now, to be fair, that’s a group of 10-15 people. If you add in the neighbors that still hunt part of the farm, it’s another 5-10, and they usually take at least 5 off that same acreage in the first season.
25 a YEAR???? jiminy christmas.
There was an outdoor news article from Western WI where the DNR came in and supervised a hunt near a farm that involved shooting 33 deer, on ONE DRIVE because population densities were so high. The farm family who owned about 2000 acres was advised they should cooperate with this organized hunt, or the DNR would start to develop a legal strategy to lower the deer densities specific to these larger parcels.
There’s so much ag damage and tree damage in some specific parts of this area that lowering the deer density SHOULD be an objective. I say this while admitting I do not do my part, but having fewer deer in the area wouldn’t make me sad in any way. There’s a balance….. and the “boom” in big buck hunting, expensive outfitters running land with specifically targeted/named deer, and general death of party hunting has allowed deer populations to swell beyond a balanced number (IN SOME areas).
Anecdotal evidence from my 4 year old: She counted 17 road kills from our homestead to my parents’ house that is 23 miles away just on Saturday. I’m not sure what that means…but a lot of insurance claims are happening.
Insurance companies would much rather just upcharge for “high deer density” areas vs trying to lobby the dnr. I should have a good report here in the next few weeks on deer numbers in some metro units. Hunting gets a lot better now that gun is done.
I don’t keep count specifically, but I know I’ve seen a couple dozen per year on the highway, and that’s at the absolute edge of 646. Not to mention the interstate.
I looked at the reports, and 646 had a harvest rate of 7.14 deer/sq mi in 2023. Meanwhile according to the DNR’s population modeling, the pre-fawn density was at 52 in 2022. That’s up from 32 in 2017. And we’ve been at a 5-deer limit (or more) for as long as I can remember.
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/deer/management/statistics.html
Definitely interesting to look at each zone and the total deer kills / buck to doe kill ratio, etc.
Really cool interactive way of following the harvest in each zone as the season goes along.
I found 225 to have the highest harvest thus far at 4576. Ironically, that’s the zone I hunt in and I saw more deer last week than I ever have.
Really cool interactive way of following the harvest in each zone as the season goes along.
I found 225 to have the highest harvest thus far at 4576. Ironically, that’s the zone I hunt in and I saw more deer last week than I ever have.
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What did you end up killing ?
Sounds like M F should invite Jimmy S down to his place.
What did you end up killing ?
I filled a bonus antlerless tag on opening day. After that I waited for a sizable buck. I saw one that was 8 or 10 points one morning behind me in the brush loping along but it never presented a shot. Other than that the other 15 bucks were all dinks.
Sounds like M F should invite Jimmy S down to his place.
Definitely looking for no pity. I am at 72 sits year to date on just under 2,000 acres of Ag / mix woods – again with VERY little pressure if any besides me. But there is something amiss. I hope I am wrong – but seeing the decline year over year (in my area) is a concern of mine. And I will always agree there are areas with WAY too many deer.
72 sits – 2 mature bucks and 5 mature does.
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