The new deer regs by the numbers it is not pretty

So here are some differences by type of season and in total that the reduction of days will cause in deer harvest and you have to throw in the fact that gun season will be a week later as well complicating the harvest.


2009 total harvests by season and sex

Gun season total harvest per the DNR numbers over the two weeks.

Total harvest gun - 83,096
total antlered bucks - 38,921
total antler less deer - 44,175

Below is the Totals of the kill the last 7 days last gun season that will be done away with under new rules of gun season --

total deer taken last 7 days gun -- 20,427
total bucks - 6137
total antler less - 14,290

Total gun season harvest difference in gun minus the last 7 days would stand like the below.

total deer taken -7 days -62,669 as opposed to 83,096 now
total antlered -7 days 32,038 as opposed to 38,921 now
total antler less -7 days 29,175 as opposed t0 44,175 now

Now the totals of the ML season of last season.
Total deer taken ML season - 18,553
total antlered buck ML - 3675
total antler less deer ML- 14,878

Last 7 days of ML of last season
Total taken -6185
total antlered - 1225
total antler less- 4960


Total ML season difference minus the last week

total deer taken -7 days 12,368 opposed to 18,553 now
total antlered taken -7 days 2450 opposed to 3,675 now
total antler less taken -7 days 9,918 opposed to 14,878 now


So put together into one big lump this is what the harvest differences are with the new seasons being proven by realistic numbers

Total take between both seasons now
101,649 now opposed to after minus all the days lost 70,077
total antlered last season and after loss of days
42,596 as opposed to 35,232 after the loss of days
total antler less last season and after loss of days
59,053 last season as opposed to 35,232 after loss of days.

I expect archers to have rough time of it after the guns start going off with patternable bucks and the doe harvest for them to fall off as well. Not one person can expect this early season to have a good effect on bow hunters shooting antlerless deer just a week or two before the rut starts to swing a bit.

So in closing draw your own conclusions here but in truth once you throw in loss of bow hunting opportunity over the antler less only days and timing of the antler less hunts I fail to see how in the world we will even come close to the numbers of the of the past seasons .

They IMHO will have no one to blame but them period since a hunter will only hunt and kill what and when he wants too most hunters will be adversely affect by this whole issue .But I am sure two years from now we all will be rehashing this and there will be finger pointing at that time by all .

I asked this question last week.....

"Can someone link to any credible source that shows a state that reduced their Gun season days afield by half and actually increased their harvest numbers"?.....

"The Data has to be there if that's what the INDR is basing there "New" proposals on"!!!

answer.....

"here is the answer to your stats question,"

"Take the other states deer hunter numbers during a gun season, then the harvest number and look at success rates, don't cherry pick a year or state just look at a five year trend. You have to do the leg work, I'm sure IDNR will have the data at the July 20 meeting to support Their proposals."

They seem to be banking on a High success rate....

You forgot we are losing the first 7 days not the last 7. Deer are much more active in early November than they are later. The best case against this might be telemetry studies showing how much less active deer are later in the year.

I'm afraid nothing ever seems to "go back". These gun days for buck hunting are gone for good.

Funny thing though. Last year the state reported a "record harvest" of deer. Yet, everyone I know saw fewer deer than they had in years and many didn't punch a tag @ all. Odd....

Regardless, I guess the insurance companies, politicians and lobbying groups are getting what they want.

It's a very sad day indeed. (I can't imagine this not being implimented by 2011) I never thought I'd see the day until I was too old to get out but this may well be the last year for deer hunting in this state for me, and I even have my own place. The politics have just robbed the enjoyment for me. I have always appreciated the opportunity I have south of the river but I am even more thankful now. IN can do whatever it wants, make their cartridge rules, play their games; I'll send the emails etc. but I doubt it will matter & once it's in I'm done buying deer tags in this state.