What happened between last and this year to make y'all change?

LOL I'm guessing they weren't seeing any deer? Or was it something in the data collected that triggered a shift?

Our target has been dropping at a steady rate over the last few years with this year's goal being basically the same as last. We are not trying to reduce deer numbers anymore. We are looking to at worst just maintaining the herd we have or at best slightly increase the herd. Our weights are up on both does and bucks so our herd is healthy and there is plenty of natural browse to support the herd we have or even an increase so there is no need to kill a lot of does anymore especially with the bears and coyotes helping out

Do you remember how much your weights increased?

I would have to do a little research to get the exact weights but in the early to mid nineties our does averaged mid eighties and our bucks averaged around 140.Last year all our does weighed between 100 and 109 and our smallest buck was 154.

Thanks for the info.

I understand the desire for more data, but I have a philosophical issue with hunters becoming "law breakers" for forgetting to fill out a mandatory form. There are other ways to get this information. When you renew your license each year you could require hunters to fill it out like the migratory bird card. This way you get the info, but you don't bog down our game warden's with trying to enforce game check among there many other duties. Also, some of these guys can get out of the office and get some of this info themselves. Talk to the game wardens in each county, talk to the biologists and county extension agents, talk to the deer processors, etc. It would take minimal effort for the processors to fill out a sheet each day for the number of bucks and does from each county.
It's the state's job to manage the deer herd to be healthy and in acceptable numbers. It's not the hunters responsibility to do there job for them. I'm pretty sure if you asked Matt or any of the biologists in there respective area they could tell you immediately if they needed to cut back on the doe harvest or not. This poor me attitude that we can't do our job because we don't have gamecheck is BS.

I have tried for the past 2 years to report my harvest but the web site won't cooperate. This year I got an error message of some kind. Last year it said that my lifetime license number was no good and that I needed to get a new number. It referred me to a phone number that didn't get me anywhere. I will try each time I kill a buck but it has been frustrating to get sent to a dead end with each effort.

I read somewhere in here about talking to processors... They don't want us anywhere around most of the time. Many believe it has a negative impact. They dang sure don't want us tracking the number of deer processed, they think we are the IRS for some reason

That has been discussed. Some work really well with us though.

IMO, The processors would be the key to enforcing bag limits, or getting solid statistical data. Kentucky for example, makes them record info and tag number at the processor.

I am sure processors believe that once they become a check-in point that cash transaction will have to be tracked for taxes because there is proof a deer came through. Processors have/will fight that.