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Post by megadadof3 on Aug 7, 2012 8:45:00 GMT -5
I think it would really be interesting to see what everyone really thinks is the deer population in Indiana. I thought about setting up a poll but I would really like to see a genuine discussion concerning the subject so please post how many you think there are and your reasoning behind your number, this should be interesting!!!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2012 9:09:58 GMT -5
Nobody knows for sure. Probably 90% of Private land in Indiana has never been stepped foot on by any Biologist.
The Deer population changes 365 days per year for the following reasons.
Deer die every single day from natural causes, and from behing hit by cars.
Deer leave Indiana, and enter local states every single day of the week.
Deer enter Indiana every single day from local states.
Deer get poached.
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Post by firstwd on Aug 7, 2012 9:35:44 GMT -5
Hunters kill between 110,000 and 125,000 every year, and one has to guess there are at least that many lost to other causes (poachers, vehicle collisions, age, disease). My guess would be about twice the number that die every year. Mathematically, that puts it between 440,000 and 500,000.
Total redneck reasoning so don't carry that bag too awful far.
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Post by steiny on Aug 7, 2012 9:38:36 GMT -5
Best they do is produce an 'estimate' which will be rough at best.
Not as many deer in my neighborhood as we had in the mid to late 80's. IMO the availability of antlerless tags is quite a bit too generous.
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Post by drs on Aug 7, 2012 10:06:22 GMT -5
Just a guess, but I'd say there are some 350,000 Deer in Indiana. Population dynamics of Deer is very hard to estimate. I do know populations of Deer are dependent on good habitat, which seems to be shrinking due to development like Farms being turned into Subdivisions, Highways & Roads being built through valuable habitat, and the growth of Human Population.
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Post by mrfixit on Aug 7, 2012 10:35:23 GMT -5
Well I know there is at least 3. There's a doe with two fawns that I see several times a week on my way to work. My buddy tells me he sees a couple in his back field from time to time so that would bring the confirmed sightings to maybe 5, if he is in fact seeing deer .... Other than that anyone's guess is as good as the next! I do know that 10 years ago it wasn't nothing to see herds of deer out in the fields at night just about anywhere you went, especially here in Greene County. Those days are long gone. You almost feel fortunate to see one or two around dusk or just after dark out in the fields.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2012 10:54:33 GMT -5
Between 500,000 and 750,000. There would not be a deer reduction in the works if it was less than that. You can look at the zone map to see where. All of the 8 counties have too many. The fours are probably near the target. Those less than 4 are growth conuties. All urban zones have too many even if they have only 1. Most special hunt areas have too many as well.
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Post by drs on Aug 7, 2012 11:44:21 GMT -5
Between 500,000 and 750,000. There would not be a deer reduction in the works if it was less than that. You can look at the zone map to see where. All of the 8 counties have too many. The fours are probably near the target. Those less than 4 are growth conuties. All urban zones have too many even if they have only 1. Most special hunt areas have too many as well. I think your population numbers are a bit on the high side. Many folks here and Hoosier Deer Hunters, are reporting seeing less & less Deer each Season. Maybe the IDNR should re-examine their "Herd Reduction" program.
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Post by swilk on Aug 7, 2012 12:04:22 GMT -5
6-700,000 would be my best guess.
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Post by mrbuckfly1 on Aug 7, 2012 12:41:51 GMT -5
I don't know but then all anyone can do is guess.The population on my property and another I hunt seems to be trending lower in the last few years.I am forunate to be able to spend lots of time hunting and based on that and year long trail cam pictures the doe populations are declining but the buck numbers are decent.Think it could be the the bonus county antlerless reduction causing this?I believe so.Oh yow,an un-educated geuss would be 350 to 400,000.
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Post by freedomhunter on Aug 7, 2012 13:16:51 GMT -5
Between 500,000 and 750,000. There would not be a deer reduction in the works if it was less than that. You can look at the zone map to see where. All of the 8 counties have too many. The fours are probably near the target. Those less than 4 are growth conuties. All urban zones have too many even if they have only 1. Most special hunt areas have too many as well. I thought some of the "8" counties (like Johnson) were designated that way due to high human population and collisions
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Post by daneowner on Aug 7, 2012 13:22:45 GMT -5
I'd make a wild guess of 4-500,000. The total deer on my place seen to be stable but my buck to doe ratio has been changing (at least what I see and get trail cam pics of) The doe count is going down and the buck count is coming up.
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Post by Woody Williams on Aug 7, 2012 15:35:15 GMT -5
Between 500,000 and 750,000. There would not be a deer reduction in the works if it was less than that. You can look at the zone map to see where. All of the 8 counties have too many. The fours are probably near the target. Those less than 4 are growth conuties. All urban zones have too many even if they have only 1. Most special hunt areas have too many as well. I thought some of the "8" counties (like Johnson) were designated that way due to high human population and collisions It is a combination type formula that they use. Harvest numbers figure in too..
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2012 16:30:22 GMT -5
What happens if EHD wipes out 25% to 50% of the Deer herd in some counties ?
I lived in Indiana when the last EHD outbreak happened, and it seemed like no rules changed, which made many people unhappy.
Johnson County, IN does not have enough Deer to support allowing hunters to take 8 Does per Season imo. I used to live and hunt in southern Johnson county, IN for many years.
I think the reason Johnson County allows a harvest of 8 Does is because there are a lot of roads, houses, and people, so the DNR wants less deer/Vehicle collisions.
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Post by billybobteeth on Aug 7, 2012 16:37:24 GMT -5
Estimate 600000 -650000 give/ take but after the harvest decline last season it may be on the low side of that maybe another year of lowered harvest will show a deeper decline here .
Some 8 counties have a large human population and a higher than normal perceived deer /human conflict others just what the DNR think to be too many deer . I don't see that changing anywhere soon with Indiana's human population growing .
Guys call and speak to Chad Stewart about your deer herd and concerns - DNR phone number ask for Chad Stewart!! He likes speaking with us regular hunters and getting input from us and picking our brain. 1-812-334-1137 heck who knows talking to him might just end up with the answers you look for.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2012 17:38:53 GMT -5
I agree with the 500,000 - 750,000 estimates. I agree that with hunting harvests and annual deer deaths from all other causes, somewhere in the neighborhood of 200,000 to 250,000 deer die each year in the state. I would guess that would be 30% to 40% of the total herd, but not more. Doing the math, that would put the number in the 1/2 to 3/4 of a million deer estimate by the time fall rolls back around.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2012 17:50:06 GMT -5
Between 500,000 and 750,000. T I think your population numbers are a bit on the high side. Many folks here and Hoosier Deer Hunters, are reporting seeing less & less Deer each Season. Maybe the IDNR should re-examine their "Herd Reduction" program. Guess what david, deer numbers arent based on what you think or what hunters report seeing. Some dont hunt too good so they dont see too many. Any trained biologists know this. And they understand deer models used to estimate deer populations.
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Post by parkerbow on Aug 7, 2012 19:38:14 GMT -5
I don't know about the total numbers but I think any county with 8 bonus tags in rediculous. I mean a hunting group of 4 people can kill 32 non antlered deer and 4 antlered deer in 1 county. That is 36 deer for 4 people. There are way more available tags then there are deer in those counties. Just my thoughts.
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Post by lugnutz on Aug 7, 2012 20:34:07 GMT -5
The weather man knows just as much about what the weather is gonna do, as a biologist does about the herd size. At least the weather man will give you his honest opinion.
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Post by drs on Aug 8, 2012 4:58:17 GMT -5
Guess what david, deer numbers arent based on what you think or what hunters report seeing. Some dont hunt too good so they dont see too many. Any trained biologists know this. And they understand deer models used to estimate deer populations. Tom, not to start any argument here with you or others, as has been in past threads, but your figures or estimates, you give are rather high. The only accurate statement you make, in your post, is that some Hunters aren't as proficient as more experienced Deer Hunters, even if there is an ample population, in their hunt area. About the only data one [or Biologist] can use, to determine the size of the population, is the "Hunter Harvest" figures for anyone given area of the State year-by-year compaired. Once again, Deer population dynamists is hard to determine and like someone else said, it's like the Weatherman's ability to predict a long range forecast. The two have something in common here.
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