Whitetail population in NE corner

[Palmer]

If 1 in 3 hunters are harvesting a deer and the buck to doe ratio is 1:4 then I don't see how the population is in decline.  Last year I read an estimate of 50,000 WT in the 100 units in Washington and 200,000 WT in Region 1 of Idaho.

I do think it's easier to call in bucks when there is a ratio of 1:3 or better.  In Idaho I believe the ratio to be far better because anterless is open dearing modern firearm.  I think hunters take more does then bucks.  In one instance we shot a doe only to find out there was a huge buck on her trail and he was pissed.  It sounded like he was going to storm out of the woods and take us on until he regained his senses.

[HuntingFanatic]

I just got back from hunting both region 1 in Idaho and the NE corner of Washington. Not a hell of a lot of sign in either one. More moose spotted and sign than deer. It was rather frustrating. Although I do not live there it was WAY less sign\deer than I have seen in the past.

[Palmer]

I looked up the ratio for 105-124 areas and the WDFW states in the 2006 Game report a 28:100 buck to doe ratio.   However 58% of the bucks were yearlings.  So that does nock it down to about 1.4 mature buck out of 10 deer or 1:7.  As long as the ratio is better than 20:100 buck to doe than I'm happy.  I've heard that when it gets worse the bucks are less responsive to calls and rattles and that you'll only see yearling bucks.

The report for areas 105 - 124 also states that 7,122 bucks were taken and 19% were 5 pt+.
Judging by the graphs there appeared to be about a 35% success rate for a hunter to harvest a deer.  Not bad.

An employee at the sporting goods store in Newport says he knows of only 8 deer taken so far during the late season in Washington and Idaho.  I'm sure it'll get better.