Frustration grows in the Hoosier state

[j-bird]

Well the Indiana DNR published the antlerless quotas for this coming hunting season. They adjusted only 9 of a possible 92 counties - and one of the adjustments they made INCREASED the quota. Like other states across the mid-west IN has seen it's harvest totals fall over the past 2 season after record level harvests. The 2014 total was ~12% below the record set in 2012.

Many hunters are reporting seeing fewer and fewer deer and many of those hunters are expecting the DNR to take action. Well, with the release of these new quotas - it is pretty clear that the DNR still wants even further reductions. With 90% of the counties remaining the same as the previous year we can only expect a very similar result (another decline of approx 6% of the total harvest or maybe more). The DNR only reduced the quota in 8 counties and 6 of those where reduced by just a single deer. 60 of the 92 counties will still participate in a special late season antlerless firearms season for further herd reduction.

It's time for hunters to realize the power they have and lay off the trigger if they choose to have more deer. I am all for keeping the deer population in balance with the habitat conditions, but just because the DNR will allow a hunter to take up to a dozen deer doesn't mean they should! The DNR doesn't seem to be willing to share the "goal" or their methods with the hunting public either. They continue to manage based on what appears to be a lack of data and influence from outside the hunting community. The desire for even fewer deer is apparent - they are going to continue down this path of reduction in the 5 to 10% rate until they reach their goal - whatever that may be. Where will that put the amount of deer where you hunt?

 

[wiscwhip]

Do I smell the IDDI forming in the near future?;) Somehow you have got to get your hunters united to stop the bleeding at some point.

 

[MoLandOwner]

We feel your pain J-Bird.

But if you or anyone else in the state of Indiana, think for one minute the DNR is working for the hunters.........You are pissing into the wind!

 

[j-bird]

I agree with both of you guys. I can understand if the habitat is damaged. I understand we want to reduce crop damage and car accidents - my biggest issue is I want to see the "plan". Show me - what the goal is, and how we are going to get there. Hell - show me where we are at! Don't expect me to follow blindly the "kill more deer" message. My area is doing pretty well, but some are far more frustrated than I am. I'm not saying I can do a better job, but damn!

What I don't like is the lack of an open plan. Where we are at, where we want to be, how we are going to get there and how we are going to monitor progress. How frick'n hard can that be?!?!?!

I think the "plan" is so drastic that they knew hunters would not support it (and they may not have had the science to back it up) - and as such they simply implement a little more every year. A drop of 7% here and 4% there and they will never realize what happened until its too late. That's "the plan" as I see it. To top it all off - and the DNR has issued this publicly - Indiana is in a deer reduction mode. Well, NO $H!T:mad:

 

[wiscwhip]

That seems like the same "plan":rolleyes: as everyone else is or had been dealing with for some time. You can bet your @$$ they don't have the science to back up any of it, and if the hunters of IN won't demand it, they will have no intention of ever giving you one. It is going to take the hunters uniting to get anything of substance done to remedy this situation. Good luck!

 

[MoLandOwner]

I can tell you this, your situation will not get better, take my word for it. It is up to you and only you hunters in your state to make things happen in your favor!

After struggling to get my story out about the declining deer herd, I got lucky and fell into a crowd of about a dozen guys online that all had the same problem and were willing to do something about it. At the start we were laughed at by our own DNR, MDHA, QDMA and a lot of legislators, seemed like No one wanted to give us the time of day! So We started with a few meetings that gathered some steam, enough steam the DNR thought they would put on a couple of listening sessions around our state. I went to one of those first listening sessions and blasted our DNR in person for what they allowed to be done to our deer herd. Then some head dope from the MDHA got up at that very meeting and said we all need to put in food plots if we wanted to see more deer.......:eek:! Right then I knew we had to go to some legislators and over the head of the DNR. We all emailed the piss out of the DNR and the Legislators, but Thank God for Brooks, he took the time organize everyone's inputs and present the facts to all the legislators that would listen, he made shit happen! You can do the same thing if you really want to make the same thing happen! Good Luck!

 

[bat man]

I saw in the latest QDMA rag that your Boone and Crockett registrations are off over 75% in the past 10 years. Sounds like the herd could use a trim.

But the bright spot is your state is the only one in the midwest claiming they are trying to lower deer numbers?

 

[dipper]

Thank the Indiana deer farmers

 

[SD51555]

It's gonna take a big Johnson to change the status quo. Brooks-type that is.

 

[Jeff23]

Thank the Indiana deer farmers

So the Indiana deer farmers are in cahoots with the DNR to set harvest guidelines, or are they controlling hunters' minds?

 

[wiscwhip]

are they controlling hunters' minds?

Break out the armadillo helmets and tinfoil hats!

 

[dipper]

So the Indiana deer farmers are in cahoots with the DNR to set harvest guidelines, or are they controlling hunters' minds?

Cwd and public health 101, the less mouths u have to spread disease the less likely disease will spread. Its the same argument that hunters ourselves make with baiting. low deer numbers are a preventive measure to limit the spread of disease, while deer farmers can actively move known Cwd deer!
The dnrs mission isn't to appease hunters, it's long term management of a natural resource. Their hands are tied with the deer farmers because it's "livestock". Hunters can run to blood sucking politicians and call them Heros like Walker, and wi.
All I have to say is follow the $, it always leads to the truth!

 

[dipper]

Break out the armadillo helmets and tinfoil hats!

Dude I'm not gonna change your mind, and denial is a strong thing. The scary thing is many won't connect the Cwd dots till it's too late, which it might be already.
If u don't have a problem knowing Cwd positive deer can legally be transported, it is what it is.
Wilderness whitetails could have easily decided to place this new hunting preserve in la crosse, and there's not a damn thing u can do! Read that thread I started last weekend, if the information is crazy, I'm the nuttiest person on the planet!

 

[j-bird]

$$$$ - the root of all evil!

 

[bat man]

The dnrs mission isn't to appease hunters, it's long term management of a natural resource. Their hands are tied with the deer farmers because it's "livestock". Hunters can run to blood sucking politicians and call them Heros like Walker, and wi.
!

Drastically reducing deer numbers while lying to hunters about a hidden agenda did not set our DNR for much hunter trust when it comes to managing the resource. The DNR cuts its own throat when they blatantly tell lie after lie. I would like to see our whole crew cleaned out as they are severely mismanaging the resource.

As a hunter I wont sit by and let them do it.

If they truly want to lower deer numbers because of CWD concerns they need to come out and say it. They need to prove thier theories correct publicly. The recent course of action is not acceptable and the hand that feeds is trying to bite right now because we dont like the food.

 

[bat man]

If u don't have a problem knowing Cwd positive deer can legally be transported, it is what it is.
!

If this is the case why dont we read about it anywhere? Why wouldn't the WI DNR, MN DNR, QDMA publicly lobby for policy changes instead of reducing the deer herds across the midwest and NE?

If WI DNR thinks game farms are spreading CWD, or possibly could be, why would they not tackle an issue that threatens the resource they manage?

It makes no sense to me.

 

[dipper]

i said my peace here about Cwd, I'll happily continue in that thread I started
Plus I gotta go kill some invasive species on the farm, talk tonight

 

[huthut]

The more everyone understands that state DNR's have very little solid science behind their actions --- the faster hunters will realize they need to get involved. Start writing your politicians now as the DNR will not change on their own!!!!

 

[Jeff23]

Cwd and public health 101, the less mouths u have to spread disease the less likely disease will spread. Its the same argument that hunters ourselves make with baiting. low deer numbers are a preventive measure to limit the spread of disease, while deer farmers can actively move known Cwd deer!
The dnrs mission isn't to appease hunters, it's long term management of a natural resource. Their hands are tied with the deer farmers because it's "livestock". Hunters can run to blood sucking politicians and call them Heros like Walker, and wi.
All I have to say is follow the $, it always leads to the truth!

1) As of May 2015, Indiana has not had a CWD positive inside or outside high fence.
2) I don't believe the DNR in Indiana has stated CWD control as a motivating factor behind their goals, but Jbird can certainly correct me if I'm wrong.
3) Deer farmers in Indiana are not permitted to move CWD positive deer, to the best of my knowledge. Immediate depopulation is the only option.
4) If the mission of the DNRs is the long-term management of natural resources, many of them absolutely suck at their job. How can they manage a resource when they don't even enumerate what the goals of said management are to be???
5)You can follow the money with DNRs just as much as with deer farmers; money is part and parcel of EVERY decision made in politics and state and national agencies, not to mention private enterprise. Period.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion regarding CWD, your cousins and whatever else you wish, but I don't see how that has much of anything to do with harvest objectives in Indiana.

 

[j-bird]

This is why I am confused - the DNR has NOT stated any reason. The message just continues to be "Kill more deer".

WHY?

I realize the question is far easier than the answer, but why? Fear of CWD? Increased crop damage? Increased car/deer accidents? Damaged natural habitat?

We have had no confirmed cases of CWD.

I have seen data that suggests we are actually not bad as far as car/deer accidents go. Data I saw dated Sept 2014 from State Farm Insurance says Hoosiers (1 in 172) are less likely to be involved in a deer/car accident than those in KY (1 in 107) , OH (1 in 127) or MI (1 in 94) - only IL (1 in 211) was better than us in the Ohio River valley. Just for reference MO (1 in 124), WI (1 in 85), MN (1 in 88), TN (1 in 163), IA (1 in 77) to sort of round out the midwest region.

But hey, after you kill all the deer - it should be more difficult to hit one with your car!
http://www.carinsurance.com/Articles/odds-of-hitting-deer.aspx


I will have to see if I can find some crop damage reports and see if there is anything in there of interest.