Ft. Sill Deer Survey Results.....looks like a bad year ahead of us

[Davs2601]

I think you missed the point about what this thread was about so let me start over.

This was not suppose to be about xbows....it was about the poor sotlight survey conducted in SW Oklahoma.

As far as you comments about trophies, you lost me. Id rahter shoot does every year rather than a trophy ever once in a while. Thats my take on deer hunting, Id rather make my jerky and chilli then look at antlers hung in my man cave.....dont get me wrong though if I can harvest a mature "trophy" so I can have my jerky and the antler in the man cave then I will everytime. To think other wise would be silly. But I would still rather harvest does every year.

Im a fan of a healthy herd, but could care less about trophys[.

WOW! So you wouldn't get "buck fever", be excited, proud, take pictures, or show your friends if you shot a buck that would be recognized as a trophy? If you answered yes then you should contact Ripley's Believe It or Not, you might earn some extra cash.

 

[Bulls eye]

If you didnt want me to comment on crossbows then you shouldnt have included your comment on them in your post. Aint no big deal. Just making a point.

 

[Rolando]

Lookin good in Lincoln county. With the good rain we've had this year the deer should be fat and tasty.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Oh it'll be plenty fine, numbers-wise. Has been for a decade or more now, steady, hovering around 100K and above legal harvest, with small fluctuations here and there. Hunting is a bit easier in drought years, which is the reason the 2006 numbers spiked so high to almost 120K - in the drought, the deer come out of the woods to look for greens in the clearings/fields to eat. Pigs especially are easier to hunt in the drought years - they come to watered lawns and golf courses and such, and any/all water left. This year, we had a dry spell following a massive wet spell, so it's a mixed bag, but certainly not a drought, so the numbers won't be like 2006, but they'll be up there.

As for trophy deer, the more does we can kill, the better. It is making the herd smaller, yes, but it's not JUST making the herd smaller -more specifically, it's making the number of DOES smaller, and not killing young bucks. Dennis's 11-does-on-the-fescue pic shows you what needs to happen. About 9 or 10 of them need to be killed before a buck is killed, to get the ratio back where it needs to be. The new rules will help some, particularly as more time goes by. This is what, the 2nd year with the 3-buck-per-seasons-combined limit? They really need to make it 2 per season: ONE buck during archery, and ONE buck during either (your choice) muzzleloader or gun. If you shoot a buck during ML, then no buck for you during gun, so you have to pass up that marginal 8 point in the 110s/120s or so during ML season and let him go! Or not - Your choice. I'd be in favor of this rule with another special rule to incentivize harvesting does: IF but only if you harvest 3 does or more does, first, during any/all seasons up until rifle season, THEN you can harvest a 2nd 'gun buck' during rifle season, even if you already harvested a buck during ML season.

As for crossbows and new hunters with them: Nahhh, they won't make that much difference. First of all, there won't be that many of them. Second of all, if they're new hunters, they won't be harvesting much at all anyway, since hunting is 95% woodsmanship, and less than 5% equipment. Third, the old hats at archery with new equipment (x-bows) - well, they're just not THAT much of an advantage really. Yeah, I think the old hats with woods skills will kill a few more than usual, due to not having to draw, but I don't think it will be anywhere near off the charts.

 

[bigcountryok]

This is what, the 2nd year with the 3-buck-per-seasons-combined limit? They really need to make it 2 per season: ONE buck during archery, and ONE buck during either (your choice) muzzleloader or gun. If you shoot a buck during ML, then no buck for you during gun, so you have to pass up that marginal 8 point in the 110s/120s or so during ML season and let him go! Or not - Your choice. I'd be in favor of this rule with another special rule to incentivize harvesting does: IF but only if you harvest 3 does or more does, first, during any/all seasons up until rifle season, THEN you can harvest a 2nd 'gun buck' during rifle season, even if you already harvested a buck during ML season.

PSST!!!

Might want to check the regs.

Combined Season Limit

The combined season limit for deer archery, youth deer gun, deer muzzleloader and deer gun seasons is no more than six (6) deer per individual. This limit may include no more than two (2) antlered deer.

Deer taken by hunters participating in holiday antlerless deer gun season or controlled hunts are not included in the hunter’s combined season limit.

Deer taken during Jan. 1 - 15, 2011, count toward the 2010 bag limit.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

This limit may include no more than two (2) antlered deer.

OK, I'm a dumbbutt then. Wasn't it 3 just last year?

Actually, sorry; come to think of it, I think I may have known that - outstanding then - love it!

So the rule now is "Hunter's Choice" - any two bucks however you like? (2 archery, 2 ML, 2 gun, 1 archery/1 ML, 1 archery/1 gun, 1ML/1 gun, etc.)?

Thanks and sorry - my memory is crap anymore. I did pick up the hardcopy of the regs today - I just don't look at the online one in detail like I'd planned to (to save mother earth and all that).

 

[bigcountryok]

OK, I'm a dumbbutt then. Wasn't it 3 last year?

Actually, sorry; come to think of it, I think I may have known that - outstanding!

So the rule now is "Hunter's Choice" - any two bucks however you like? (2 archery, 2 ML, 2 gun, 1 archery/1 ML, 1 archery/1 gun, 1ML/1 gun, etc.)?

Thanks and sorry - my memory is crap anymore.

What bothers me about that is it has no effect on the gun and MZ hunters. Those are who kill a majority of the deer yet, nothing is changed for them. If they are going for quality, wouldn't it make more sense if it were 1 Archery and 1 Gun or MZ buck.

I seriously doubt it reduce the number of young bucks taken.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Exactly! That's what I was saying. It shouldn't be Hunters Choice as among all 3 seasons. It should be one buck archery (if you do archery; if you don't, tough noogies), and one buck of hunter's choice as between ML and rifle, like you say - or else it doesn't have much effect!

 

[dennishoddy]

Sad thing is there is a growing group of people who would not consider that a trophy.

Oh, and in SE Okla you would have a better chance finding big foot versus coming across a 200# 10 point.

The 200# buck may be mythical in SE Ok, but if my memory serves me right the largest # of B&C bucks in Ok, have come from that area.

 

[Jared]

The 200# buck may be mythical in SE Ok, but if my memory serves me right the largest # of B&C bucks in Ok, have come from that area.

You dont have to look too far back to recall 2 State records coming from Push Co.