** OFFICIAL 2014 DAILY DEER HUNT CHAT**

[HICKMAN]

meanwhile cities are hiring sharpshooters to cut the herd in several cities.

Just because you aren't seeing them doesn't mean they aren't there.

 

[smittygj]

Saw a nice 10 pt on property I hunt in Owen county today but didn't get a shot. He was 120 yards out crossing road on the property. I saw him in my binoculars, but he was gone into the woods by the time I got my gun up. Going to go back after him tomorrow and sunday.

 

[buckwacker]

I got back from my West Virginia trip last night with some venison for the freezer. I took a decent (for our area) six point on Tuesday morning. The 7mm08 did the job as he only ran about 25 yards. Two of the other three guys killed eight points. All in all a pretty good trip.

 

[ScouT6a]

Just because you aren't seeing them doesn't mean they aren't there.

Absolutely! Just like Sasquatch, the Loch Ness monster and El Chupacabra, right? Geez.

I, along with scores of other hunters, farmers, COs, police officers, and John Q. Public are not seeing them, during the day or night, with the crops out, but they are still out there?
I see LOTS of single does feeding in the middle of picked corn fields or two or three small does together. That's it. Remember when I discussed this on here last year about Fountain and Warren counties? Now there are reports coming in from most of the state that deer numbers are down.
Wouldn't surprise me in the least if the DNR doesn't proclaim another "record" harvest this year.
I know a local farmer that farms several thousand acres in Fountain and Parke counties. A bunch of them got together yesterday and did their "annual deer drive". I'll see what kind of numbers they saw.

 

[JimH]

I have officially lost confidence in the Indiana DNR to manage the State's deer herd.
I thought they were really on the right track, years ago, when they went to the one buck rule. Since then, things have went down hill. Doing away with purchasing actual paper licenses was one downfall. Getting away from physical check-in stations was another. I believe that the checked deer numbers dropped significantly the first year they went to the online check-in. I think 48 hours to check-in a deer is unnecessary too. Too many people who think if they can get the deer home without getting caught, since you only need a hand written transport tag, just put them in the freezer and head back out. They have refused to reduce the number of bonus tags in many of the counties hit the hardest with EHD/Blue tongue.
The DNR has made several contradictory statements in the last few years, as well.
"Insurance companies have no bearing on how we manage the deer herd" Immediately followed up by, "We manage the deer herd with the best interest of all citizens in mind"
And the most profound statement, to me, "We don't need to have an accurate count on the deer herd in order to manage it"
What??
They should send the IDNR to one of the southern states that has a wild boar problem and let them manage that. Would probably clear the problem right up.

I agree 100%.I live in and have hunted Ripley Co. for 40 + years and there is no way we have 5 % of the deer we had 20 years ago,yet they RAISED the doe tags to 8 this year.I have access to several farms around Versailles Park.I can show you eagles & otters about any time.I would hate to say I could show you a single deer in these same areas.On my parents farm,which borders VSP,I once counted 21 antlered deer in at one time in their bean field,in daylight.I don't think I've seen a single deer in that field this year.On there other farm,with VSP on two sides they have a wheat field that I once counted 41 deer in.I haven't seen a deer in that field in YEARS.
IDNR =I Desperatly Need Restructured.

 

[ajb]

I don't doubt that deer numbers are down statewide but it seems to be very spotty. I'm in LaPorte county, I've seen more deer this year than last year but still nothing like 15 years ago. I used to have 20-30 deer in the fields in the evening, now it's 5-6. That is an improvement over 2 years ago when I saw 4 deer all season. I think they should completely do away with bonus tags untill the herd recovers. They did reduce ours from 8 to 4 this year which might help.

 

[mom45]

Absolutely! Just like Sasquatch, the Loch Ness monster and El Chupacabra, right? Geez.

I, along with scores of other hunters, farmers, COs, police officers, and John Q. Public are not seeing them, during the day or night, with the crops out, but they are still out there?
I see LOTS of single does feeding in the middle of picked corn fields or two or three small does together. That's it. Remember when I discussed this on here last year about Fountain and Warren counties? Now there are reports coming in from most of the state that deer numbers are down.
Wouldn't surprise me in the least if the DNR doesn't proclaim another "record" harvest this year.
I know a local farmer that farms several thousand acres in Fountain and Parke counties. A bunch of them got together yesterday and did their "annual deer drive". I'll see what kind of numbers they saw.

This isn't entirely due to the hunting season changes in limits, check in, etc. I agree though that the online check in is stupid. It is way too easy to cheat with this system. Shooting with a gun during bow season and checking in online, etc. Especially if you process your own and just take the head and cape in to the taxidermist for mounting. Depredation tags have also played a huge role in how the herd is managed. We have a TON of little deer around this year. We saw one the other day that was following ten others into the woods...thought it was a dog cause it was so small. Does are being shot in July when they have little ones nursing. What does that do to those orphaned fawns? Do they starve to death? Does it stunt their growth? Make them easy prey for coyotes? It has to have an effect on the herd. I think we are seeing more on our property due to the guys with tags just north of us who have been bragging about how many they were taking all summer. Now, they are whining cause they aren't seeing any during deer season. Well, DUH...What did they expect?

 

[ScouT6a]

Mom45, I know it's not entirely from limits or regulation changes or disease. It's from the poor herd management, overall, by our DNR. Eight to ten years ago our herd needed reduced. No reason to be able to count 40-50 deer in one field. They have just tipped the scales in the wrong direction. I am 100% sure that insurance companies have deeper pockets than hunters.
I talked to the guys that did the deer drive yesterday. This was 7 guys driving several hundred acres in southern Fountain/northern Parke counties. They shot EVERYTHING they saw. Which amounted to one mature doe and her twin fawns and a 1 1/2 year old basket rack six point.
pretty impressive!

 

[Tydeeh22]

Im in the woods. Its quiet. Wind is slowly picking up.

 

[yote hunter]

All in all deer numbers are down I don't care, our county has 4 extra bonus antlerless marked for our county and the guys I know that hunt will not shoot a doe this year just because we are not seeing the deer we were a few years ago... So if the DNR won't reduce the extra antlerless numbers we just won't shoot them.. Hell I ain't seen a shooter all season and my 2 buddys, 1 seen a shooter and the other hasn't seen a shooter eather. and we hunt some damn good ground.... Maybe we are just bad hunters or don't know how to hunt ?

 

[Tydeeh22]

Im about to start squirrel hunting. Theyre driving me nuts.

 

[ScouT6a]

Yote hunter,
I agree, I didn't shoot a deer in Indiana last year, for those reasons. Some hunters are intelligent enough to see the writing on the wall and they have enough restraint to not shoot everything that walks in front of them. Most do not.

 

[trailrider]

Speaking of a deer "drive". I just came in from my stand after watching neighbor kids driving their ranger along the fence row. Watched a couple of deer book it out of their beds as the ranger got close. As the deer disappeared over the hill i heard boom...boom...boom. On purpose? Sure looked like it. I've been trying for this buck since archery and was closing in on him. Saw him this morning but out of range. Won't see him again! Oh well. I got nice mature doe early in archery so I've got freezer meat. 2 buddies each took mature bucks this year on my property and 1 nice buck was taken on neighbors property opening day of archery. That makes 4 plus i'm guessing 2 this morning by my neighbor. I'm done trying for a buck this year. Save some deer for the future. On to coyotes!

 

[mom45]

Mom45, I know it's not entirely from limits or regulation changes or disease. It's from the poor herd management, overall, by our DNR. Eight to ten years ago our herd needed reduced. No reason to be able to count 40-50 deer in one field. They have just tipped the scales in the wrong direction. I am 100% sure that insurance companies have deeper pockets than hunters.
I talked to the guys that did the deer drive yesterday. This was 7 guys driving several hundred acres in southern Fountain/northern Parke counties. They shot EVERYTHING they saw. Which amounted to one mature doe and her twin fawns and a 1 1/2 year old basket rack six point.
pretty impressive!

That is just sickening to me. I was pretty mad when the neighbor shot the little doe he didn't recover. Her twins are still wandering my woods looking for her and that was 6 weeks ago or more. She was pretty small. I had been seeing her and her twins in my yard regularly so I knew as soon as I saw her, which one he had shot. Unfortunately, I found her two days later, and then the coyotes and buzzards got her. There are too many that will shoot anything that walks by them.

 

[yote hunter]

Speaking of a deer "drive". I just came in from my stand after watching neighbor kids driving their ranger along the fence row. Watched a couple of deer book it out of their beds as the ranger got close. As the deer disappeared over the hill i heard boom...boom...boom. On purpose? Sure looked like it. I've been trying for this buck since archery and was closing in on him. Saw him this morning but out of range. Won't see him again! Oh well. I got nice mature doe early in archery so I've got freezer meat. 2 buddies each took mature bucks this year on my property and 1 nice buck was taken on neighbors property opening day of archery. That makes 4 plus i'm guessing 2 this morning by my neighbor. I'm done trying for a buck this year. Save some deer for the future. On to coyotes!

Don't give up yet bro, the best part of the season is coming upon us... The deer will return to the food sorce and you will get a crack at that buck you been after.... Them kids jumped two does you said then boom so whoever it was prob. shot one of them does so your big buck is still there somewhere.... Just don't give up, blow the dust off the old muzzleloader and get ready bro.... The best is yet to come !!!!

 

[yote hunter]

Yote hunter,
I agree, I didn't shoot a deer in Indiana last year, for those reasons. Some hunters are intelligent enough to see the writing on the wall and they have enough restraint to not shoot everything that walks in front of them. Most do not.

One of my buddys place he hunts we call it "the zoo" just because you see so many deer there... In the fields it was nothing to see 50 to 60 deer and 3 or 4 nice bucks along with a couple dinks in late season on the food and now we see 6 or 8 does and maybe 1 dink maybe 2 in the field feeding.... So we have lots of deer ??? WHATEVER !!

 

[trailrider]

Don't give up yet bro, the best part of the season is coming upon us... The deer will return to the food sorce and you will get a crack at that buck you been after.... Them kids jumped two does you said then boom so whoever it was prob. shot one of them does so your big buck is still there somewhere.... Just don't give up, blow the dust off the old muzzleloader and get ready bro.... The best is yet to come !!!!

Hey thanks for your words of encouragement. I know who shot...it was their dad. I don't have a problem with trying until the last day, I'm usually the guy out there until January freezing his ass off with a bow in my hand if I have a tag to fill. I'll know later today if my neighbor got "my" boy or not. While I don't agree with the tactics, I can't argue with the results. Pretty sure it was his first time out this year. Oh I'm sure I'll be out there tomorrow morning looking for him again.

 

[jimbobcooters]

This wind right now! ugh.... Pretty sure this harness wont keep the whole tree from falling over!

 

[Bosshoss]

I can't speak for other areas of the state but I've seen as many or more deer this year as years past. Lost count at 60+ deer in a soybean field, that is adjacent to my property in late August.

Just got home from Thanksgiving in north central part of state and saw LOTS of road kills all the way up and back. Seen several (live) while driving at night.

 

[yote hunter]

Well at least some guys have deer in there area..... Enjoy it we use to have deer like that here too !!!