Poll on deer hunting activity

[muddyboots]

Still amazing to me, to see that many deer day in and day out, and on top of that, add 7-10 bucks a sighting? I've said it before, but I'm lucky to see a buck or two, usually, during the season, with a high of about 4, maybe 5 different ones in an extremely good year.

Wow! Thats tough!

 

[SEC]

Still amazing to me, to see that many deer day in and day out, and on top of that, add 7-10 bucks a sighting? I've said it before, but I'm lucky to see a buck or two, usually, during the season, with a high of about 4, maybe 5 different ones in an extremely good year.

We have so many deer here you can shoot doe's till your blue in the face and they just keep on coming.I have one farm where the deer ate 60 acres of soybeans.

 

[102]

SEC,
That is YOUR fault.
THere are a bunch of hunters who would not only love to come hunt and see that many deer, and kill your DOES, they would also PAY to kill your does.

 

[Football Hunter]

Still amazing to me, to see that many deer day in and day out, and on top of that, add 7-10 bucks a sighting? I've said it before, but I'm lucky to see a buck or two, usually, during the season, with a high of about 4, maybe 5 different ones in an extremely good year.

Wow! Thats tough!

Yep,thats tuff huntin

 

[SEC]

SEC,
That is YOUR fault.
THere are a bunch of hunters who would not only love to come hunt and see that many deer, and kill your DOES, they would also PAY to kill your does.

102 Its not my fault.Believe me I have done my part.Most people around here shoot the first three bucks they see and then quit hunting for the year.One man can only kill so many.Every time I bring people in to shoot does they start shooting about dark and we start tracking deer its always the same thing MAN I THOUGHT IT WAS A DOE.I hate it when that happens.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

SEC wrote:

"I agree but we could do better. States like IL.and IA. and all the other big buck states have one thing in common shorter firearms seasons and lower buck limits. It sure would be nice to see a couple 130s every year around here but with every tom,Richard,and harry blasting away at them for 60 plus days with highpower rifles its never gonna happen.You cant kill what aint there."

"It sure would be nice to see a couple 130s every year "

And here is the root of the problem. EXPECTATIONS.

Seeing a couple of 130s "every year" is NEVER going to happen for MOST of us. NEVER.

A 130 inch buck in Tennessee is like hitting the lottery. Although TV would lead you to believe otherwise, free ranging 130s are RARE. In the mid-west, maybe this is a little different, but still not that common.

Most Tennessee hunters would pee themselves if they had a TRULY 130 inch buck walk up to their stand. As would I. A 130 inch buck is a LARGE antlered buck.

Percentage wise, VERY FEW hunters in Tennessee will ever even SEE one. Even in other states.

There are those who say they have seen several, and maybe even passed several, but until it hits the ground with a tape to the horn, it is just TALK.

Trying to manage the Tennessee herd for 130s is INSANE!!!

Check out how many net 130"+ in just Humphreys and Stewart counties are in the TN deer registry. If there are that many net 130"+ registered, just imagine how many gross 130"+ that are not.

http://www.tennregistry.com/search_county2.aspx

I wish winning the lottery was that easy.

 

[SEC]

SEC wrote:

"I agree but we could do better. States like IL.and IA. and all the other big buck states have one thing in common shorter firearms seasons and lower buck limits. It sure would be nice to see a couple 130s every year around here but with every tom,Richard,and harry blasting away at them for 60 plus days with highpower rifles its never gonna happen.You cant kill what aint there."

"It sure would be nice to see a couple 130s every year "

And here is the root of the problem. EXPECTATIONS.

Seeing a couple of 130s "every year" is NEVER going to happen for MOST of us. NEVER.

A 130 inch buck in Tennessee is like hitting the lottery. Although TV would lead you to believe otherwise, free ranging 130s are RARE. In the mid-west, maybe this is a little different, but still not that common.

Most Tennessee hunters would pee themselves if they had a TRULY 130 inch buck walk up to their stand. As would I. A 130 inch buck is a LARGE antlered buck.

Percentage wise, VERY FEW hunters in Tennessee will ever even SEE one. Even in other states.

There are those who say they have seen several, and maybe even passed several, but until it hits the ground with a tape to the horn, it is just TALK.

Trying to manage the Tennessee herd for 130s is INSANE!!!

Check out how many net 130"+ in just Humphreys and Stewart counties are in the TN deer registry. If there are that many net 130"+ registered, just imagine how many gross 130"+ that are not.

http://www.tennregistry.com/search_county2.aspx

I wish winning the lottery was that easy.

You hit the nail on the head.

 

[BSK]

Comparing where you hunt to where I hunt in Tennessee is like comparing apples to oranges.We have huge fields hundreds of acres in size,small wood lots.Somewhat like those midwestern states previously mentioned. Its not uncommon for us to see 20+ deer a day up to 7 or 8 bucks on a good morning. The young bucks are not making it through the long season where I hunt.

Absolutely true SEC that vast difference exist in habitat and terrain (as well as deer density) across the state of TN. And that's why it is so difficult for the state agency to manage such a large area--because it is so diverse. And that's one more reason I'm glad I'm not them. Trying to set rules that will work in all those different habitat situations is a nightmare. They can't set the rules for the best areas nor the worst areas, just general rules that work well in as many areas as possible.

 

[BSK]

[Check out how many net 130"+ in just Humphreys and Stewart counties are in the TN deer registry. If there are that many net 130"+ registered, just imagine how many gross 130"+ that are not.

http://www.tennregistry.com/search_county2.aspx

I wish winning the lottery was that easy.

Yes, but those are net 130+ over a 40 year period. Divide that out and it's is just a couple per year over an entire county. That's not that many. And Stewart and Humphreys are two of the top counties for high-scoring bucks. Look at some of the other counties--very, very few.

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

[Check out how many net 130"+ in just Humphreys and Stewart counties are in the TN deer registry. If there are that many net 130"+ registered, just imagine how many gross 130"+ that are not.

http://www.tennregistry.com/search_county2.aspx

I wish winning the lottery was that easy.

Yes, but those are net 130+ over a 40 year period. Divide that out and it's is just a couple per year over an entire county. That's not that many. And Stewart and Humphreys are two of the top counties for high-scoring bucks. Look at some of the other counties--very, very few.

Yep but the terrain and dirt in Humphreys Co. is pretty much typical of the western half of middle TN, yet they have around 50 bucks listed that net 140"+. If thats the case then there is probably hundreds that would have grossed 130"+. How is the poor dirt of Humpherys Co. producing the good bucks?

 

[BSK]

I bet if you could put those bucks on a map of where they were killed, 90% would be within a mile of the Duck, Tennessee, or Buffalo River Bottoms. The Buffalo and Duck River Bottoms are some of the most productive agricultural ground in TN. At one time, "Big Bottom" (much of which is now the Duck River Unit of Tennessee National) was the largest bottomland under one fence in the entire state (20,000+ acres).

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

I bet if you could put those bucks on a map of where they were killed, 90% would be within a mile of the Duck, Tennessee, or Buffalo River Bottoms. The Buffalo and Duck River Bottoms are some of the most productive agricultural ground in TN. At one time, "Big Bottom" (much of which is now the Duck River Unit of Tennessee National) was the largest bottomland under one fence in the entire state (20,000+ acres).

I looked at the USDA crop maps, and Humphreys Co. has about the same or less acreage in crops than a lot of counties in TN. My bet would be large land holding and big leases in the area that practice trigger control is playing a major factor in the area.

 

[BSK]

I bet if you could put those bucks on a map of where they were killed, 90% would be within a mile of the Duck, Tennessee, or Buffalo River Bottoms. The Buffalo and Duck River Bottoms are some of the most productive agricultural ground in TN. At one time, "Big Bottom" (much of which is now the Duck River Unit of Tennessee National) was the largest bottomland under one fence in the entire state (20,000+ acres).

I looked at the USDA crop maps, and Humphreys Co. has about the same or less acreage in crops than a lot of counties in TN. My bet would be large land holding and big leases in the area that practice trigger control is playing a major factor in the area.

Many large landholdings any many QDM clubs in Humphreys is part of the reason it has a good buck age structure (although no better than Hickman, Houston or Perry Counties). In addition, hunter density has declined dramatically over the last 15 years. All of the timber company land that used to be open to the public has all been sold off, and the better hunting conditions in East TN is keeping most of the East TN hunters from flooding the area like they used to.

However, all the 130+ bucks--the bottomlands and most of those bucks come from around those bottomlands. Just ask anyone who hunts near them! They make up only a small part of Humphreys County, but most of the top-end bucks killed in the area come from those bottomlands.

A picture of Cherry Bottom (the last Buffalo River Bottom before the Buffalo joins the Duck). This bottomland is nearly 10 miles long and a mile wide (and always fully planted in corn and soybeans):

 

[Beekeeper]

I usually only see 3 or 4 different bucks at the farm where I live and 3 or 4 others on the lease where I hunt. I know, from sign and trail cam pics, that there are 4 to 5 times that many bucks using the areas that I hunt. The 4800 acre lease I am on cost $500.00 per year and we usually have about 50 members that hunt.

This property is mostly wooded with about 80% of it in planted pines. This property is very thick and most shots are taken at less than 60 yards.

We follow state regulations and we usually kill between 75 and 100 deer a year. Of these it is about 50/50 bucks to doe. We usually take 3 or 4 bucks that would score 115 to 140. I do not think reducing the buck limit would help our age structure or improve our buck to doe ratio. The folks in middle and west TN should get on or start leases that have enough property so that they can manage it the way they want and enforce a 1 or 2 buck limit. I don't think that any buck I kill in ET would impact their efforts.

 

[muddyboots]

I usually only see 3 or 4 different bucks at the farm where I live and 3 or 4 others on the lease where I hunt. I know, from sign and trail cam pics, that there are 4 to 5 times that many bucks using the areas that I hunt. The 4800 acre lease I am on cost $500.00 per year and we usually have about 50 members that hunt.

This property is mostly wooded with about 80% of it in planted pines. This property is very thick and most shots are taken at less than 60 yards.

We follow state regulations and we usually kill between 75 and 100 deer a year. Of these it is about 50/50 bucks to doe. We usually take 3 or 4 bucks that would score 115 to 140. I do not think reducing the buck limit would help our age structure or improve our buck to doe ratio. The folks in middle and west TN should get on or start leases that have enough property so that they can manage it the way they want and enforce a 1 or 2 buck limit. I don't think that any buck I kill in ET would impact their efforts.

If yawl are killing 50 bucks that are 3 1/2 or older thats awesome but if u are killing 25 bucks out of that 50 that are 2 1/2 or younger i guarantee you could change your age structure regardless of antler score. This property you have described are not gonna produce your highest scoring bucks but it can be done with wait for it - allowing them to mature and having lots of food for them. I have seen it work on property just as you describe but on a smaller acreage.

 

[BSK]

I firmly believe our long gun season along with the 3 buck limit are 2 things that could be modified to help the overall hunting in our state without hurting anyone's hunting enjoyment in any way.

[My italics added above]

Reducing MZ or rifle season length would definitely hurt my hunting enjoyment. I choose to hunt TN for the very fact we have long firearms seasons. I grew up in KY and still have my family's property there to hunt on, but I don't. I hate the experience of KY's short MZ and gun seasons, and the intensified hunting pressure they produce--a sea of orange in every tree as the short firearms seasons force every yahoo and their brother to all hunt at the same time. The hunting pressure is so intense that if you don't get a buck opening weekend, you're not going to. Hunting pressure drives the deer nocturnal after that. I love TN's long seasons, which spread hunting pressure out and gives many opportunities to hunt different time periods.

Now the 3 buck limit, I would have no problem with dropping it to 2. That would not effect my hunting enjoyment at all. But dropping it to 1 sure would. I would fight that move tooth-and-nail.

 

[BSK]

I usually only see 3 or 4 different bucks at the farm where I live and 3 or 4 others on the lease where I hunt. I know, from sign and trail cam pics, that there are 4 to 5 times that many bucks using the areas that I hunt. The 4800 acre lease I am on cost $500.00 per year and we usually have about 50 members that hunt.

This property is mostly wooded with about 80% of it in planted pines. This property is very thick and most shots are taken at less than 60 yards.

We follow state regulations and we usually kill between 75 and 100 deer a year. Of these it is about 50/50 bucks to doe. We usually take 3 or 4 bucks that would score 115 to 140. I do not think reducing the buck limit would help our age structure or improve our buck to doe ratio. The folks in middle and west TN should get on or start leases that have enough property so that they can manage it the way they want and enforce a 1 or 2 buck limit. I don't think that any buck I kill in ET would impact their efforts.

If yawl are killing 50 bucks that are 3 1/2 or older thats awesome but if u are killing 25 bucks out of that 50 that are 2 1/2 or younger i guarantee you could change your age structure regardless of antler score. This property you have described are not gonna produce your highest scoring bucks but it can be done with wait for it - allowing them to mature and having lots of food for them. I have seen it work on property just as you describe but on a smaller acreage.

I think what was meant by Beekeeper's post was that the lease rules are driving their harvest results, not state regulations. In that situation, changes in state regulations would have little impact.

 

[muddyboots]

I usually only see 3 or 4 different bucks at the farm where I live and 3 or 4 others on the lease where I hunt. I know, from sign and trail cam pics, that there are 4 to 5 times that many bucks using the areas that I hunt. The 4800 acre lease I am on cost $500.00 per year and we usually have about 50 members that hunt.

This property is mostly wooded with about 80% of it in planted pines. This property is very thick and most shots are taken at less than 60 yards.

We follow state regulations and we usually kill between 75 and 100 deer a year. Of these it is about 50/50 bucks to doe. We usually take 3 or 4 bucks that would score 115 to 140. I do not think reducing the buck limit would help our age structure or improve our buck to doe ratio. The folks in middle and west TN should get on or start leases that have enough property so that they can manage it the way they want and enforce a 1 or 2 buck limit. I don't think that any buck I kill in ET would impact their efforts.

If yawl are killing 50 bucks that are 3 1/2 or older thats awesome but if u are killing 25 bucks out of that 50 that are 2 1/2 or younger i guarantee you could change your age structure regardless of antler score. This property you have described are not gonna produce your highest scoring bucks but it can be done with wait for it - allowing them to mature and having lots of food for them. I have seen it work on property just as you describe but on a smaller acreage.

I think what was meant by Beekeeper's post was that the lease rules are driving their harvest results, not state regulations. In that situation, changes in state regulations would have little impact.

True that!

 

[MUP]

Still amazing to me, to see that many deer day in and day out, and on top of that, add 7-10 bucks a sighting? I've said it before, but I'm lucky to see a buck or two, usually, during the season, with a high of about 4, maybe 5 different ones in an extremely good year.

Wow! Thats tough!

Yep,thats tuff huntin

Welcome to my SE TN world of huntin'. Yet, I've managed to be quite succesful over the past 8 yrs or so, killing a decent buck every year since that far back. Some 3-1/2 yr olds and some 2-1/2, with a button added in the mix with a bow last season....I thought it was a doe, but it ate really good.

All this on my property of about 50 acres. My family owns about 150 acres, all bordering each other that is private, but I only hunt my land, which makes it all the sweeter.

 

[BSK]

Still amazing to me, to see that many deer day in and day out, and on top of that, add 7-10 bucks a sighting? I've said it before, but I'm lucky to see a buck or two, usually, during the season, with a high of about 4, maybe 5 different ones in an extremely good year.

Wow! Thats tough!

Yep,thats tuff huntin

Welcome to my SE TN world of huntin'. Yet, I've managed to be quite succesful over the past 8 yrs or so, killing a decent buck every year since that far back. Some 3-1/2 yr olds and some 2-1/2, with a button added in the mix with a bow last season....I thought it was a doe, but it ate really good.

All this on my property of about 50 acres. My family owns about 150 acres, all bordering each other that is private, but I only hunt my land, which makes it all the sweeter.

And that's a key point MUP. You make the best of your situation. Instead of whining about how your area isn't like IL, you make the best of what your area has to offer, whatever that is, and enjoy what it can realistically produce.