West Lafayette, Indiana(AP)...... A study by a Purdue University research team has found that regulated deer hunts in Indiana state parks have helped restore the forests damaged done by the over population of deer. Associate forest ecology professor Michael Jenkins says hunting is an effective tool in promoting the growth of Indiana's
natural areas. He says hunting helps maintain an ecological balance. The States Dept. of Natural Resources instituted controlled hunts starting in 1993, with most parks adopting the hunting by 1996.
The study compared the plant life and cover in 108 study plots. It found that total plant cover more than doubled from 1996/97 to 2010. The study also showed that the hunting programs led to recovery of native species and discouraged invasive and exotic species.......

Many parks still have a long way to go.

Yep, and the controlled hunts will continue.....remember what the anti's were saying waaay back.... NONE of their rhetoric has proved true....

ttt

ttt

What I don't understand is that if there are enough deer out there to cause so much damage why are most hunters griping about the lack of deer to hunt?
The woods I hunt gets a definite brows line by the first day of gun season. If I can see damage in the woods there is way more deer than the woods can support.
I had a great season last year. I took my choise of deer & let many more pass.
From years past it looks like we are getting less hunters into the woods. Three to four years ago I had a hard time finding a hunting spot that wasn't taken, last season I could walk in the wood & sit down to hunt just about anywhere on most days.
We need to start teaching the young to get out & hunt. I have an idea, if you are teaching a new hunter you get a discount on your license. I wonder if the DNR would go for it?

It all depends on where you live....some areas are harder hit by the brown and down crowd...winter took its toll up here as EHD has done in other locations and being able to kill 16 deer in this county hasnt helped the population any either....a five miles one way or the other can make a difference in deer being there or not....but they ARE down in Porter Co, esp. northern Porter Co....on opening day gun season it would be common for many years to hear 60+ shots around me(yes, some were multiple shoot till it drops type, most were single/double bangs)...now you maybe hear 20 or so....but yet, almost every woodlot has a truck parked near it and orange can be seen in most lots if you look hard enough...deer just are not there like they used to be and that is a fact...good thing for the farmers and insurance companies, bad for hunters as I just love seeing/watching deer....

How many people you really think shot 16 deer??? :rolleyes:

Dosnt matter....with a high limit like that, it gives people the indication of a HUGE over population of deer, esp when there isnt....It dosnt matter if 1 person didn or didnt...if billy bob thinks there is to many thinking I can kill 16 deer? there must be to many and he shoots 4, this his cousin thinks the same and shoots 4, and billy bob's friend talks to billy bob and he's told there must be to many ' cause the DNR says we can shoot 16...shoot all you want and he kills 4...it adds up fast.... your not up here, you havnt seen the population dwindle like I have....I care about the resource...some I guess dont give a rats behind it seems and will continue to over kill their areas....cant fix stupid I guess....I have no problem taking deer where needed, some places a high kill just isnt need any longer.. why do you think the parks back off on the reductions from time to time....'cause they are not needed....

I seen other from your area say they still seeing plenty deer.... But as usual your opion is right and other are wrong.... SMH

Where as anyone said they don't care about the resoures??
Your grasping at straws and you right you can't fix stuip and arrogant :rolleyes:

Don't see many deer? Don't pull the trigger.. That simple..WE are in charge of the the deer herd management.. NOT the DNR.. Common sense has to come into play at some point..

Brew your head is buried in the sand....Who ?? some numb nuts who is a known jagoff around here and has it out for me..Get F'n real !!....GD, that is what Ive neen saying for some time....but here comes Brew with his 1/2 pennies worth of dribble...I'm pretty much sick of the idiocy from some of those who absolutely have no Idea what is going on in the real world...brew..SCREW YOU !!

Lol..... It take all kinds and your proof of that...SMH

EXACTLY .... +1