According to the 2010 Hunter Survey :

Statewide, about 1 deer is killed for every 2 bonus antlerless licenses sold (.5 deer per license).

5.6% of hunters take 3 deer per year.

Less than 5% of hunters take more than 3 deer (4.6%).

Given that, I doubt many people kill 3 bonus antlerless deer in any county.

Thanks for posting the data....

I've read this for years and yet people act as if 1/2 the hunters in this state are killing 8 deer each. :rolleyes:

Oh well....

I know this as well yet some will never be convinced otherwise...

The one that kills me the most is people who think you killing multiple deer in a county two hours away is having some negative affect on their hunts in the county they are hunting in... :rolleyes:

Thus, hunter density becomes material in the local affect on the local deer herd. High density in poor habitat areas, even with low available bonus permits, can create significant impact on the local deer herd. From the DNR standpoint, impossible to manage.

In that case all the DNR could do would be to do away with bonus permits altogether and perhaps entertain limiting license sales in those counties.

I could see them doing away with bonus antlerless permits, but limiting license sales? I don't see that happening.

So, 10.2% of those who hunt deer take 3 or more deer per year. While on the one hand, the DNR might say that this is immaterial in regard to the total harvest number, but, on the other hand, it might be suggested that 10.2% of total deer hunters is an immaterial issue also because they aren't material to what most hunters apparently want, in general, which is to harvest 2 deer. So, it really isn't too far fetched of a position to take that any materiality of getting rid of bonus permits is basically meaningless on a global level since a person can buy a bundle and have all the tags that 90% of deer hunters want to have or fill. Certainly, the issue would then be lost revenue of bonus permits sold by the DNR. Easy solution, increase the cost of the bundle to cover lost revenue. It won't happen, but it really might be suggested that there is no reason for bonus permits because of hunter behavior, in general, evidenced by the apparent fact that 90% of deer hunters don't want to harvest more then 2 deer. This might reduce localized impacts on areas where harvest numbers per hunter are much higher then the 2 average of most Indiana deer hunters. Please be reminded, I don't care what they do, just assessing all of this.

130,000

I wonder what affect bundle licensing will have on those numbers? Three non-weapons specific tags for $65 is a bit more economical than in 2010...and offers more opportunity to use them.
Plus, one doesn't have to use archery equipment to hunt for 3+ months either.

Yea Paul, I wish they'd get the 2013 Survey out. I emailed Chad Stewart before he left and he said the 2013 survey was supposed to be out last year. Anyone know if it came out and just wasn't posted?

Try looking here .... www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3352.htm

Unless I am missing something it is not yet posted there Bean. Did you find it?

Brew I searched by the word feet and came up with populations estimates real numbers could be fun to use those real no,s with real harvest no.s and see what %of the herd is taken in those years and use those no.s to estimate herd size Now ICant do it but I bet someone can Hint ,hint

Huh??

I meant "Brew"

How in the world did auto correct make Deer in to , feet

How in the world did auto correct make Deer in to , feet

No....There some interesting stuff there though!!!

I emailed DFW and got this response about the release of the 2013 Deer Hunter Survey:

Isnt it about time the report should come out ??

It normally would already be out, but what I've heard is that with Chad Stewart leaving it will be delayed.

It cant be that hard, esp. with the computerized check in now.... but they have to put a "spin" on it I know, blame it on the weather or some crap if the kill was down....

I asked about this on March 6th. Here is the response from the district 7 biologist:
I'll ping her again.

From Shannon Winks today 4/6:

MAY !!??? ... I guess there is more spin to put in this one ;0)

Why would you make public the kill data BEFORE you you decide to add another long range killing tool?


To not publish kill data AND next year antlerless quotas is BS!!!

We are being hosed by the current Administration, (above IDNR)

BINGO!!!!!!!

Well I seen a lot of dead deer on US 31 this weekend... Most were in Miami County...

Hey, I was there Sat. working on the lease(Wabash area) LOL........ somewhat normal for this time of year...doe herds breaking up and does going to birthing/spring/summer grounds....I counted 5 dead deer(dosnt sound like much really) from US 30 to 31 and to 24 east....

Seen the same thing on I74 the last couple weeks between Cinci, and Indy. All does that I could tell. Herds breaking up and "normal" for this time of year.

That was a 100+ mile trip for me too...one way ! Where the Eel River passes under 31 on the north bound side, is where I saw my first Otter last year...unfortunately it was a road kill...I had to turn around go back and look at it....

From Falyn Owens:

Darn I am good !....missed my prediction by only 74 deer....this state is in worse shape that I really hoped..... we havnt had this low of a kill since 2003 and 2004 seasons....and the antlered buck kill stayed real low too ....