National Deer Association says states gotta kill more does

Biggun4214

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As far as depredation permits go, I think I only issued permits to 2 farmers in my county in 35 years. One farmer killed 2-3 deer and didn't ask for anymore permits. The other farmer had permits for 4-5 years and I don't think he ever killed a deer.
 

BSK

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National Deer Association. Formerly known as QDMA as I understand it.
The QDMA joined with a smaller group that I believe already called themselves the National Deer Association (NDA), or something very similar. A large number of the QDMA staff and Board of Directors kept those positions in the new NDA. The original NDA was focused more on northern deer management, while the QDMA were more Southeast focused.
 

Headhunter

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And this is EXACTLY the way it should be bowhunterfanatic. Farmers should have to prove they have tried every legal means (legal hunting) to reduce deer density before being issued depredation permits.
Why? It is their land and their crops and their financial well being that the deer are causing harm to. Actually I don't even think they should have to get a depredation permit anymore. Especially since the TWRA is trying the best it can to kill all the deer anyways. And the long time the TWRA can take to respond to a request is not good either. A farmer could lose thousands of dollars waiting for the TWRA to do something.

I know of some that have had problems with hunters and they do not want another hunter on their property but they want the deer gone and I support them. Hunters need to get off the "high horse" and realize deer are not the king of animals, actually no animal is, and if a farmers ability to just break even is affected much less make some kind of a profit, then kill the deer (or most any animal) and kill them as fast and safely as possible.

The TWRA is the last agency who should have a say in what farmers do anymore. For the most part the TWRA has handcuffed the game wardens (in reference to the recent issue with private land, which I agree with, any law officer should have to have a warrant for the most part to be on private land) but the TWRA needs to take care of public land FIRST before they even think about worrying about private land. It is sad to see what it happening to the public lands and how the TWRA basically does NOTHING! It is getting worse every year!

And I for sure hate it when farmers kill piles of deer, they for sure do it in KY, but why should they have to prove they have tried every legal means? Possibly go bankrupt in the process of trying to allow legal hunting to control the population. I can tell you if I owned a farm the deer affected my ability to make a living and provide for my family, the TWRA could come and trap their deer and take them away or I would take care of the problem. I know of one friend, he passed away, but the freaking otters decimated the small lakes he had built and stocked and were awesome lakes to fish. The game warden told him he wasn't allowed to kill the otters, he told the game warden to come and watch. He finally killed them all. He died several years ago, but he told me he was finally getting the lakes back to being good to fish. I am glad to see that when taken to court the TWRA is learning that they are not judge and jury and they should not be.

If the deer are truly causing the farmer financial harm, then they should be able to reduce the population or kill all the deer as fast as possible and by the most effective way they safely can.

The TWRA has lost credibility with a huge percentage of hunters and fishermen and the public and I am not sure how they get it back. Most every hunter and fisherman I know has lost respect for the TWRA.
 
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backyardtndeer

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In some areas, too many were killed for too long, and probably in places where they should not have been. Deer densities are not the same for the entirety of all the counties of the liberal unit either. Ehd dieoffs have had an impact as well, and some in areas where numbers have taken a hit some just continue on killing what they can. Does get a pass on our place, at least from me. Kids are allowed to shoot what they want though.
 

BSK

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In some areas, too many were killed for too long, and probably in places where they should not have been. Deer densities are not the same for the entirety of all the counties of the liberal unit either. Ehd dieoffs have had an impact as well, and some in areas where numbers have taken a hit some just continue on killing what they can. Does get a pass on our place, at least from me. Kids are allowed to shoot what they want though.
If a family member wants a doe for meat, fine. Have at it. But we will not specifically target does until I see a need to, and right now, we have no need to.
 

tellico4x4

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My take from the article is that more bucks are being killed than does, that to correct trajectory each hunter when appropriate should take a doe for every buck they take. Seeing as how nature produces bucks and does at very near equal ratio, it's logical that killing in the same equal ratio is a good place to start in keeping a balanced herd.
We've been doing that since 2006 & it definitely works. Plus have the option to require members to kill additional does based on survey & previous season observation log. If a member doesn't kill their allotment before season ends, then the shortfall rolls to the next year and MUST be caught up before they can kill a buck. We call it being in the " doe hole" 🤣
 

tellico4x4

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But when your fortunate to have neighbors with the same or similar goals it can (or could) be a useful tool....also there are the opportunities for cost sharing, equipment rentals, bulk seed and fertilizer purchases, etc.
I know it would be rare for a large cooperative to ever work out...so many challenges. ..but the concept is appealing to me.
And one of the biggest benifits I've experienced when working with neighbors is having an open line of communication. We have two neighbors who border us with similar goals and we communicate and even share trail camera pictures...its been educational to see what bucks get photographed where and when and which bucks do not...but anyway, a large cooperative is a bit of a pipe dream...but working with neighbors and creating a smaller cooperative can have its rewards.
Blessed that between us & neighbor to our west, we control over 10k acres. That club was started by an ex member of ours and basically copied our rules. We are on same page for management to produce 4+ yr old bucks. We have very little turnover so when needed I assist them filling spots from our waiting list. It definitely benefits both clubs to have like minded members.
 

Ski

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Blessed that between us & neighbor to our west, we control over 10k acres. That club was started by an ex member of ours and basically copied our rules. We are on same page for management to produce 4+ yr old bucks. We have very little turnover so when needed I assist them filling spots from our waiting list. It definitely benefits both clubs to have like minded members.

That is a dream scenario on multiple levels.
 

mike243

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Why? It is their land and their crops and their financial well being that the deer are causing harm to. Actually I don't even think they should have to get a depredation permit anymore. Especially since the TWRA is trying the best it can to kill all the deer anyways. And the long time the TWRA can take to respond to a request is not good either. A farmer could lose thousands of dollars waiting for the TWRA to do something.

I know of some that have had problems with hunters and they do not want another hunter on their property but they want the deer gone and I support them. Hunters need to get off the "high horse" and realize deer are not the king of animals, actually no animal is, and if a farmers ability to just break even is affected much less make some kind of a profit, then kill the deer (or most any animal) and kill them as fast and safely as possible.

The TWRA is the last agency who should have a say in what farmers do anymore. For the most part the TWRA has handcuffed the game wardens (in reference to the recent issue with private land, which I agree with, any law officer should have to have a warrant for the most part to be on private land) but the TWRA needs to take care of public land FIRST before they even think about worrying about private land. It is sad to see what it happening to the public lands and how the TWRA basically does NOTHING! It is getting worse every year!

And I for sure hate it when farmers kill piles of deer, they for sure do it in KY, but why should they have to prove they have tried every legal means? Possibly go bankrupt in the process of trying to allow legal hunting to control the population. I can tell you if I owned a farm the deer affected my ability to make a living and provide for my family, the TWRA could come and trap their deer and take them away or I would take care of the problem. I know of one friend, he passed away, but the freaking otters decimated the small lakes he had built and stocked and were awesome lakes to fish. The game warden told him he wasn't allowed to kill the otters, he told the game warden to come and watch. He finally killed them all. He died several years ago, but he told me he was finally getting the lakes back to being good to fish. I am glad to see that when taken to court the TWRA is learning that they are not judge and jury and they should not be.

If the deer are truly causing the farmer financial harm, then they should be able to reduce the population or kill all the deer as fast as possible and by the most effective way they safely can.

The TWRA has lost credibility with a huge percentage of hunters and fishermen and the public and I am not sure how they get it back. Most every hunter and fisherman I know has lost respect for the TWRA.
Well I didn't see the survey about TWRA, they are operating under a lot of pressure from all sides while trying to keep folks hunting and fishing, the old saying is you can't please all the people all of the time comes to mind, the commission and the way the folks that are put in as commissioners is a lot of the problem, it's easy to say stuff but kind of hard to back up without a state wide survey. I think they have done what they thought was the right thing to do as far as the commission allows. Sure there have been changes made but looking at it from a point of view of IDGAF most have been good, the local duck hunters have had a monopoly on the draws forever and a day, the blind buying and selling probably got slowed down some due to nobody standing there bidding against others, CWD well it's a no win situation that they could just ignore and hope it goes away and leaves a few deer, I would hazard a guess that we would and still might see historic low numbers, and it's not TWRA not doing their job it's asshats out there doing stuff they shouldn't be. Don't throw rocks when you live in a glass house, I support TWRA until something better comes along, I see no reason to fire the agency, somebody will always be the bad guy but until we change some type of law and regulations will need to be enforced. I reckon it's similar to other groups like wanting to defund the police because they don't like living within the law. This might be a very unpopular view but it is mine and I stand by it.
 

WestTn Huntin man

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Be careful what you wish for.

I think hunters are having less of an impact on the what we believe. Dispute the liberal do limits hunters are still killing more bucks than does in nearly EVERY unit L county.

When we don't kill enough deer (does in particular) farmers are killing them at night during the summer in numbers that will make your head spin. And I promise they're not practicing QDM.

I understand this isn't a problem in all Unit L counties, but it's going on in lots of high-population agriculture areas.

A relative of mine in Unit L had over 40 deer dead in one field last August after a night of deprivation permit shooting.
I saw a post not long ago that Ky works with hunters for the hungry . They have freezer trucks standing by and try to avoid wasting so much meat. I've been asking why Tn doesn't do this for a long time. Morally and ethically wrong to let the meat go to waste. If Ky can do it Tn. can,
 

mike243

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So who wants to pay for the truck and men so farmers can shoot the deer? none of that is free and getting folks to work for free aint easy, I know of nobody who has received free deer meat, not saying it doesn't happen just that I have not seen any bulletins or notices about the free deer meat to folks who need help. Maybe in some of the local church's? Might be different west of here where there are a lot more deer. We try to get funding for trucks and drivers and processors somebody will want to take over the twra to get $$ to spend as they wish. Morally and ethically should fall on the folks pulling the trigger imo.
 

dogsled

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15 does in a group does not mean you are overpopulated or need to kill any
It may not mean they are overpopulated here, but it sure seems that way from talking to the landowners complaining about their crops being eaten. Either way the gentleman that owns the land and lets me hunt for FREE has asked that I take at least one doe every season, because he believes that they are overpopulated. We are also in an area with incredible growth and new houses so the deer are being pushed into the remaining woods and farmland.
 

dogsled

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I know of nobody who has received free deer meat, not saying it doesn't happen just that I have not seen any bulletins or notices about the free deer meat to folks who need help. Maybe in some of the local church's?
The processor I use is part of hunters for he hungry. The grind donated deer and give them to the local soup kitchen and homeless shelter.
 

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