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Archery and crossbow numbers from 2016

In another forum I saw where someone had asked about the breakdown of the archery and crossbow harvest number because in an article in the paper back in January I saw where the harvest for both combined was listed as 28,808 but it wasn't broken down. The article did say it was 11% less than 2015 harvest of 32540. It went on to say though that the 2016 crossbow harvest had increased. I contacted the DNR and was told the Harvest was actually a little lower than the article stated it was only 26524 - something about some antlerless tags were in the 28,808 number. The breakdown harvest was bow - 14284, crossbow -12044 and blank weapon - 196. Which I was expecting that to mean a more crossbow kills for 2016 but it actually surprised me when I went back to look out of the 32540 from last year-Xbows accounted for 37%, which gives me the number of 12040. Which just means even though all other weapon had a decrease for 2016 - the crossbow showed a minimal increase. I was actually expecting more. But in return when you look at the new percentage of the overall harvest instead of the 11% decrease as first stated with the new number it would mean there was an 18.5% decrease in the combine harvest - so I think it still shows a pretty big impact the crossbow is making - I think the crossbow harvest will exceed the bow harvest next year - if not I will be surprised.

Yea and look how much of a drop that the bow kill would have had if crossbows were still not allowed.

A lttl edrop for sure, but i would suspect that many of those same people who killed with a crossbow, would have went out and bow hunted.

Those bucks would have been carried over to the buck season and shot, raising its total...

or something like that...LOL

That is the next figure I want to look for - the number of bucks killed during bow season - could not find where the harvest with a bow was brokendown between buck or doe. I agree some of the crossbow kill still would have been killed by the hunter using a bow instead or during gun season

2016 harvest buck and doe 66,356 bucks 46,026 does

59% does, 41% does

I have the breakdown of does vs. bucks taken in archery and muzzleloader season but not with me. Basically, archery is buck heavy and muzzleloader is doe heavy.

Yea but there are a lot of "new"bowhunters now that they can use use crossbows. I know lots of hunters that never bowhunted until they could use a crossbow.

Yea but there are a lot of "new"bowhunters now that they can use use crossbows. I know lots of hunters that never bowhunted until they could use a crossbow.

sundaynwv

"muzzleloader is doe heavy"

Is that "doe" heavy or "antlerless" heavy (including mature bucks that have dropped and button bucks)?

Good question, currently bucks under three inches are considered does.

Interestingly, Tennessee now included any male deer as a buck. If you kill a button, that is one of your two bucks.

Good point Sunday. After all a buck is a buck. The way it is now a person could limit out on does with button bucks and then still kill his limit of bucks.

Correct, and like they say, ya can't eat the horns.

How many total deer can I legally kill with all weapons? How many does? And how many bucks with horns greater than 3 inches?

This how i read regs for my county. 3 antlered deer ( bucks) . 2 doe (antlerless) with extra bow tags. 3 doe (antlerless) with class n tags .1 doe (antlerless) with muzzle loader, Not sure but think that adds up to 9 deer.

so u can kill 9 bucks. 3 with antlers more than 3 inches and 6 with antlers less than 3 inches

Yes If that is how you want to count it , Most hunters know how a button buck looks and acts. and try not to shoot buttons,. but if that is what you want to shoot. You would be legal to do so using a antlerless tag. Most hunters i know try to fill there tags with biggest doe.they can. Button bucks and fawns are off limits . But i know it happens

Well that's my point. We could potentially be killing all those bucks. I agree I don't shoot buttons or fawns. Not enough meat on em. Lol. I'd rather kill a trophy spike.

We wouldn't need to talk about limits so much if all bucks counted towards the buck limit including buttons and anything under 3 inches!

We wouldn't need to talk about limits so much if all bucks counted towards the buck limit including buttons and anything under 3 inches!

Just me I would rather shoot a big doe or any doe than a spike. Most of the time just as much meat on a doe than a spike .Plus, with buck deer i only take one or none . So i am not going to waste my tag on a spike.

You are right that is just you. I eat deer meat and I normally get more meat on my 1 1/2 year old spikes in the county I hunt in than a doe. I'd shoot the fawns and the button bucks but they are too small. And I agree JayD. Let's include the buttons toward the buck limit. Until then I'll kill deer for meat in WV and hunt horns elsewhere

So , Babysaph I guess your not for better buck management. Maybe in your area adult doe are smaller. I just cant understand shooting a spike buck for few pounds of deer meat . What would that be 5 maybe 10 lbs at best ? No difference in shooting a spike than button if your are for any kind of buck management. However i am for one and done.

I am for better buck management. I'll get serious about it when they reduce the buck limit to one. And change the current law so it's not possible to kill 9 bucks as it is now. Unlike where you hunt if I don't kill the spike it will get killed as soon as it goes by me. I hunt for big bucks elswhere. I Am a meat hunter in WV. And yes adult does where I hunt are real small. Also the biggest does where I hunt usually have lil ones with them or are carrying lil ones. Killing her kills 3 deer usually. But that's just me. It's rare for me to see a 5 or 6 year old deer where I hunt. They simply don't make it that long. Now in Montana that is a whole other ball game.

Give the little spike a chance. If you shoot him he is dead. If you pass on him he has a chance of making it through the season. One making it through is better than none.

No where I hunt he won't make it through the season. Besides I only shooy trophy spikes. Lol. And if he makes it through the season he will only be killed the next year. Guarantee it. And one more year is not that much more meat. I'd rather give the doe with lil ones the pass

You guarantee they are no 3.5 year old deer where you hunt ? Lol Hunting must be really bad in your area. You dont kill doe? How many spikes do your kill a year ? Please dont try and say a 2.5 year old buck has same weight as a 1.5 year old spike Which that would be the age of most spike deer. 2 dumbest deer in the woods button and spike bucks. Just saying .

No don't guarantee it but not in huntable numbers. those are killed in August and September by the good old boys with rifles. I have seen 8-10 of the type deer you talk about in a day in Montana. For me it is about percentages. I just have a better chance at a 150 inch deer in other states. I never did say a 2 1/2 year old deer weighs the same as a 1 1/2,year old deer. And you are right. A spike is a dumb deer but I hunt deer in WV for meat and not for their smarts so that works out good., I do kill does but knowing I'm usuall killing 3 deer. Don't shoot buttons or does with lil ones. Oh and this hunting strategy is used on other peoples land that I'm allowed to hunt. or public land. The landowners where I hunt want the deer killed. I havnt been killing bucks on my new land. I am managing it for bigger bucks and I am seeing them by reducing the number of bucks I kill. I think that this is the only way to get bigger bucks. It's not possible statewide because the majority of hunters don't want it. I'm lucky I do have control of my own land. Jus sayin.

Is it possible that most of the bucks are spikes because of an overpopulation of does? We try to kill 8-10 does for every buck we kill. I know that for every doe we kill we are killing multiple generations of fawns. That is the whole purpose of killing does.

I don't know anything about the science of the deer populations. Are you saying that the overpopulation of does will cause more bucks to be spikes? If a buck is a spike couldn't he have a bigger rack the next year? What would the doe population have to do with it?

It may be different where you guys hunt but in my county if I let bucks go they normally get bigger racks the next year. But the does in my county get hammered so you may be on to something. We just cant get them to live long enough to take advantage of the dead does. LOL

I probably am not saying this right but what I meant to say is if a buck lives an extra year longer he usually has a bigger rack the next year. However, me letting them go has nothing to do with it because they get hammered by the next guy. I am of the opinion that reducing the buck kill limit will be better for developing bigger racks but we all know that most do not think this way. And that is ok.

What I am saying is that overpopulation will lead to decreased high quality food for the entire herd. If 25 people(deer) eat at a banquet they get to pick through and get plenty of high quality food that they want. They may even go back for seconds. Now if you send 250 people(deer) through the same buffet with same amount of food each person(deer) isn't going to get enough high quality nutrition and there will not be and seconds. If your buck/doe ratio is out of whack. It may be better to whack some of the does. You can afford a beef ribeye or two to make up for the difference in meat. LOL

I get what you are saying but we would have to kill a lot of does in my county to get the ratio where it is supposed to be because we don't have many bucks. I am not sure what it is supposed to be but I know we have waaaay more does than bucks. And I understand your buffet analogy but dead bucks can't eat. LOL

and if they killed all the does to get the ratio right the hunters would complain about not seeing any deer. Just can't win.

People will complain either way.

And just a simple regulation change that button bucks and those bucks under 3 inches all count towards the buck limit would help. Put back in all counties that a doe must be harvested before a 2nd buck can be taken. It would make a difference without changing limit and losing tag revenue!

I agree JayD

Many, many counties don't need a doe harvest before a second buck. I will argue they don't even need a second buck harvest.

However, Nicholas, Fayette, Clay, Webster, Randolph, Pocahontas, Raleigh, etc. all do not need a doe harvest before a second buck.

Bow harvest is 64% bucks.

64% of 26,524 is 16,975 bucks and 9548 does.

Muzzleloader harvest is 37% bucks . 37% of 4,997 is 1848 bucks and3148 does.

One and done.

One and done

We can argue all you want - one buck limit has done squat. Too many other factors why your hunting Disney Worlds of KY and OH - are your eye candies. It is funny to look at their forums and see that just as many in those states complain the DNR and situations there. Last night I decided to do something different an volunteered to help out at Sleepy Creek WMA this year. They were happy to hear it and looking forward to what we can accomplish. If you want one and done then volunteer to do it yourself and convince your friends and hunting partners to follow you.

We don't have a one buck limit so we cannot say it hasn't done squat. Fact is, a one buck limit will work better than a three buck limit. A two buck limit will work better than a three buck limit, especially if the two buck has additional restrictions.

JayD, have you ever hunted Ohio or Kentucky?

I agree 2 Iess than 3 and 1 is less than 2.

Again its simple math............going from a 3 buck limit to 1,carries over more bucks to the next year..

Granted most only kill 2, but there again, that more bucks carried over to the next year.

The age class will then be older due to people being a little more picky.

Simple math , works everytime.

And JayD...Thanks for your volunteering at Sleepy creek...We all need to look at where we can volunteer and make a difference.

They were actually shock when i ask to help and use my own equipment - they said they had the equipment and not to mess mine up. And you are very welcome - I just thought it was time to get off my arse and complain and do something to help instead of complain.

Sunday did you hunt PA when they had just a one buck limit and no AR's in place? Many other reasons for why you think KY and OH are whitetail Disneylands besides a one buck limit.

You are right it is simple math - OH and KY are almost twice the size as WV and half as much public land. From some of the numbers I have seen private parcels of land are larger in both of those States compared to WV. It may be different for your area but in the panhandles - do you really think passing on a young buck because you have one buck tag will mean one of the 80% of hunters who have not been successful will not shoot it? It is the reason why it did not work for all those years in PA. Too many hunters. And no matter what you say there are states that allow more than one buck to be harvested and are just as good as OH and KY if not better. We need to protect our young bucks and it is a fallacy if you think it will happen without AR's.

You are very good at putting words in people's mouth. Once again, I believe a two buck limit with apr on both would be good for the state.

So have you hunted Kentucky and Ohio or not? You didn't answer my question.

I have never hunted Pennsylvania.

I will toot my horn and admit I've probably been off the couch and doing more for sportsmen than anyone in the state the last few years.

Imma toot my horn too. I volunteer my services at the nursing home but what does that have to do with a one buck limit?

Good gracious - now should I list all the volunteering I have done? It is just time to stop complaining about what others are doing or not doing and for us to do some of it ourselves. I have been helping with my own property, neighbors and friends for years - just thought it was time to help my area's public property. JR they even mentioned doing some stuff down at Shannondle WMA. You all need to get off the one buck limit is the only darn way to improve anything. I most certainly do think improving land and timber management on our pubic land will be a heck of a lot better than instituting a one buck limit into an area with poor habitat! Please tell me how a one buck limit helps - except for making hunters go to other states to hunt.

And please show me where I put words in your mouth???? Again you can argue all you want about limits - I can show where there are places where limits did not work and places just as good or better than KY and OH that don't have a one buck limit.

Oh nope have not hunted OH or VA. Hunted MD, VA, PA, WV, Quebec, Alberta, OK, NC, CA, AK, CO and ID.

You argue with people about one buck limits when they don't even advocate one buck limits. I made an inference with your comment about getting off couch and doing something.

Maybe you need to look at the other poster on here and think that my comments were directed to them as well - and no you are surely not one to argue

What do recommend we do to the public hunting area to increase the buck population and size? Whatever Sleepy Creek and Shanondale does it is not working. I think some WMA's may already have antler restrictions. I would say that would reduce the buck kill and increase the size of the deer.

The first thing to do on National forests is to get forest service to start timbering it to provide some food so deer and other wildlife will have something to eat. Gotta have some nutrition for deer to maximize their potential. The occasional buck will get to 4-5 years old and have good antlers but on NF right now they are few and far between.

Agreed but the can't afford that.

Timbering creates money, not costs money. It's a win/win for the state and the wildlife.

If the state thought they could make one dime on it there would not be agree left in WV on public land.

Should have said there would not be agree left.

Damn iPad. A tree left

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