Data from Deer Processors

[dbltree]

Stopped by our local lockers who process a large number of deer in our area (SE IA) and asked for some quick numbers so far.
They said they had taken in approx. 175-180 deer the first shotgun season. (down from last year) Approx. 2/3 were antlered deer. So far they have taken only a handful of deer for the second shotgun season.
No more then normal after Thanksgiving and they normally only take in 20 or so during the late season. I will check back with them during the late season to see if the HP season brings in more deer this year.
Looking at the IDNR's web site info, it doesn't appear that they use data from deer processors but I could be wrong.
I also talked to a number of individuals who are landowner/farmer/hunters. One hunts with a group of 30 plus people. They killed 17 deer but only a couple of does. Another smaller group killed 18 deer of which more then half were bucks. Both of these groups process their own deer, but goes along with what the locker had to say.
I'm not sure if Mr. Suchy would find any of this useful information, but perhaps others might post harvest information from processors and people other then those that post here.

 

[bukket]

My group of 11 in east central IA killed 11 deer first season. 2 bucks (spikes), 7 does and 2 button bucks. I hated to see the little button bucks get shot.

 

[Palmated]

My group hunted in Guthrie County. 1st Season we shot 25 deer of which 6 were antlered bucks and two buttons. The rest were doe. Terrible season. We would have normally killed 35 deer. I think the thanksgiving season had some to do with it. The deer were running out of the other side of the timber before we could even get out of truck to start pushing.

 

[IA ML'r]

bukket?

You seem more worried about the buttons that may have been unavoidable, why no concern for the spikes that could have been visually identified and spared?

Heck they are a year closer to big buck status than the buttons.


That said, if the whole state harvested 7 does to 4 bucks (63% does) the population problem would be much reduced quite quickly. (current ratio is approximately just over 50% does)

 

[bukket]

The spikes were at least 2.5 already...I think 1 was 3.5. I used to think the same thing about shooting spikes: they're going to grow up so don't shoot them. I read an article a few years back in North American Whitetail on shooting spikes or letting them walk; the gist of it said that a spike buck is predisposed to having a spike his whole life and will pass those genetics on to his offspring. Some spikes do grow a regular rack, though, so it's not a hard and fast rule. In any case these spikes were big bodied, mature adults. IMO they should be shot and the guys that hunt with me agree.

 

[dbltree]

Stopped by the lockers again today and they still have recieved only a small number of deer compared to the first shotgun season. I don't hunt in either season, so I went for a tour yesterday and today covering nearly 40 miles roundtrip thru two counties. I was very surprised that I did not see a single hunter, (hard to miss orange afield or in trucks) Nobody at the local gas stations, eating breakfast. Certainly there are people hunting but darn few in my area. If people aren't out hunting when they can kill a buck, wonder why they would be out in the late antlerless season? I suspect that those that do will just skip the first part to take advantage of the late HP season.
So far, for the 2005 season the number of bucks brought in has far out numbered antlerless deer.