Free: Contests & Raffles.
Quote from: baldopepper on November 20, 2023, 01:52:30 PMWell, I know they're a problem but even on the large tracts of private property vaugen and Dashiell properties, I'm seeing the same thing. Way too many dry does and and way fewer bucks than in the past. Mule deer ratios seem to be holding pretty steady. Don't get me wrong, I know the lion population is way out of control around us, but these long seasons of shooting any whitetail buck are compounding the problem.Mule deer ratios are NOT holding steady where I am...and that's only 6 miles to the north of you. There are only 7 does in the local herd that used to be 25 does. 3 fawns and NO bucks in the present herd. One traveling buck finally showed up (2 point) to breed the 7 does. I had one 3 point whitetail buck that disappeared the day before opening day and only 3 does. WAY down in numbers. I say limit the tags or close the season here to give the herds a breather..and open up predator kills. I have never seen so many hunters as I have seen this year. Even had 3 guys in orange set up 20 feet from my mail box. looking toward my house. Had two encounters with house shooters in the early hunt.
Well, I know they're a problem but even on the large tracts of private property vaugen and Dashiell properties, I'm seeing the same thing. Way too many dry does and and way fewer bucks than in the past. Mule deer ratios seem to be holding pretty steady. Don't get me wrong, I know the lion population is way out of control around us, but these long seasons of shooting any whitetail buck are compounding the problem.
Quote from: baldopepper on November 20, 2023, 01:52:30 PMWell, I know they're a problem but even on the large tracts of private property vaugen and Dashiell properties, I'm seeing the same thing. Way too many dry does and and way fewer bucks than in the past. Mule deer ratios seem to be holding pretty steady. Don't get me wrong, I know the lion population is way out of control around us, but these long seasons of shooting any whitetail buck are compounding the problem.Mule deer ratios are NOT holding steady where I am...and that's only 6 miles to the north of you. There are only 7 does in the local herd that used to be 25 does. 3 fawns and NO bucks in the present herd. One traveling buck finally showed up (2 point) to breed the 7 does. I had one 3 point whitetail buck that disappeared the day before opening day and only 3 does. WAY down in numbers. I say limit the tags or close the season here to give the herds a breather..and open up predator kills. I have never seen so many hunters as I have seen this year. Even had 3 guys in orange set up 20 feet from my mail box. looking toward my house. Had two encounters with house shooters in the early hunt.[/quoteI'd honestly say there are at best 1/3 the deer around us there were 20 years ago. Our little herd of mules is pretty much isolated as my 20 acres and the approximate 200 acres around me are private. We go down to the 1310 line but dont really have any boat hunters coming around anymore. Lot of irritating type hunters this year, they sit on hwy 25 with guns out the window scoping all the deer in the open field in front of the house. I agree, they need to either shut that area down for a while or put a strict apr on it. I'd like to see a bounty on lions, maybe encourage more to hunt em. I said the ratios are holding steady, not the overall numbers.
Statewide.....hunters # are down. 2013 statewide deer hunters.....123,928 Success 27.2%2022 statewide deer hunters......94,143 Success 23.0%Hunter numbers are down down 25%District 1 #'s 2013 deer hunters......18,396 Success 26.7%2022 deer hunters......14,166 Success 22.3%Hunter numbers are down 23%Assuming these numbers are correct, which I have to believe they are close......hunters numbers are down by a significant number. Success is also down, which cold be contributed to a multitude of factors. I tend to believe it is the increase in predator numbers. I am not naive to believe that other factors don't influence deer populations....very clearly bad winters, blue tongue, poachers, APR's, likely have some influence. BUTTTTT.....predator numbers are through the roof. I see plenty of bucks all over District 1...well my trail cams see them. I just don't believe the hunting pressure (day's afield) has that big of an impact. Most hunters spend 4-10 days afield, regardless of how long the season is. Of that...it is mostly on the weekends.
Quote from: jrebel on November 20, 2023, 05:23:45 PMStatewide.....hunters # are down. 2013 statewide deer hunters.....123,928 Success 27.2%2022 statewide deer hunters......94,143 Success 23.0%Hunter numbers are down down 25%District 1 #'s 2013 deer hunters......18,396 Success 26.7%2022 deer hunters......14,166 Success 22.3%Hunter numbers are down 23%Assuming these numbers are correct, which I have to believe they are close......hunters numbers are down by a significant number. Success is also down, which cold be contributed to a multitude of factors. I tend to believe it is the increase in predator numbers. I am not naive to believe that other factors don't influence deer populations....very clearly bad winters, blue tongue, poachers, APR's, likely have some influence. BUTTTTT.....predator numbers are through the roof. I see plenty of bucks all over District 1...well my trail cams see them. I just don't believe the hunting pressure (day's afield) has that big of an impact. Most hunters spend 4-10 days afield, regardless of how long the season is. Of that...it is mostly on the weekends. That 2013 success number is from a 4pt min year.Those are all 4pt mature WT, except probably a 100 mule deer.Vs the 2022 success number is from an any buck year crop of dink bucks. With surplus being a few smart ones that made through.If you can imagine that in 2013 .....3pt and smaller was WT was left on the landscape as surplus,breeder,just general more deer.Think we do get a few more hunters than the numbers.Just cause the way the reporting is.Weekend here or a weekend there. If you report it,then it goes into how many days,and more questions.Most people just want to report and be done,not 20 questions about it.I do think the success rate is probably spot onTag soup guys are gonna pick a GMU,x number of day, done reporting. Not go into every hunting trip. Just a theory.I would use the hunters numbers for a minimum. Alot of guys move around GMU during season,no reason to report it. If not successful.I'm also saying it not far off, probably 5 percent more on both 2013 and 2022.The difference in those years is onx map,hunters just basically following the deer numbers. Everyone wants to hunt where there are deer Vs hunting some crappy public land spot that not even a doe lives there during the season.So I agree numbers wise less hunters over the years.But we are all bunched together in the better spots.which makes it seem like there is more .Those are my theory.
Quote from: hunter399 on November 20, 2023, 05:44:41 PMQuote from: jrebel on November 20, 2023, 05:23:45 PMStatewide.....hunters # are down. 2013 statewide deer hunters.....123,928 Success 27.2%2022 statewide deer hunters......94,143 Success 23.0%Hunter numbers are down down 25%District 1 #'s 2013 deer hunters......18,396 Success 26.7%2022 deer hunters......14,166 Success 22.3%Hunter numbers are down 23%Assuming these numbers are correct, which I have to believe they are close......hunters numbers are down by a significant number. Success is also down, which cold be contributed to a multitude of factors. I tend to believe it is the increase in predator numbers. I am not naive to believe that other factors don't influence deer populations....very clearly bad winters, blue tongue, poachers, APR's, likely have some influence. BUTTTTT.....predator numbers are through the roof. I see plenty of bucks all over District 1...well my trail cams see them. I just don't believe the hunting pressure (day's afield) has that big of an impact. Most hunters spend 4-10 days afield, regardless of how long the season is. Of that...it is mostly on the weekends. That 2013 success number is from a 4pt min year.Those are all 4pt mature WT, except probably a 100 mule deer.Vs the 2022 success number is from an any buck year crop of dink bucks. With surplus being a few smart ones that made through.If you can imagine that in 2013 .....3pt and smaller was WT was left on the landscape as surplus,breeder,just general more deer.Think we do get a few more hunters than the numbers.Just cause the way the reporting is.Weekend here or a weekend there. If you report it,then it goes into how many days,and more questions.Most people just want to report and be done,not 20 questions about it.I do think the success rate is probably spot onTag soup guys are gonna pick a GMU,x number of day, done reporting. Not go into every hunting trip. Just a theory.I would use the hunters numbers for a minimum. Alot of guys move around GMU during season,no reason to report it. If not successful.I'm also saying it not far off, probably 5 percent more on both 2013 and 2022.The difference in those years is onx map,hunters just basically following the deer numbers. Everyone wants to hunt where there are deer Vs hunting some crappy public land spot that not even a doe lives there during the season.So I agree numbers wise less hunters over the years.But we are all bunched together in the better spots.which makes it seem like there is more .Those are my theory.I get exactly what you are saying.....and the numbers are what they are. We can only work with what is provided, but he overall hunter numbers are down. I don't even disagree that pressure on our herds could be a problem....I just argue that the majority of the pressure if from predators. A 20 day archery season does not mean that every archery hunter is going to spend 20 days afield. If you shortened the season, you would get he same number of "days afield" as you do with a 20 day season, just in a more concentrated time period. Most hunters take "X" numbers of days off and don't hunt the entire season. Predators on the other hand...apply pressure 365 days a year 24 hours a day. If you want to see moor deer...does and bucks alike....start killing predators. We have made a concerted effort to kill bear in our normal areas. We (3 of us) managed to kill 4 bears this year on one of our hunting areas. This has to have a positive impact long turn. We also managed one coyote. I hope to spend some time looking for cougars and trapping bobcats this winter. Point being....kill a predator, don't shorten a season. APR's....well, I would have to think more about this. I'm inherently am against, but could be persuaded....especially if they didn't apply to youth or 65/and over.
Obviously statewide:hunter numbers are down, but definitely not in our area. For one thing the amount of people moving to the area, or at least building a seasonal place, is growing rapidly. While some don't hunt, many are there because of the hunting and, of course, the proximity to the lake. Many I run into admit they used to hunt the Westside, but say they don't like the crowds or lack of deer. Also the Spokane area is growing rapidly and from there it's pretty easy day hunt.Some like it because there's more area to ride their side by sides and quads (I think that's the real reason some come is to just ride around on em) Whatever the reason, I know there are a lot more hunters around here than there used to be. While success rates arent great, with more hunters it's logical they're overall killing more deer and the late hunt draws a lot if last chance hunters taking any legal deer they see. No
Obviously statewide:hunter numbers are down, but definitely not in our area. For one thing the amount of people moving to the area, or at least building a seasonal place, is growing rapidly. While some don't hunt, many are there because of the hunting and, of course, the proximity to the lake. Many I run into admit they used to hunt the Westside, but say they don't like the crowds or lack of deer. Also the Spokane area is growing rapidly and from there it's pretty easy day hunt.Some like it because there's more area to ride their side by sides and quads (I think that's the real reason some come is to just ride around on em) Whatever the reason, I know there are a lot more hunters around here than there used to be. While success rates arent great, with more hunters it's logical they're overall killing more deer and the late hunt draws a lot if last chance hunters taking any legal deer they see.
