Well despite the early claims about un- happy hunters -- it looks like antlerless sales are the same as years past...


AS OF TODAY

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Of the 865,000 antlerless licenses originally allocated, agency employees have distributed to county treasurers 800,750 applications. Following is a listing of the remaining WMUs antlerless deer licenses as of today (along with the initial allocation for each WMU): WMU 2A, 11,138 (60,000); WMU 2B, 44,686 (68,000); WMU 4E, 4,990 (38,000); and WMU 5D, 10,307 (20,000).

It is funny when the tags go on sale and many comment on the slow sales and attribute it to disgruntled hunters.  Then, low and behold, they sell out as always.  Same as usual, about the same time too.

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Penn wrote : How many guys out there used to hunt for two weeks in hope of getting any legal buck and now settle for an anterless deer (Doe or button buck) just to say they got a deer?

That is the goal of the current program.  Reduce the antlered harvest and increase the antlerless harvest.  I agree with you that many hunters are shooting the first legal deer they see.  Many also hang it up after that.

That is fine with me as they are helping to reduce the deer herd and letting the bucks get some age.  The hunters that persist and change thier tactics are the ones reaping the rewards as others complain about it.

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Penn wrote : If you were being hunted would you stay out in the open or seek an area where nobody has accesss to find you and hunt you down? This is just what the current program has accomplished.

It's always been that way, even before "the current program". When deer are pressured, they find areas where no one bothers them.

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Buff wrote :   It's always been that way, even before "the current program". When deer are pressured, they find areas where no one bothers them.

I agree.  Those that find these little sanctuaries will find good hunting.  Does not matter if you are talking the big woods or SRA'S.  

I hunt alot in the SRA's and there are areas there that deer are scarce when the pressure hits.  Find where they are at and you hit the mother lode.

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Penn wrote :I remember many a time when the matriarch Doe would lead the family through the woods followed by the younger buck(s) and nine times out of ten the bruiser buck was behind them all watching their reactions. When have you seen this played out in the last five years or more? Much too much pressure on the deer herd as a whole today than there ever was.

The buck I got last year was exactly as you desribed.  The last deer in a string.  Sure the strings are smaller but that is all that has changed.

As far as the pressure.  How can you get more pressure than the old three day season.  Many just took the first day of antlerless off and shot at whatever moved.  That was the a true pressure situation for the deer and the hunters if they wanted to fill thier tags.

I see less overall pressure every year.  No doubt about it.  I guess we can agree to disagree.

I think the majority of the big bucks around here are mostly nocturnal to begin with. That's why I try to wait until November before I hit it hard in archery (rut).

What about the squirrel, grouse, turkey, and bear hunters, do they influence deer movement?

I think it will be a tough year to hunt deer around here this year because of all the acorns. There's white, chestnut, and reds dropping heavy in this area, plus the oaks are still loaded.
The deer won't have to move to eat.