Any way to see the numbers last year at this time compared to this year at the same time. Last year with around 83,000 total but I would like to see if we are at the same pace?

If numbers end up down, can't blame it on hot weather at this point.

So, let's say the numbers are down. And let's say they go down an additional 5% every year for the next 5 years. Then what do we do? This was my question from the beginning and I never could get a clear idea of what would happen based off the information.

Dec 11 2016
Bucks 11959
Does 18011

Dec 11 2017
Bucks 11677
Does 12674

Incredible. Doe numbers down by 33%. Now what?

There WILL be changes based on the numbers. I do not know what the changes will be but there will be some PO'ed people. Sykes painted himself in a corner with some statements he made. 35% estimated in compliance on reporting last year. IF the numbers decline as you suggest he has to acknowledge we don't have the deer #s or the system doesn't work because of noncompliance....or fudge the numbers to read what he wants.

There will always be something to blame for slow seasons: hot weather, too many acorns, etc. But at some point people just have to say this is just the way it is.

Where do you get those numbers? I would like to watch through out the season.

I kept a spreadsheet last year.

Does anyone have the data by sex, date, and county? would be interesting to plot it and see what it shows. I know the day of the week variable would be hard to isolate with only a few years worth of data, but once you have 20 years worth that variable should fall out some.

Would be interesting.

What if compliance has increased this year and numbers are actually down....how would you know?

so, are doe populations down by 33% or just hunter KILL by 33%. Big difference in the two....

In my little part of the world I would say doe population is down. In other parts it's probably up.

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

Once again this topic confuses the heck out of me. There are some who complain that we have a game check and they have to put any info. on game check as limited as it is, then when folks are interested in a comparison of numbers there's not enough info on game check to get the results you are looking for.

I fully admit I'm one of those people. It doesn't make sense to me why they'd require information that's completely useless.

Troy- a third possibility is Game Check compliance is down, but doe numbers are stable or even up a little.

I think it�s two fold. Hunters were nervous last year about getting a ticket for non compliance, and this year relaxed a little and are not reporting does AND I think folks are self regulating and not killing does.

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

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

If it was this one, you could still have less hunters, and more deer killed per man-hour, or actually have more hunters, and seeing way fewer deer. There's simply no way to know. License sales would give a close guess, but we know there are lots of ways around that too.

game check is a statistical farce. It's simply a political tool in sheep's clothing.