miserable fawn crop 2 years ago, and the kill will be down. If the deer are there, hunters will kill them. They aren't that smart.

it was just a thought and I said I could be wrong. I agree about the fawn crop.

this what im screaming locally!!! we had such a horrible fawn recruitment this year its fixing to get tough, last year was pretty low as well. im talking upwards of 80% didn't make it, yes there are those that had a few but majority didn't survive, I saw two yearlings all season.

 

[TheLBLman]

. . . this what im screaming locally!!! we had such a horrible fawn recruitment this year its fixing to get tough, last year was pretty low as well. im talking upwards of 80% didn't make it, yes there are those that had a few but majority didn't survive, I saw two yearlings all season.

Therefore, we should raise the buck limit? ;)

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

No doubt that the Mast Crop and the heat played a factor in deer behaviour on my property. Once the Mast Dried up the deer travel routes changed and deer started feed more in open areas. SOOOO

We had to switch gears and hunt some other stands.

Lucky for me Ive hunted my place for going on 18 years now and know the signs and what to look for. Im not sure your public land hunter or a guy that occasionally hunts a farm or hunts several parcels would recognize these signs and just continue to hunt old habits of staying in the hard woods.

 

[Winchester]

:lol: Is all I have to say about this!!

 

[mathews338]

:lol: Is all I have to say about this!!

:moon: you are crazy if you don't think there could be some truth to this. I have hunted for 30 years and never have any problems filling tags, my wall is full of bigguns, so I know what im doing. no acorns here so I made an adjustment and saw a ton of nice bucks.