2016-2017 Deer Harvest Totals
Connecticut
Contributors to this thread:
Dr. Williams's Link
Why is there no break out for state vs private archery harvest as there was reported in the past? I also notice the total archery harvest is down when compared to 2013 for example where over 5700 were taken with bow compared to just 5,088 this season.
2015 was the worst year in the last 12 years, 2016 was the 2nd worst.
notme's Link
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Not sure Pope and Young would approve of that bow, NotMe
notme - what the heck was that?? You're starting to worry me,.....more! :)
But guys on this forum "know how to get it done" even in lean years, right?
Dr. Williams's Link
Curious that both 2015 and 2016 were terrible gypsy moth years. In 2015, they defoliated 180,000 acres and in 2016, 204,000 acres in Connecticut alone. They prefer oaks. When oaks get stressed, what do they do? Put a lot of energy into fruit production. And 2015 and 2016 were crazy high mast years for oak. So basically it boils down to deer take declines when gypsy moth outbreaks are bad. I wonder if the same thing happened back in the 80s when there was another outbreak?
We need a gypsy moth study to go alone with the tick study. Can we get WB to shoot some gypsy moth?
I only saw evidence of the moths in the Eastern part of CT and there were a ton of acorns in the NW corner, so not sure moths = acorns.
I thought hunting in Westport NOT PERMITTED...how do you get 10 kills then
Hunting is Westport is prohibited by local statute. The state doesn't enforce it, so if someone hunts there and isn't caught by Westport PD, the kill is recorded. The law has stood the test of time due to the fact that it predated the State agency. I have heard that there are some groups interested in testing it in court, so if anyone wants to be a defendant ...
I lived in Westport, and had no idea about the law. You could go to the town hall and buy a hunting license and they never mentioned it. Of course it's not mentioned in the State rule book either. It's pretty weird, but has been going on for years. I have been told by several people that there are a number of Westport cops who bowhunt there.
So are you saying that if you're a private landowner, you're still not allowed to hunt your land? What if you have a small farm and kill a pig, or calf? I know it's not hunting, but don't they want us to live with all of the animals in peace and harmony? I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit.
Just an anecdote. I'd think hunters would be concerned with loss of oak statewide. Masting years are hard to predict and no one really knows how and when they happen. But to have back to back super mast years likes in 2015 and 2016 is pretty rare. So not a lot of deer killed in the last 2 years plus a lot of hard mast and mild winters, curious to see what next season holds. Maybe each hunter in CT will shoot at least 4 a piece!
Just because you can doesn't mean you should shoot four or three or even two. Keep on passing those does!! There ain't no stocking trucks :)
Shhhh..xnay on the copsnay..if your gonna throw them under the bus might as well throw in public works,fire guys,zoning....
Acorn Years in the NW is tough archery hunting. Big woods with 90% oaks dropping acorns makes it tough for sure. I have seen rotten apples in December, they wont touch them if they can eat acorns. I think we will see a new State record Buck this Year, no stress at all for two Years in a row. Only 191 more days.
nehunter - is that a promise on the record buck? You seeing something on a trail cam you're not sharing? You certainly know how to get them, so hopefully someone here gets one.
bbb, I will try my hardest to prove it to you! I just think the Bucks are getting more mature with acorns and mild winters. They don't get stressed out after the rut, plenty to eat on the ground and no waist high snow that coyotes can run on. Plus this guy will be on Year older this September!
Nice! I agree with your comments 100%
Do you think those pics are of the same buck?
looks like one drop tine vs two on the other either way awesome deer good luck
IMO -I'm gonna say not the same buck. Brow tines are totally different, the bottom one has very small ones vs the top. The main beams on the top buck appear to wrap around more. However pics may be deceiving.
I'm sorry, two different Bucks but live in same woods. Nobody shot either one this past Rifle season. Was going to shed hunt this weekend but 20 degrees for a high is too cold for me.
Over the last 5 years and same time frame the January harvest is down 31.83%; crop damage Statewide is down 53.72%. What Connecticut hunters saw last year were near perfect hunting conditions. Regardless of the conditions in 2017 we will see less deer harvested. Over harvest of a resource is what Connecticut hunters are now facing.
Certainly seems the winters the past few years and the food on the proverbial table should create a situation which really maxes out the potential number of deer seen/shot in the next 1-2 years.
Not sure that's manifested up here, we all have more predation for sure (bears, bobcats, yotes etc), but as someone who loves to see, and eat deer, I'm hopeful that this fall = lots of deer around!
I would argue that a huge abundance of acorns the past 2 seasons is hardly “near perfect hunting conditions.” While the numbers you quote about January season are not untrue, the attached chart shows the January take since that season was implemented. As you can see, there is more variation year to year and we are not in a deer harvest crisis. And I don't think we will know what happens in the 2017-2018 season before it actually happens.
Additionally, deer are not a limited resource, they are renewable, like trees and wind. Coal and petroleum are limited resources; there is a finite amount of each. Deer reproduce, thus, making them a renewable natural resource.
With regard to the past season I'd have to agree from a weather perspective compared to 2015 we had conditions that were as close to ideal as you could hope for; far fewer weekends lost to rain and nowhere near the freakishly warm fall, especially during the rut compared to the prior year.
Acorn crops shouldn't be as big an issue as some make it out to be; adjusting hunting strategies appropriately can even things out. Baiting seems to take a big hit and actually that was one reason I wasn't overly fond of the idea as I felt too many unseasoned hunters wouldn't invest the time to have plans b, c....etc when natural mast production drove bait production (for getting opportunities) down.
The qualifier to the above though would be if the circumstances (property being hunted) limit your options to baiting then you have to play the hand your dealt and you will feel the impact of a super mast crop year.
Regarding January; I don't think you can exclude the extreme swings in weather/temperature we've had. I recall one January where we had a lot of snow dumped on us to the point where the one time I went to hunt a spot I was literally up to my groin each step in snow. I would think that would discourage many from going out. Also we've had some mild January's and some with brutally cold temps; that will certainly thin out the herd (the hunting herd that is).
Finally I'll end with the obvious; to those who are concerned you have the ability to shoot or not shoot.