Windwalker7

Gino,
I didn't mean everyone across the state getting a deer. I just meant that when my group of hunters went out, it was nice that most got a deer and everyone had a story to tell at the end of the day. We didn't drive deer either. we just scouted out good stand sights.

My daughter really liked hunting. She's taken 12 deer to date. I understand that little girls grow up and all, but her last 2 years she got really disgusted. She always wanted to go to a different property because she wasn't seeing many deer.

She usually got her deer by noon. But when she'd sit all day and not even see a deer until afternoon sometime, she started getting discouraged. Call it spoiled or whatever you want.

Even last year she thought about getting a license and almost did.She kept asking if we'd see more deer. I was honest and told her we'd probably see less. She didn't get a license.

I do realize that that EHD that went around a few years ago, really took a toll on the area I hunt.

bowtruck

It really is to bad to loose any hunters
The only good ol days i want back is when JUST ABOUT everyone went out atleast the first day of buck
Then the first day of doe of course back then we only had 2 days Till it went to 3

Wind hopefully something will get your girl back into hunting.

bluebird2

The PGC has done everything possible to drive the casual hunter away from the sport. Implementing ARs while reducing the herd by 40% was a disaster. It made it a lot more difficult for the average hunter to harvest a buck. Implementing ARs made matters worse by reducing the perceived number of deer by 20-30%. As a result total license sales decreased ,non-resident license sales decreased and junior license sales decreased even though the had been increasing until 2004.

DougE

Your entire post isunfortunately the mindset way too many people have.Expecting to get your deer by noon is unreralsitic expectations but not unusual when you have too many deer.This post sums up what I've always said.Guys just want it easy.It's really sad when seeing 6 deer a day isn't enough because they're used to seeing 30.

Screamin Steel

Windwalker....the situation with your daughter is unfortunate. It is even more unfortunate that so many of the PGC cheerleaders turn a deaf ear, and deliver a coined response to the effect that you are doing something wrong, or lazy, you need to work harder or make those kids work harder to get a deer. So many things compete for our kids time these days, that its increasingly more difficult to get them in the woods and keep them there. They have short attention spans and expect some form of gratification beyond birdwatching, if they are going to adopt the hunting lifestyle. It's also so easy to pass judgement on another's lack of success from a private land honeyhole, etc. My older kids will begin their deer huting soon, in the next few years, and I really worry about providing them with success early on. It seems that every yearI lose access to more and more quality land, and I worry that while I split hunting time on public land now, that in the near future that may be all I have left to hunt. I've seen the lack of courtesy out there, and now the lower deer numbers only make it worse. if you hit a deer and it doesn't drop in its tracks you better sprint after it before the jerk a hundred yards down from you puts his tag on it. Now the jerks are even more likely to pull a stunt like that as it might be the only deer they see all season. I'm feeling you, and I hope for both of your sakes that conditions improve. It's a shame that you and I will be profiled now as "needing a deer behind every tree", when thereIS a happy medium between a deer behind every tree, and the trillium garden of eden.....AND THIS IS NOT IT!

Screamin Steel

There is nothing unrealistic about expecting to kill a deer by noon. If you have scouted good stand sites, taken into account natural escape funnels, and the effect of hunting presure on deer movement, many stands can produce deer before noon for many consecutive years. Without DD of fifty dpsm, either, Doug. However, many of those stands have run dry, due to too few deer. If you never had a good stand that could produce deer before noon, than you really need to pick better stands. I have a favorite spot that I could still guarantee a doe on the ground by 8 am every year if I wanted to. I learned the escape routes they use to avoid hunting pressure. Problem is the deer area fraction of what they were and I want them to come back, so I let them walk most years and wait for a buck.

DougE

It is unrealistic and insane to expect to kill a deer by noone every time you hunt.To expect deer densities that high certainly labels one as a whiner and expecting the hunting to be way too easy.

I haven't killed a deer from the same standsite in consequtiveseasons in over 25 years.I don't and never have had a problem selecting stand sites that produce deer on public lands in 2G.I guess that's why you don't hear me complain.

DougE

Sorry steel but anyone that complains about seeing only6 deer has issues.

Screamin Steel

I didn't say every time you hunt. I said opening day. The fact that more deer are killed on opening day than any other day, and the greatest percentage in the morning is a no brainer. Deer movement and hunter particiaption is at its highest. Deer caught in feeding areas or in transition are suddenly hightailing it to dense cover. Findthe right funnelfor a stand and you should be able to kill a deer by noon, no problem. Heavy HR has changed that in many areas. That same funnel produces two yearling doe and no buck sighted in 10 hours on stand. Common sense dictated that I let those does walk. If the deer were there, they would have traveled that ridgetop funnel as in years past, so I ate tag soup at that stand on a SGL. Archery it showed some prioomise of atleast one mature buck frequenting the travel corridor, but he got himself shot before he made it to me. That was the only close shooting all day on that ridge and there were plenty of guys hunting it. Hot stands gone cold...not from the habitat...but from TOO MANY DOE KILLED!

DougE

Oh sorry.I guess it's not asking too much to expect to kill a deer every year on opening day by noone.LMFAO