(Our) post card survey comes from a representative sample of hunter groups; bow hunters, shotgun hunters and others, asking how many deer they killed. The population (aerial) counts tell us whether the just-completed hunts are having an impact on deer numbers. I can put together a simulation to show how many deer are out there. |
In each of the last three seasons, the doe harvest has increased and has been higher than the buck harvest. That reduces the reproductive capacity of the herd. After 2003, we saw the (post season) populations leveling off. After '04, reproduction started heading down. This year, we should see substantial drops in reproduction. |