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JF Griffin - Index

JF Griffin - magazine - Index

White-tailed deer management has
come a long way since the early-
1900s when deer populations were
at all-time lows across the country.
Fortunately, this is no longer the case since deer
are bountiful in almost every state of the union.
It is currently estimated that over 28 million
white-tailed deer now roam freely across North
America, so it’s safe to say that statewide deer
management programs have successfully restored
this tremendously popular big game species. In
response, statewide game agencies are now
tasked with the responsibility of maintaining
healthy herds and ensuring adequate doe
harvest to keep burgeoning populations
in check. In many locations the health of
the herd is sound and herds can now be
“groomed” to provide a variety of hunting
opportunities. At this point deer management
tends to get somewhat complicated.
In the world of white-tailed deer
management, it is my belief that once
statewide, or more specifically, countywide
deer populations reach their objective level
of health, then game agencies and hunters
need to make an amenable split. I believe it
is the obligation of our agency (TWRA) to
determine how many deer a hunter needs
to harvest in order to maintain a healthy
herd but by no means should we dictate
what type of deer that same hunter should
be harvesting. That decision is a very
personal choice by the hunter and is one
that I believe should not be dictated by the
government. The dilemma, however, lies in
that game agencies are entrusted to provide
enjoyable hunting opportunities for hunters,
and unfortunately, “enjoyable hunting
opportunities” are defined in many different
ways.
Which yearling would
you prefer to protect?
Large scale antler restrictions
generally protect the genetically
inferior bucks resulting in decreased
antler production over time.
Taking the Reins of Deer Management
By Daryl Ratajczak Deer Coordinator TWRA
As always, there is the large contingency
of hunters who we call “weekend warriors.”
They hunt more for the enjoyment of the
hunting adventure and generally hunt a few
weekends per year. What drives these people
is not so much the thrill of the hunt, but the
pleasure gained from getting away from the
daily grind of work, or getting together with
old friends, or simply getting back to nature.
Though harvesting a deer is not the primary
force causing them to “hit the woods,” it does
tend to keep them interested and coming
back year after year. To them, simply having
an opportunity to harvest a deer, any deer,
is important.
Then there are the die-hard hunters who
have very definitive harvest expectations.
For example, some people seek to harvest
deer to help put food in their freezer and
with today’s rising cost of living, this is an
ever popular and growing segment of the
hunter population. These hunters enjoy not
only seeing deer but being able to harvest
as many deer as legally possible. But just
as there are many “meat” hunters out there,
there are also a large number of hunters who
care little about how many deer they harvest,
rather, they care about the quality of deer
harvested. In today’s deer hunting society
quality is defined in one of two ways; age
or antlers. These hunters enjoy the challenge
of pursuing wily old white-tails that have
surpassed their younger years and have
advanced to the middle-aged or mature age
classes. These white-tails tend to offer more
of a hunting challenge and will generally
sport much larger headgear, much to the
delight of the trophy hunters.
There will be...
anticipation.
tactics.
strategy. mud.
recon.
sweat. adrenaline.
strategy.
recon. strategy.
rain.
strategy. mud.
sweat. adrenaline.
anticipation.
rain. tactics.
strategy.
sweat. adrenaline.
blood.
Take the most advanced, the most
accurate, and the most reliable in-line
muzzleloader ever made. make it the
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popular centerfire or rimfire calibers of
your choice. You now have a Knight
KP1, and it’s going to be a very good
day in the field.
knightrifles.com
continues on page 26
2008 Hunting & Trapping Guide 25