Got one during the night this past week on one of my cams.
9dawgs,
Some how I feel the Game Commission is really paying attention to what is going on in neighboring states. The Biologist spoke of so many factors that determine the outcome of deer management that I probably don't have all the facts straight.
Legal baiting on private land was one of the factors that made a lot of sense. Florida allows it, Alabama does not. No baiting allowed during the season insures that there would not be a potential, massive doe slaughter on every piece of private land. But he implied, that Alabama's management practices have created some problems with the overall deer herd that Florida is trying to avoid.
All this being said, the doe tag issue was supervised by maybe regional biologists who were overwhelmed by the number of permits requested. This led to a work load that was impossible, as each site was to be surveyed/studied to determine how many tags should be issued. (For example, the section, the 640 acres, we live in has over 50 different property owners and if only 1/2 applied for doe tags that would be at least 25 different surveys to be made, then multiply this times who knows how many sections in the 67 counties of Florida. To me the 640 makes sense, even though I don't personally like it.) Apparently they arbitrarily chose the 640 acres, as it is the area they consider to be the home range of a deer. This eliminated a great percentage of us land owners who do not own a full section of land.
He said next came the politician who complained he did not own 640 so there was a way made for him to "bundle" properties to achieve the 640 figure. This is how all this developed over the years according to the 25+ year veteran employee of the Commission. Our lease property is owned by a large timber company and they encourage our club to apply for doe tags just like all the other clubs they lease to, but our lease is only 340 acres, the smallest property they own, so we don't qualify without bundling and that is an impossibility in this particular location.
Killing does is certainly one of the ways to improve the deer herd, and those of us that hunt on small private properties must make the best of the specified doe days or take up a "stick and string" and work on 'em during archery season.
Just my 2 cents worth,
Treefarmer
Well I hear more coyotes, see but more Bobcats than coyotes. Now I have see coyotes chase piglets down.
I have passed up one a tone of Bobcats over the years but have rare occasion for a coyote.
As a meat hunter archery season if my best productive time. I like deer to be 2-3 and be from 70-100 LBS. Give me 4-6 a year and I am good.
