Washington General Season Deer Harvest: 1997-2017

[JimmyHoffa]

General season harvest stats, 1997-2017

That's an interesting graph for a few reasons.

1. Everything says hunter numbers are going down, but that graph says hunter numbers went up?
2. 1996 was a very hard winter so the graph starts right after a huge deer die off, so it appears numbers increased.
3. Nature has the biggest effect on deer numbers and success, the dips are after tough winters.

(His chart is reversed; it goes from 2017 on the left to 1997 on the right.)

Looks like my eyesight took a dip! LOL, you are right, I knew we lost some deer the previous 2016 winter, I didn't realize success statewide was down that much. Kinda seems ironic tough winter in 96 and again in 2016.

My apologies...I didn't intend to put data in reverse order.  The thing that surprises me most is that the last 2 years there have been about 30,000 fewer deer hunters than 10 or 15 years ago.  When I look around opening day I would struggle to figure out where another 30,000 people would fit in ! 

I was trying to connect the point on your graph with the implementation of tree farm permits (on the bigger farms).

[bearpaw]

General season harvest stats, 1997-2017

That's an interesting graph for a few reasons.

1. Everything says hunter numbers are going down, but that graph says hunter numbers went up?
2. 1996 was a very hard winter so the graph starts right after a huge deer die off, so it appears numbers increased.
3. Nature has the biggest effect on deer numbers and success, the dips are after tough winters.

(His chart is reversed; it goes from 2017 on the left to 1997 on the right.)

Looks like my eyesight took a dip! LOL, you are right, I knew we lost some deer the previous 2016 winter, I didn't realize success statewide was down that much. Kinda seems ironic tough winter in 96 and again in 2016.

My apologies...I didn't intend to put data in reverse order.  The thing that surprises me most is that the last 2 years there have been about 30,000 fewer deer hunters than 10 or 15 years ago.  When I look around opening day I would struggle to figure out where another 30,000 people would fit in ! 

I was trying to connect the point on your graph with the implementation of tree farm permits (on the bigger farms).

  I think reduced access explains it...

[huntnphool]

General season harvest stats, 1997-2017

That's an interesting graph for a few reasons.

1. Everything says hunter numbers are going down, but that graph says hunter numbers went up?
2. 1996 was a very hard winter so the graph starts right after a huge deer die off, so it appears numbers increased.
3. Nature has the biggest effect on deer numbers and success, the dips are after tough winters.

(His chart is reversed; it goes from 2017 on the left to 1997 on the right.)

Looks like my eyesight took a dip! LOL, you are right, I knew we lost some deer the previous 2016 winter, I didn't realize success statewide was down that much. Kinda seems ironic tough winter in 96 and again in 2016.

My apologies...I didn't intend to put data in reverse order.  The thing that surprises me most is that the last 2 years there have been about 30,000 fewer deer hunters than 10 or 15 years ago.  When I look around opening day I would struggle to figure out where another 30,000 people would fit in ! 

 The season was longer and didn't concentrate all of them into the same week.

[jackelope]

30,000 less hunters is a huge number.

[meatwhack]

What this graph shows is that 10% of hunters kill 90% of the animals harvested. That’s held true for a long time.

[Skyvalhunter]

And those 10% hunt private property?

[bobcat]

What this graph shows is that 10% of hunters kill 90% of the animals harvested. That’s held true for a long time.

I don't see how you can get that out of the data provided. To me it shows that on average, a hunter kills a deer about once every 4 to 5 years.

[meatwhack]

Yeah 90% of hunters kill deer every 5 years or so while 10% of the same guys kill deer every year.

[jackelope]

And those 10% hunt private property?

Lots of hunters in Washington hunt private ground. Timber companies, etc. It is what it is. Nothing wrong with that, is there?

[Rainier10]

I think I am in that 10% that get deer and elk pretty regularly.  I would say that 90% of the deer and elk that I shoot are on public land, the other 10% are on private land that is open to anyone (timber company land that you don't need a pass or permit for).  My kids are in that 10% as well.  Their ratio is about 50/50 on public versus private.  The private that they have hunted is land that you actually have to ask permission for but even that isn't all that tough to ask.

[meatwhack]

What I was trying to point out was that even with decreasing hunter numbers the harvest will stay similar because those 10% that harvest the majority of critters are still hunting.

[X-Force]

What I was trying to point out was that even with decreasing hunter numbers the harvest will stay similar because those 10% that harvest the majority of critters are still hunting.

Why would that be?

You would have to assume that the 10% of hunters who are successful are continuing to hunt and that only the people who cant kill anything are the ones dropping out.


Harvest stay reactively steady across the board because game managers look at carrying capacity, habitat, herd population and they want X number of animals harvested a year.
Harvest of Cougars hasn't gone down since California outlawed hunting it has stayed relatively the same because game managers need cougar numbers down to reduce conflict (predation permits, government hunters, etc.)

[meatwhack]

What have game managers done then in the last 20 years to keep up with the changing dynamics of a heard?  I haven’t seen season dates change at all in that time other than when they roll the dates back for their reset. I’d say overall herd numbers in most areas are down due mainly to predators and the lack of them being properly managed but the deer harvest numbers simply show people are still killing the same number of deer.

[Rainier10]

Just a few years ago they extended the modern firearm deer season by at least two days.  As I recall there were quite a few hunters on here that posted success photos in those last two extended days of the season.

The best way that they can control population is through special permits.  Fluctuations in the number of antlerless tags given out.  Increase tags when they need to thin the herd and decrease tags when the herd is at or below objective levels.

There is actually a long list of adjustments that they have made over the years so I won't name them all but they do it and they do it regularly.

[meatwhack]

You’re correct I forgot the addition of the couple days at the end of general season for most east side hunts. To me that would suggest they felt the population was doing well which from what I’ve seen from 30 years or so of experience in some of the areas isn’t true. A lot of areas have seen drastic reductions in deer numbers but that’s just what I’ve noticed not anything scientific.