NE buck/deer population.

[chuckster]

They say 10 percent of hunters kill 90 percent of the good deer. I think this is very true over the past few days of the rut my buddies have sent me great pics of big deer they have killed. As I said before changes need to happen but I don't understand how the success rate was 24 percent last year and likely less this year when I pass on bucks mulitable times every season. And yes am hunting public ground get out of your truck and work for it. The numbers are not great but I think that anyone who hunts hard has a decent chance. Or I maybe I have just been lucky for the past 6 years in a row that I have got a deer. Missed a couple before that due to college but a good handful before college. I wish we would get better about the predators but there are still deer out there.

[birdmanwa]

They say 10 percent of hunters kill 90 percent of the good deer. I think this is very true over the past few days of the rut my buddies have sent me great pics of big deer they have killed. As I said before changes need to happen but I don't understand how the success rate was 24 percent last year and likely less this year when I pass on bucks mulitable times every season. And yes am hunting public ground get out of your truck and work for it. The numbers are not great but I think that anyone who hunts hard has a decent chance. Or I maybe I have just been lucky for the past 6 years in a row that I have got a deer. Missed a couple before that due to college but a good handful before college. I wish we would get better about the predators but there are still deer out there.

This thread had nothing to do with getting out of your truck. I simply brought up the population of deer and the declining population of deer in the NE. Of course deer are being killed but I think everyone has agreed there is a low population and predators are becoming a larger problem. 

[Seabass]

The latest Kifarucast podcast had a guy from Oregon who is a houndsman who helps with bear and cougar predation hunts. HOLY COW....what a nightmare of a predator situation Oregon has. I was shicked at how they handle bears and cats in that state...it’s a mess. 

I have a feeling we aren’t far off here in Washington.

[Mr Mykiss]

At least can hunt cougars year-round in Oregon...

[Jonathan_S]

At least can hunt cougars year-round in Oregon...

And they can trap smaller predators coyotes, bobcats effectively.

I believe their future with wolves is better than ours too. I dare say that Oregon is better off

[dmoua]

Gotta start hunting these things more.

[Jonathan_S]

Gotta start hunting these things more.

Can't really cat hunt with much efficacy.  Not many guys are going to follow dozens of miles of cougar tracks with only the ability to call and hopefully not blow out the cat, hopefully it can hear, hopefully it comes, hopefully you see it and hopefully get a shot.

That one there was - I imagine - a chance occurence without even snow on the ground.  Awesome and way to capitalize but it's not really a duplicatable event unfortunately

[Seabass]

Gotta start hunting these things more.

It's staggering how many dudes are seeing and killing cats this season. Maybe I'm simply paying more attention to the number but it sure seems like there are a LOT more guys randomly killing cats...seems like a testament to how many there are out there.

[hogslayer]

The deer numbers are way down.  Talked to a game warden about it on Saturday when we were hunting.  Said it was from cougars and wolves.

[dmoua]

Gotta start hunting these things more.

Can't really cat hunt with much efficacy.  Not many guys are going to follow dozens of miles of cougar tracks with only the ability to call and hopefully not blow out the cat, hopefully it can hear, hopefully it comes, hopefully you see it and hopefully get a shot.

That one there was - I imagine - a chance occurence without even snow on the ground.  Awesome and way to capitalize but it's not really a duplicatable event unfortunately

It was luck more than anything but it's still possible. This is the second cat that I've seen just hunting or deer hunting and have had the opportunity to shoot. The first one was never found. People just need to buy the tags so when opportunities like this arise they are able to do their part.

[Seabass]

Gotta start hunting these things more.

Can't really cat hunt with much efficacy.  Not many guys are going to follow dozens of miles of cougar tracks with only the ability to call and hopefully not blow out the cat, hopefully it can hear, hopefully it comes, hopefully you see it and hopefully get a shot.

That one there was - I imagine - a chance occurence without even snow on the ground.  Awesome and way to capitalize but it's not really a duplicatable event unfortunately

It was luck more than anything but it's still possible. This is the second cat that I've seen just hunting or deer hunting and have had the opportunity to shoot. The first one was never found. People just need to buy the tags so when opportunities like this arise they are able to do their part.

I killed one a few years ago during the late archery season....right time and place.

[huntnnw]

They say 10 percent of hunters kill 90 percent of the good deer. I think this is very true over the past few days of the rut my buddies have sent me great pics of big deer they have killed. As I said before changes need to happen but I don't understand how the success rate was 24 percent last year and likely less this year when I pass on bucks mulitable times every season. And yes am hunting public ground get out of your truck and work for it. The numbers are not great but I think that anyone who hunts hard has a decent chance. Or I maybe I have just been lucky for the past 6 years in a row that I have got a deer. Missed a couple before that due to college but a good handful before college. I wish we would get better about the predators but there are still deer out there.

this has absolutely nothing to do with getting out of the truck! Myself along with a dozen friends who are avid whitetail guys . We run hundreds of cams between us have noticed a massive drop off in deer pop and mature bucks. One friend ran over 40 cams in 3 units to never turn up a 150" buck! unheard of in these areas. I have cams in areas just as little as 5 years ago would average 7-10 bucks to now you are lucky to get a deer on camera! I was hunting areas over the weekend where there is virtually 0 sign of deer where once was full of deer! I never saw a fresh rub which was shocking! not even old ones.

[10thmountainarcher]

They say 10 percent of hunters kill 90 percent of the good deer. I think this is very true over the past few days of the rut my buddies have sent me great pics of big deer they have killed. As I said before changes need to happen but I don't understand how the success rate was 24 percent last year and likely less this year when I pass on bucks mulitable times every season. And yes am hunting public ground get out of your truck and work for it. The numbers are not great but I think that anyone who hunts hard has a decent chance. Or I maybe I have just been lucky for the past 6 years in a row that I have got a deer. Missed a couple before that due to college but a good handful before college. I wish we would get better about the predators but there are still deer out there.

this has absolutely nothing to do with getting out of the truck! Myself along with a dozen friends who are avid whitetail guys . We run hundreds of cams between us have noticed a massive drop off in deer pop and mature bucks. One friend ran over 40 cams in 3 units to never turn up a 150" buck! unheard of in these areas. I have cams in areas just as little as 5 years ago would average 7-10 bucks to now you are lucky to get a deer on camera! I was hunting areas over the weekend where there is virtually 0 sign of deer where once was full of deer! I never saw a fresh rub which was shocking! not even old ones.

I was in 117/111/113 this past week and it was pathetic. I grew up in that area and have been hunting it for over 20 years and this was by far the worst year for deer numbers I have seen. Every...EVERY area that I walked into had either cougar or wolf tracks. Pretty sad state of affairs.

[huntnnw]

  with the invention of trail cams you can really see deer trends. I have a buddy in 101 hunting for 8 straight days sitting in a stand all day to see 1 tiny buck and a few does. He told me you would die if you came back up here and see what its become in the last 3 years. I last hunted 101  3 years ago and it was still really good the decline of deer in last 3 years is incredible in the mountain parts of the state. I have noticed if you hunt the farm country its not as bad

[bearpaw]

Moose hunting yesterday I counted 12 wolves and 8 cougar tracks, might be a connection?