Interesting graphic on deer population

[Dewey]

Found this and thought I would share. Really makes a guy think twice about killing multiple deer in your hunting area. I haven’t killed a doe for over 10 years now just because I don’t feel right about taking any more deer due to the population being way down for so many years. I never believed in the thought that if I don’t kill them somebody else will. Every little bit helps and this chart proves it. Pretty eye opening no doubt.

[Motivated]

If I am speaking with non-hunters then I will usually bring this up. My standard speech goes something like this:

The Eagle Creek area on the west side of Indianapolis did not allow hunting. The area was devestated by overbrowsing and deer/car collisions were a huge problem. Most importantly animals were starving to death in winter/early spring. Eventually, delayed by politics, they hired sharpshooters. Those problems are much better now.

Nature is not balanced without the hand of man involved. It's swings wildly left and right like a pendulum. First becomes overabundance in a glut of animals, followed by disease and devastation. It is a solid reason for conservation. Good intervention helps us stabilize the system.

I'm sure you all know this, but I thought I would give you my standard speech on the importance of hunting for the ecosystem. I like trying to be an advocate for hunting. It is one of the reasons I really like Randy Newberg.

[Jonny]

If I am speaking with non-hunters then I will usually bring this up. My standard speech goes something like this:

The Eagle Creek area on the west side of Indianapolis did not allow hunting. The area was devestated by overbrowsing and deer/car collisions were a huge problem. Most importantly animals were starving to death in winter/early spring. Eventually, delayed by politics, they hired sharpshooters. Those problems are much better now.

Nature is not balanced without the hand of man involved. It's swings wildly left and right like a pendulum. First becomes overabundance in a glut of animals, followed by disease and devastation. It is a solid reason for conservation. Good intervention helps us stabilize the system.

I'm sure you all know this, but I thought I would give you my standard speech on the importance of hunting for the ecosystem. I like trying to be an advocate for hunting. It is one of the reasons I really like Randy Newberg.

Couldn’t agree more. Hardest part is finding that center of the pendulum swing. Seems like even hunters can’t decide on where it should be

[JoeRE]

Some good points made already. As food for thought I would suggest that nature really isn't that volatile by itself. Its humans that cause most of the big population swings. For instance humans limited hunting, producing food, and eliminating natural predators often cause those high populations and humans eliminating fawning habitat through development or certain land uses which allows predators to get all the fawns, or allowing too high of populations which are then hit hard by disease, often cause those low populations. Nature always finds a balance its just not always what us outsiders (humans) want.

Humans will always be here and THATS why hunting is important. To balance out our impact on nature through managing a sustainable resource...probably some people will disagree with that but all this is pretty solidly based in science as discussed in Steve Demarais and Bronson Strickland's Deer University Podcasts.

[hambone]

I noticed how the "kill em all" attitude, promulgated by the Missouri Dept. of Conservation started taking its toll on the local deer population, several years ago. With unlimited doe tags, it don't take too many "if it's brown it's down" hunters to wipe out a herd in a hurry. I stopped killing does on my place, at the time. "My does" are safe and unpressured within the confines of my small property and their mature boyfriends seem to know it. I may kill a doe here and there on public, but as for out here, this side of starvin, I won't kill another one.

[magicman54494]

they can almost double every year. not that surprising.
Wis. always seems to have trouble managing for some reason. no deer, too many deer, then no deer again. Their problem is they need to manage from ahead not from behind. Instead of acting they are reacting.
I also think it is funny how humans keep blaming the wolves when we are by far the biggest predators. The math is simple, people are stupid. lol

[headgear]

Some good points made already. As food for thought I would suggest that nature really isn't that volatile by itself. Its humans that cause most of the big population swings. For instance humans limited hunting, producing food, and eliminating natural predators often cause those high populations and humans eliminating fawning habitat through development or certain land uses which allows predators to get all the fawns, or allowing too high of populations which are then hit hard by disease, often cause those low populations. Nature always finds a balance its just not always what us outsiders (humans) want.

Humans will always be here and THATS why hunting is important. To balance out our impact on nature through managing a sustainable resource...probably some people will disagree with that but all this is pretty solidly based in science as discussed in Steve Demarais and Bronson Strickland's Deer University Podcasts.

Was just going to post something along these lines, nature is very well balanced. Even with us messing around it will eventually balance itself out but maybe not on a timeline we are happy with. However since we are here I do like Motivated outlook when trying to convince non-hunters about the benefits of hunting and issues with overpopulation.

[<DK>]

Cool graphic and good post

[Edcyclopedia]

Stanley said -DON'T KILL YOUR BABY MAKERS!

[Dewey]

Stanley said -DON'T KILL YOUR BABY MAKERS!

He was right on about that and I always completely agreed with him.

I was raised to never shoot does because they were the buck producers. Of course things were different back then in the 80's with a much lower deer population kinda like we are experiencing right now. This of course changed during the years of Earn A Buck through the late 90's when the WI DNR required us to shoot an antlerless deer first to get a buck tag. I remember Dad was not happy about that, neither was I.

The slaughter that ensued during those years is still affecting us to this day. I know guys who were killing 20+ deer a season just because they could. I remember opening morning two guys in our group laid out 8 antlerless deer in an oak flat. I was disgusted. Don't have to tell you how much damage that did to certain areas especially in northern WI where the herd still hasn't recovered 10 years later.

The land has a certain carrying capacity and needs to be controlled at some point I get that. As hunters we have a much better feel for how many deer are around so it's up to us to show some restraint when needed. Some guys are all about themselves and filling up freezers with little concern for other hunters. No different than the guys limiting out on fish every single day. Sure it's legal and you have every right to do it but at some point you realize it's probably not good to be doing that so often. I see it with hunting and fishing all the time......the guys that kill 20+ deer per year or always limit out on fish daily are the biggest complainers about how the DNR ruined hunting and fishing. Nobody can protect the resources better than outdoorsmen can. We can also be our own worst enemy.

[magicman54494]

Stanley said -DON'T KILL YOUR BABY MAKERS!

He was right on about that and I always completely agreed with him.

I was raised to never shoot does because they were the buck producers. Of course things were different back then in the 80's with a much lower deer population kinda like we are experiencing right now. This of course changed during the years of Earn A Buck through the late 90's when the WI DNR required us to shoot an antlerless deer first to get a buck tag. I remember Dad was not happy about that. Neither was I.

The slaughter that ensued during those years is still affecting us to this day. I know guys who were killing 20+ deer a season just because they could. I remember opening morning two guys in our group laid out 8 antlerless deer in an oak flat. I was disgusted. Don't have to tell you how much damage that did to certain areas especially in northern WI where the herd still hasn't recovered 10 years later.

The land has a certain carrying capacity and needs to be controlled at some point I get that. As hunters we have a much better feel for how many deer are around so it's up to us to show some restraint when needed. Some guys are all about themselves and filling up freezers with little concern for other hunters. No different than the guys limiting out on fish every single day. Sure it's legal and you have every right to do it but at some point you realize it's probably not good to be doing that so often. I see it with hunting and fishing all the time......the guys that kill 20+ deer per year or always limit out on fish daily are the biggest complainers about how the DNR ruined hunting and fishing. Nobody can protect the resources better than outdoorsmen can. We can also be our own worst enemy.

I remember a group of guys I worked with went up north to rifle hunt in the mid 80's. They came back with TRAILERS loaded with deer. I believe the group shot 40+ deer. I remember the mid 90's when we could buy basically as many doe tags as we wanted. I knew these things would come back to haunt us. Now I think it's been 4 years that I havent been able to get a doe tag. In the north, they need to aim to carry more than the capacity of the land because of predators and bad winters. They need to limit antlerless tags so that there is enough "seed" left. It is much easier to offer a few more tags to control overpopulation than it is to build the herd back up.

[UofLbowhunter]

they can almost double every year. not that surprising.
Wis. always seems to have trouble managing for some reason. no deer, too many deer, then no deer again. Their problem is they need to manage from ahead not from behind. Instead of acting they are reacting.
I also think it is funny how humans keep blaming the wolves when we are by far the biggest predators. The math is simple, people are stupid. lol

Lets just say most people are stupid

[headgear]

I wouldn't say never shoot a doe, it really depends on the population in the area. Too many deer for too long and you have bigger problems to deal with.

[Dewey]

I wouldn't say never shoot a doe, it really depends on the population in the area. Too many deer for too long and you have bigger problems to deal with.

No doubt. At some point it needs to be done but with limits. Unfortunately there seems to be no middle ground with some the DNR included. Unlimited tags is never a good idea and almost always ends up in over harvests.

[magicman54494]

they can almost double every year. not that surprising.
Wis. always seems to have trouble managing for some reason. no deer, too many deer, then no deer again. Their problem is they need to manage from ahead not from behind. Instead of acting they are reacting.
I also think it is funny how humans keep blaming the wolves when we are by far the biggest predators. The math is simple, people are stupid. lol

Lets just say most people are stupid

OK.