JF Griffin - Index

JF Griffin - magazine - Index

(continued from page 25)
So how should a game agency
manage their deer herd?
Simple…it should always manage for a
healthy herd.
As trained wildlife managers, we have
seen in many parts of our state that the
herd is already in excellent condition. We
believe that deer densities in most areas are
well below carrying capacity and in some
cases can even withstand moderate growth.
We have also seen that most areas within
the state exhibit doe to buck ratios that are
well under a 2:1 ratio. This information
was obtained through surveys utilizing new
thermal imaging equipment. The ratios
obtained from these surveys are indicative of
a very healthy herd.
Our harvest data also shows that the
age structure of our harvested bucks is
consistently equal to, if not better than, many
states that have much more restrictive buck
regulations. Though there may be some
areas that lack huge numbers of large
antlered deer, it is not due to the lack of
older deer in that area. Mature deer are
present and consistently getting harvested.
Some are also consistently eluding our
hunters. We know of this survival of older
bucks not only because the “math” tells us,
but also because these bucks are showing
up on trail cameras throughout the state,
much to the surprise and enjoyment of our
hunters.
So what about the hunters who seek
“trophy” deer?
Since the formula for producing large
antlered deer calls for the availability of
optimum nutrition, it is well beyond the
control of the Agency to produce the “type”
of deer some hunters are looking for. In
fact, the agency would be hard pressed to
produce a large number of “trophy” deer
without severely restricting other hunters
or negatively affecting our ability to
maintain adequate doe harvests. And as was
stated earlier, it is a personal choice, not a
government choice.
Therefore, we are encouraging
YOU, the deer hunter, to take the reins
of Tennessee deer management, and
take control of your opportunities for
harvesting the deer of your choice.
By taking the managerial role, hunters
can better manage their lands to provide
the maximum opportunity of fulfilling their
personal hunting goals whatever they may
be.
Statewide – vs – Private Lands
Management
Question: Why are Tennessee deer hunters
encouraged to assume responsibility of deer
management on the private lands they lease
or own?
Answer: It is because private land
management is so much more effective than
statewide management and it can be custom
tailored to your hunting preferences!
As you have read, in many areas of the
state, the deer herd has reached the optimum
level of health that can be reasonably
expected from a large-scale management
program. In other words, we can no longer
introduce new regulations that would
appreciably improve the overall health of
the herd without impacting the harvest
capabilities of some segment of our hunting
population.
For example, if someone were to propose
statewide antler restrictions to protect
yearling bucks, we, more than likely, would
not see any significant gains in the number of
2-1/2 year old or older bucks in the harvest.
We would simply see a large number of
yearlings that no longer get harvested. The
Harvested Bucks – Tennessee
harvest graphs at the bottom left come from
Mississippi, a state that has implemented
large-scale antler restrictions to regulate the
harvest of bucks.
As you can see, the percentage of olderaged
class deer in the harvest increased
considerably after antler restrictions were
implemented yet when you look at the raw
numbers; there were little gains in the actual
number of older-aged class deer that were
harvested. Tennessee’s data show similar
results.
Though we stopped shooting
approximately 20,000 yearlings after the
buck limit changed in 1998, there were not
significant increases in the number of older
aged class bucks that were harvested. In
other words, those 20,000 yearlings that
were saved did not equate to an extra 20,000
older-aged class bucks in the harvest.
Worse yet is the data from Mississippi
that reveal antler size per age class may have
decreased considerably in some areas due to
the highgrading affect of antler restrictions
which were set too low. In the 2-1/2 year
old age class, Boone & Crockett scores
decreased as much as 5-9 inches while the
3-1/2 year old bucks revealed losses as high
as 10-17 inches. Highgrading results when
the highest quality yearlings are open for
harvest while the poorest quality antlers are
protected to breed.
(continued on page 39)
(Reprinted from Mississippi State University Extension Service, Publication 2427, “Using Antler Restrictions to Manage for Older-Aged Bucks.”)
26 2008 Hunting & Trapping Guide