Gubment just needs more tax dollars, they don't care about "the data"

Yep, but we don't track "Man-hours", so we'll never know. It's "almost" like the data isn't worth much to begin with

We do tract man hours within the avid deer hunter survey.

But, could you imagine if we asked how many hours people hunted? Bet it wouldn't be good.

Care to explain how the state stands to make money from GC?

Yall relax when 2dogs kills his 3 150" bucks then he will begin to get those numbers brought back up

easiest way to get the info if thats what they really wanted would be to get local processors to report what they are getting in.

I kept a spreadsheet last year.

true Bud.

I think a lot of hunters have just cut back on doe killing.

So. is it...
1. actual doe numbers are down
2. hunters hours are down, limiting kill(but the buck kill is not down)
3. hunters are using trigger restraint in killing does
4. compliance by doe killers is down

when the warden checks your license if the harvest info is filled out but you dont have a GC confirm # you're getting a ticket. easiest way to get the info if thats what they really wanted would be to get local processors to report what they are getting in. Iguess no one even remembers game check nevver even came up as an idea until the DNCR got its funding cut about 4 or 5 years ago

I don't understand why folks whine about game check, just do it and stop bitching!

I think GC will eventually work and provide a reasonably accurate picture of harvest trends. It is going to take a big change in hunter attitudes to get it to the point that almost everyone complies and reports their kills. In some of the states up north, they've had much stricter rules regarding hunting, people are used to it, and a lot of them even like it. It stands to reason that their numbers are close to the actual harvest. I think it might eventually happen in AL, but that change is going to be measured in decades, not years.

I argued long and hard that the hunter survey gave us good enough numbers for setting seasons and bag limits, and I've always thought that was all the DCNR really needed. The accuracy of survey went down by some unknown amount when the buck limit started; for the first time some hunters had a reason to lie about their kills. I noticed the % returning the survey went way down on the last year reported, and I suspect its gone down further on the past season. But it still hasn't been released and I don't really know that. If they even continue to do the survey, there is no doubt that the accuracy of it has been compromised by the public statements of our director. I never understood him telling people the survey was worthless and then the department continuing to spend the money to do it.

We are at a point now where nobody has any idea how many deer are killed, and its gonna remain that way for a long time.

But then one could argue that the LEGAL harvest is indeed known - it is exactly whatever the GC numbers say it is. Deer that aren't reported are illegal. Maybe it accomplishes something government related to know the legal harvest, but I don't think moving a lot of deer from legal to illegal will make any difference to the resource.