Comments on: Ask the wildlife chief

By: a quall

a quall — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:27:23 +0000

Have a happy holidays and sort of check whats underneath those “antlerless” deer y’all shoot this week. Oh sure just killing 1 lil ol baby buck don’t hurt, right? I’m pretty sure every buck in the B&C book was a baby just like that one once.

By: a quall

a quall — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:24:08 +0000

Even Woods county is only harvesting 82% as many deer as they did in 2009, same story on bucks, all that with longer seasons more does allowed, sounds like a train wreck soon.

By: a quall

a quall — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:14:22 +0000

I know most of them guys don’t like facts, but I checked the Cy Curtis book and most entries are coming from “antlerless zone 10″ where they don’t have a “holiday doe and fawn massacre”.
10 years ago most of the Cy Curtis bucks were coming from the Western counties, especially Woods but that’s in the overkill area now and has very few in the last 10 years.
Out west they shoot everything brown and if a buck fawn shoot it twice to make sure it can’t grow antlers. Definitely a pattern there that no one wants to notice.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 22:53:06 +0000

Mr. PHD,

You have a long, hard road of hard knocks ahead. Figure politics, social issues, and a decline in hunters in general into your management equation.

I understand the premise of this regualtion. Older bucks, yada yada yada. I pass more deer than most people shoot and would love to see more mature bucks. What I am saying is that ODWC has no DATA to support this measure. NONE. ZERO. In theory it may work but they have no population data, hunter surveys or anything really. It’s a farse.

By: Drew

Drew — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 20:35:50 +0000

In a state where no one keeps any records of population, deer age, buck/doe ratio and checks deer online (one could check a large dog or goat as a deer and it would still count), increases doe harvests and reduced buck limits from 3 to two and then plans to reduce them for one season and not another, sounds like the “armchair management” may be taking place in your DNR. Deer management must include knowing what you have and what your goals are. I don’t think I see any deer management where you are. Just curious Ray, how much land do you manage for deer there in Tulsa? I have been through there and saw some deer spots on the highways, do you manage for high productivity or for trophies???
I’m thinking you’d at least have to have a Home depot and Wal Mart to have enough area to do any REAL (not armchair) management. What are you if someone runs over 2 bucks during rifle season??

By: Ray Tulsa

Ray Tulsa — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:43:17 +0000

Nice Frank. Glad to hear someone tell it like it is. Too many armchair deer managers out there. There are no absolutes in wildlife management.

All I will say is that I strongly support the regulation idea to make 1 buck be taken with a bow and the other with a gun. This really is the best compromise ODWC can make to improve our deer and deer hunting. This will help our buck age structure and therefore I support it. Looking forward to it.

By: Frank, Hugo

Frank, Hugo — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:24:27 +0000

Also, we shoot a few does every year. Some years our DMAP numbers do not call for that, and thus we do not. I would say doe harvest depends on the herd and area you are in. Some areas need to take more than others and this can vary year to year. Not everyone needs to take does. While other folks up in say, Grant County, might need to take a few more does than others. Not every area will “wipe out their whole doe herd” and not every area should shoot many. I know Kroll, Woods, and others do not make absolute statements about any deer herd. Anywhere. Because too many things come into play. Like drought, disease, predators, land use, etc… I agree with many of the points, and disagree with others. But I would support any rule ODWC wants to provide that might help us have older bucks in OK. I am always agreeable to better rules. Sounds great to me. Thanks again Ed.

By: Frank, Hugo

Frank, Hugo — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:14:15 +0000

I agree with the comment Jason made. Anything to help us have older, bigger bucks, I support. I will take anything and everything ODWC suggests. Thanks Ed. Looking forward to 2013. Great ideas!

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:09:25 +0000

I would strongly support all the ideas being discussed. Anything for older bucks in Oklahoma, I support. I like the 1 and 1 idea, and I also support aprs. I would also support a 1-buck limit. Thank You Ed

By: a quall

a quall — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 19:05:31 +0000

PS Yes I am glad I was able to help those that want to be helped, for those that don’t , guess you will reap what you sow. We still have guys here that kill every deer every year and wonder where the “thundering herd” went. No help for them.