TWRAs stance on why kill #'s are down

[lightsareout]

I know this is only October's data and will pull Nov once it closes out. None the less, even with this being a reflection of archery season, I have a hard time seeing that temps play a factor. Here's the same time periods for antlered only. 2013 on average was within one degree and has higher harvests.

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This is some really good data, thank you for posting; i would be interesting to see this same break down for the month of November to see what effect ML/Rifle does have

 

[Bone Collector]

To all the peeps that want to use every little piece of data they can find to support the 2 buck limit.

STOP!

Your making fools of yourself. NO DATA that you can collect at this point is going to show support for the 2 buck limit. NONE. Quit trying.

Its going to COLLECTIVE take data over SEVERAL YEARS to show one way or the other what effect the 2 buck limit is having on the herd.

This is getting ridiculous.

No one is promoting the two buck limit, certainly not me. Someone just posted the TWRAs response as to why kill #'s are down and we all agree it is not a good reason. then someone showed some data about the kill #'s from the TWRA site and unfortunately, the difference is less bucks being killed this year. I like analyzing data so I put up a graph and then someone asked for 5 years worth, so i did that too.

You're right it will take several years of data to see the effect or lack there of. That being said, the initial data shows that less bucks are being shot, and I can say from personal experience that I could have killed 2 different 1.5 yr old bucks on Priest and would have shot one with a 3rd buck tag, but since I only have 2 I passed both, because I know we have bigger bucks on mine and my brother's property, but the odds of me killing 2 in one season, would be low, so I would have burned a tag to A) kill a deer on opening morning, and B) put meat in the freezer, because IMO a buck tastes as good as a doe.

All that aside, whether you admit it or not the #'s thus far show glaringly that the # of bucks being killed or at least checked in is down. We've looked at weather data, and other factors, but i would say it is safe to assume that at least this year, that the limit reduction has had an impact on the kill #'s. That being said, I still disagree with the limit reduction as I feel the age dynamics in the herd were fine and there was no biological reason to lower the limit.

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

To all the peeps that want to use every little piece of data they can find to support the 2 buck limit.

STOP!

Your making fools of yourself. NO DATA that you can collect at this point is going to show support for the 2 buck limit. NONE. Quit trying.

Its going to COLLECTIVE take data over SEVERAL YEARS to show one way or the other what effect the 2 buck limit is having on the herd.

This is getting ridiculous.

No one is promoting the two buck limit, certainly not me. Someone just posted the TWRAs response as to why kill #'s are down and we all agree it is not a good reason. then someone showed some data about the kill #'s from the TWRA site and unfortunately, the difference is less bucks being killed this year. I like analyzing data so I put up a graph and then someone asked for 5 years worth, so i did that too.

You're right it will take several years of data to see the effect or lack there of. That being said, the initial data shows that less bucks are being shot, and I can say from personal experience that I could have killed 2 different 1.5 yr old bucks on Priest and would have shot one with a 3rd buck tag, but since I only have 2 I passed both, because I know we have bigger bucks on mine and my brother's property, but the odds of me killing 2 in one season, would be low, so I would have burned a tag to A) kill a deer on opening morning, and B) put meat in the freezer, because IMO a buck tastes as good as a doe.

All that aside, whether you admit it or not the #'s thus far show glaringly that the # of bucks being killed or at least checked in is down. We've looked at weather data, and other factors, but i would say it is safe to assume that at least this year, that the limit reduction has had an impact on the kill #'s. That being said, I still disagree with the limit reduction as I feel the age dynamics in the herd were fine and there was no biological reason to lower the limit.

The two buck limit has had ZERO impact on me.

Ive shot two deer a button and a doe both during Archery. I always use MZ and early Rifle looking for big bucks. Nothing has changed. Once the rut is over I will burn whatever tags I have and then start focusing in on getting the cull bucks off my property by inviting other hunters out and having them zero in on getting rid of the deer I want gone. Ill just hunt does. It use to be that I had 3 tags to get that done. Now I only have two. Just means I get to invite more friends over. That's all.

 

[TboneD]

To all the peeps that want to use every little piece of data they can find to support the 2 buck limit.

STOP!

Your making fools of yourself. NO DATA that you can collect at this point is going to show support for the 2 buck limit. NONE. Quit trying.

Its going to COLLECTIVE take data over SEVERAL YEARS to show one way or the other what effect the 2 buck limit is having on the herd.

This is getting ridiculous.

I don't have a dog in the race, but here's my crazy prediction for what will be actually checked in this season: less antlered bucks, and more antler-less deer. And call me crazy but I think it'll be a trend, at least for the counties that can support the increased doe kills.


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[AT Hiker]

I'm not much of a gun hunter, so this may be a stupid question. But, was 2012 the year they added the extra week for muzzleloader? If so, that may explain the increase in the too date harvest.

Only stupid question I can think of is if someones says "hey you got a picture of that deer you killled on your phone"[emoji14]

I'm not for certain but I dont think so.


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[TX300mag]

I'm not much of a gun hunter, so this may be a stupid question. But, was 2012 the year they added the extra week for muzzleloader? If so, that may explain the increase in the too date harvest.

Only stupid question I can think of is if someones says "hey you got a picture of that deer you killled on your phone"[emoji14]

I'm not for certain but I dont think so.


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That was 2009

I think all of you are right. Sure, some are righter than others, but all are probably factors.






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[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

Gun season opened on the 17th in 2012 that is the reason the numbers are high for 2012.

 

[kgt]

To all the peeps that want to use every little piece of data they can find to support the 2 buck limit.

STOP!

Your making fools of yourself. NO DATA that you can collect at this point is going to show support for the 2 buck limit. NONE. Quit trying.

Its going to COLLECTIVE take data over SEVERAL YEARS to show one way or the other what effect the 2 buck limit is having on the herd.

This is getting ridiculous.

No one is promoting the two buck limit, certainly not me. Someone just posted the TWRAs response as to why kill #'s are down and we all agree it is not a good reason. then someone showed some data about the kill #'s from the TWRA site and unfortunately, the difference is less bucks being killed this year. I like analyzing data so I put up a graph and then someone asked for 5 years worth, so i did that too.

You're right it will take several years of data to see the effect or lack there of. That being said, the initial data shows that less bucks are being shot, and I can say from personal experience that I could have killed 2 different 1.5 yr old bucks on Priest and would have shot one with a 3rd buck tag, but since I only have 2 I passed both, because I know we have bigger bucks on mine and my brother's property, but the odds of me killing 2 in one season, would be low, so I would have burned a tag to A) kill a deer on opening morning, and B) put meat in the freezer, because IMO a buck tastes as good as a doe.

All that aside, whether you admit it or not the #'s thus far show glaringly that the # of bucks being killed or at least checked in is down. We've looked at weather data, and other factors, but i would say it is safe to assume that at least this year, that the limit reduction has had an impact on the kill #'s. That being said, I still disagree with the limit reduction as I feel the age dynamics in the herd were fine and there was no biological reason to lower the limit.

The two buck limit has had ZERO impact on me.

Ive shot two deer a button and a doe both during Archery. I always use MZ and early Rifle looking for big bucks. Nothing has changed. Once the rut is over I will burn whatever tags I have and then start focusing in on getting the cull bucks off my property by inviting other hunters out and having them zero in on getting rid of the deer I want gone. Ill just hunt does. It use to be that I had 3 tags to get that done. Now I only have two. Just means I get to invite more friends over. That's all.

Can I be your friend? [emoji1]

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

The number of antlerless bucks has increased 500%!! Bucks aren't being saved, they are getting their antlers nocked off by an eastwing hammer!!!!!

 

[Vermin93]

Once the rut is over I will burn whatever tags I have and then start focusing in on getting the cull bucks off my property by inviting other hunters out and having them zero in on getting rid of the deer I want gone.

Stop the press!

I've been told by members of this very site that there's no such thing as a cull buck. So, now we have the 1st year effectiveness of the 2-buck limit and the existence of cull bucks on the table for discussion. :stir:

 

[scn]

You can believe in cull bucks in a free ranging herd if you so wish. Put them in the same category as Bigfoot, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy.

 

[AT Hiker]

Im really surprised the marijuana debate threads do not turn into buck limit debacles.

If someone could find a link to buck limits and Obama that would be the end of it all. Could you imagine Obama walking in to the commission meeting, wearing some Costas and a Yeti hat. That would seal the deal right there.

Good catch 8pts or Better on the dates. That helps explain some of it. I really would like to see if license sales decreased much, I sure hope they didnt.


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[benellivol]

The reason my numbers are down, personally, is because I don't have any acorns and I can't make 80 yard bow shots across green fields.

 

[knightrider]

You can believe in cull bucks in a free ranging herd if you so wish. Put them in the same category as Bigfoot, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy.

amen brother!!! shooting "cull" bucks accomplish nothing in a wild herd you can NOT change the genetics in a wild herd by shooting small bucks!!!

 

[Andy S.]

You can believe in cull bucks in a free ranging herd if you so wish. Put them in the same category as Bigfoot, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy.

Ditto!

 

[TX300mag]

And mountain lions!


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[Mike Belt]

In most parts of Tn I think the 140"+ bucks should be culled from the herd. They intimidate the other bucks and certainly are not the norm and thus, not representative of what we expect to see while hunting. Get on board now and let the culling begin!

 

[mike243]

I'm not much of a gun hunter, so this may be a stupid question. But, was 2012 the year they added the extra week for muzzleloader? If so, that may explain the increase in the too date harvest.

There was never another week added ,it was moved back to make the seasons more manageable so folks would know which rifle to shoot,now the doe limits went from a couple of days to the full 2 weeks of muzzle loader,don't remember when but that might be part of the reason

 

[Starving]

I believe there just aren't as many people hunting these days. Compare opening morning of muzzleloader to opening morning ten years ago. Ten years ago, there are a line of pick ups at the store at 4am getting biscuits and people hanging out at the check station etc... This year, I heard 4 shots opening morning, and none were really close. License prices have gone up, lease prices have gone up, the economy has not gone up. Many people are simply hanging it up. I hate to say it, but the sport we love is a dying sport. When I was a kid, practically every kid was involved in hunting. Now, very few kids are getting involved. I would be curious to see if hunter safety class participation is anywhere near what it was 10-15 years ago????

 

[muddyboots]

Hunter safety classes here are ful. They do them 3 times a year. Very few people I know don't deer hunt.