Post by ridgerunner on Nov 26, 2014 11:36:23 GMT -5
Let's crunch some numbers:
In 2000 (before OBR), 44,621 bucks were killed along with 11,072 button bucks, for a total of 55,693. Going by the DNR's estimate of 6,000 bowhunters also killing a firearms buck, we'll drop those 6,000 bucks from the harvest to get an OBR-type number of 49,693. That would be the number of bucks killed that year if double-dipping were prohibited.
In 2002 (first OBR year), total bucks and button bucks harvested were 58,468. That's an increase of 8,775 bucks over year 2000.
In 2003, the number was 59,795. That is an increase 10,102 bucks over year 2000.
In 2004, the number was 67,244. That is an increase of 17,551 over year 2000.
In 2005, the number was 65,518. That is an increase of 15,825 over year 2000.
in 2006, the number was 62, 785. That is an increase of 13,092 over year 2000.
In 2007, the number was 62,688. That's an increase of 12,995 over year 2000.
In 2008, the number was 63,928. That's an increase of 14,235 over year 2000.
In 2009, the number was 65,918. That's an increase of 16,225 over year 2000.
In 2010, the number was 66,374. That's an increase of 16,681 over year 2000.
In 2011, the number was 63,775. That's an increase of 14,082 over the year 2000.
Look at those increases each year --they're way more than the 6,000 annual bucks that the double-dippers took. The additional bucks that the bowhunters weren't able to take were still taken by other hunters -- AND THEN SOME.
Now, if we were to go back to a 2-buck system as before, the buck harvest wouldn't change much. Some hunters just wouldn't get a buck, since some bowhunters took them. You can't simply add those 6,000 per year to the harvest numbers.