Deer Harvest Report
Connecticut
As Blood stated, the YTD deer harvest is down 43% YOY. Read the last paragraph for the DEEP answer to the reason for the decline. What do you think?
I agree with acorn crop it’s abundant in area I hunt. My question is how many actually get reported - but I do think population as whole has dropped-
I agree that the population as a whole is down. I also think that a lot of hunters aren’t reporting their kill. That’s pure speculation on my part but that’s also just me not trusting anyone to do the right thing.
I feel that there are many factors such as acorn crop, weather etc....that effect deer. I hunted the same parcel of land for 22 years now. When I first started hunting there was deer literally everywhere. It was not uncommon to see 12 plus deer together at any time of the season. At the same time guys would do drives taking out 3 plus at a time. Once crossbows and paper tags came along, I just don't see as many deer. This is not in the southern zone either. It's only a small piece in the puzzle in my neck of the woods
I usually do better when their are acorns due to having no spots with fields.
The numbers don’t add up….head scratcher of a season so far. Little to no daytime activity. No rut activity.
Acorns have been prevalent many of the last 7 years and harvest numbers were never this low.
Guys haven’t been reporting since we went paperless…..this is not a new phenomenon this year all of a sudden. You have to look at other factors….wettest growing season ever. Hottest fall ever. Leaves stayed on the trees longer by weeks. Daytime rut activity is almost non existent. Heck, I haven’t even jumped deer walking in or out of many locations. I’m averaging under .5 seen per sit this year…..most other years I average just over 1 deer seen per sit. I’m going crazy this year.
I’ve been seeing it and saying it for years. Turkeys too. Get used to it.
The acorn crop is a proven reason why it's up or down. I also have seen my NW corner decline, but I'm blaming fawn deaths in the Spring. Never saw Bears or Bobcats routinely until 5 year's ago. That's about when the NW corner Deer population went down. Why else would the DEEP biologists do a fawn depredation study in 2013?
I had a beautiful buck walk within 20 feet of me tonight. Didn't realize how big he was till I found him. One my biggest yet.
WOW Dan, he's a stud. Congrats.
I've only had a few sits that I haven't seen deer. Twice I've seen as many as five. I've only seen six bucks so far. Three were on same day together. I'd say my spots are stable.
Nice deer !! If indeed a decline in population I don’t think it’s cause of crossbows but more predators, habitat loss -etc - certainly the paperless tags don’t help. But many states allow crossbow years before CT and stable herds.
Congrats DeerDan. Monster!! RI or CT?
Way to ruin a post Dan…..
Beauty of a buck.
Sorry to ruin your post! I saw the title harvest report so I did. Thank you
Dan - please let us know if that's a CT deer or some other state. I went out just once and the only fresh sign I saw was bear and coyote scat. There were no rubs, scrapes or tracks in the areas I usually have good luck, and I've seen plenty of deer with and without acorns in years past, so,.........????
Congratulations Dan, magnificent buck.
Blood, "Guys haven’t been reporting since we went paperless" = Speculation, or are you hanging with bad company?
BBB, I think the report is spot on in attributing the lesser harvest count to the weather. I do recall some saying it was too warm to get out and wanting the cooler weather for a sit. Thanks for linking the report.
Bill, I was simply stating that we went paperless a long time ago and there wouldn’t be that dramatic of a drop from last year to this year by putting the onus on guys not reporting online. What this post is about is the simple fact that this year is a very very strange year With several factors contributing to lower harvest numbers, lower deer sightings, and minimal daytime movement.
Personally, I do feel that the extremely wet year that we’ve had coupled with a very warm fall, has contributed to some of these factors. But I’m still scratching my head as to just why this phenomenon is occurring. And, will the trend continue through gun season??
Our tags and reporting is basically the honor system. You’re technically supposed to only use the amount allotted and report each kill but you don’t really have to because there’s nothing in place to force you too. Our tags are not associated with individual hunters. Theres no numbers linking each other. So for me, there’s no reason to believe that every deer hunter in this state is taking only the annual bag limit and reporting each kill.
Our tags and reporting is basically the honor system. You’re technically supposed to only use the amount allotted and report each kill but you don’t really have to because there’s nothing in place to force you too. Our tags are not associated with individual hunters. Theres no numbers linking each other. So for me, there’s no reason to believe that every deer hunter in this state is taking only the annual bag limit and reporting each kill.
I have to say, the entire report is speculation! There are no hard facts provided, just assumptions on weather, acorns, hunter participation ,etc. Each of us can guess what's impacting our own little piece of the woods. I'm seeing a sharp increase in bear and coyotes in my area, no acorns, little/no hunter pressure and unless the deer learned how to fly,....no deer sign.
Dan - that is a great buck in any state!
Hmmmmmm I wonder with this year being the noticeable change if it has anything to do with the covid virus reaching the deer population????? :)
Great buck Dan! Hard to top that one!
Here you go Bill. I believe Dr Williams commented on this previously.
Scientists have evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spreads explosively in white-tailed deer and that the virus is widespread in this deer population across the United States.
Researchers say the findings are quite concerning and could have vast implications for the long-term course of the coronavirus pandemic.
Since SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19, first emerged, there have been several signs that white-tailed deer would be highly susceptible to the virus — and that many of these animals were catching it across the country.
In September of last year, computer models suggested SARS-CoV-2 could easily bind to and enter the deer's cells. A recent survey of white-tailed deer in the Northeast and Midwest found that 40% of them had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
New coronavirus, likely from dogs, infects people in Malaysia and Haiti GOATS AND SODA New coronavirus, likely from dogs, infects people in Malaysia and Haiti Now veterinarians at Pennsylvania State University have found active SARS-CoV-2 infections in at least 30% of deer tested across Iowa during 2020. Their study, published online last week, suggests that white-tailed deer could become what's known as a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2. That is, the animals could carry the virus indefinitely and spread it back to humans periodically.
"spread it back to humans periodically."
Yeah, only the people that took the shot and destroyed their natural immunity.
My favorite quote. “….GOATS AND SODA….”
Bob I think you are just losing your mojo and relying on old spots. Get retired for good and kill some deer!
"That is, the animals could carry the virus indefinitely and spread it back to humans periodically."
I had to rethink that statement.
A virus is self limiting. Deer having the antibodies only means that they are protected from getting it again. So even if a plane from China decides to fly over the woods and drop virus on the deer, herd immunity protects the deer, unless they have been vaxed, and then immunity is questionable. Breakthroughs are failures of the vax to protect.
Spike - gotta give me some time! Only one trip to the woods this year due to my daughter's wedding, but more so having my left foot crushed at Lowes back on 10/13. Just able to get a shoe on for my daughter's wedding on 11/6.
And the shot is NOT a vaccine, it's a flu shot. Vaccines prevent you from getting the illness, and this shot does not provide that protection. Not sure why the scientists are calling it by the wrong classification?
I hunted 9 days during the gun season and saw a total of 1 deer in that time. I suspect numbers are down because of the lack of acorns, not the abundance of them, at least on public land. No acorns where I hunt is a killer.
My nephew got his first deer on his own, so that is a pretty good consolation prize.
not a vax at all. It's a flu shot and when given to people who already have natural immunity...look out.
that a great deer , congrats deer dan
Thanks guys. Here he is on his hooves.
Southern zone. Less people hunting from my observations. Abundant acorns. Warmer weather. Cams in my areas show plenty of deer but very little daytime activity.
Latest numbers. We’re down about 1,200 animals from last year YTD and over 2,200 YTD from 2017. Hmmmmm
Blood how many hunters more or less then previous years?
Spike, I don’t think those numbers are out anywhere but internally in the state’s system right now. We have averaged 44-46k permits/tags issued over each of the last 4 seasons. This is not hunters….it’s tags issued. A hunter can have an archery tag, state land shotgun, private land shotgun, state land muzzleloader, private land muzzleloader and also be a landowner….and I think you can have a pistol tag too. ?? Crazy huh!
Looking at the numbers, archery is down over a 1000 animals from normal and gun is only down 200 or so.
All I know is I’m from MA but CT is only 10 minutes away and the state lands are absolutely hammered by both MA and CT hunters. Every year I see less sign in them and did not hunt CT this year.
Yep, good ol’ CT - Non-Res Deerhunting Mecca!!
Deer are not stupid - they leaving state for better - I saw some on back of a truck leaving -
Spike - it's good thing you're not trying to hunt the Redding area, there are no deer there either ;>) I miss those conversations, I think it brought us all closer together, like the current state of politics.
You can thank all the mountain lions that don't get caught on camera traps for the shortage.
Hmm maybe nobody is hunting Redding anymore since their are no deer. I’m on my way!
As Yogi Berra once said, "Nobody goes there any more because it's too crowded!"
