Yearling buck percentage

[Prairie Acres]

The Wisconsin DNR collects data on the harvest of yearling bucks (1.5 years old) for each county and county group. They use the information to help estimate deer population. "Yearling buck percent is closely aligned with hunting pressure and where there is a higher harvest of bucks there is typically a higher yearling buck percentage." Looking over the statistics I believe the yearling buck percentage is dropping partially as a result of hunters becoming more selective in what they shoot. In my area, South West Farmland, 15 years ago the yearling buck percentage was around 40% and now it's down to the low 20's. Many parts of the state of Wisconsin the yearling buck percentage is around 50% but it looks like it's dropping throughout the state. Does your state track this? What is it in your area?

 

[SwampCat]

My state, AR - lowest number of 1.5 yr old bucks

 

[bueller]

Since we don't have registration stations anymore I don't "buy" the numbers. Ask many by me and the typical 6 point yearling is not a yearling, maybe the spike or fork, but not the 6

 

[Wind Gypsy]

MN can’t be bothered to track such things. A 1.5 YO buck is an “adult buck” according to MN DNR data.

 

[Brian662]

Since we don't have registration stations anymore I don't "buy" the numbers. Ask many by me and the typical 6 point yearling is not a yearling, maybe the spike or fork, but not the 6

You think the cigarette smoking 16 year old hippie that used to put metal tags on the rack at Casey's "registration station" knew the difference?

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

You think the cigarette smoking 16 year old hippie that used to put metal tags on the rack at Casey's "registration station" knew the difference?

These records are absolutely obsolete. I bet 75% of bucks are mis-aged. How many times does someone say “my taxidermist said he was 13 years old!” Yeah cause the guy who took an online course on wrapping skin on a plastic mold is an expert on aging bucks. Not even biologist get it right often enough to be considered accurate

 

[Prairie Acres]

Deer are aged by DNR staff with deer processors and with CWD submitted deer.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Deer are aged by DNR staff with deer processors and with CWD submitted deer.

Sorry not knocking the study, especially with yearlings since that is one age class that can be determined with great accuracy. I’m talking about the other stuff that shows advanced age breakdowns. I wish we were that accurate but we simply aren’t. Even cementum annuli has proven to be wrong a good bit with known aged deer as well as giving different ages on the same deer with teeth from each side of its jawbone.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

The Wisconsin DNR collects data on the harvest of yearling bucks (1.5 years old) for each county and county group. They use the information to help estimate deer population. "Yearling buck percent is closely aligned with hunting pressure and where there is a higher harvest of bucks there is typically a higher yearling buck percentage." Looking over the statistics I believe the yearling buck percentage is dropping partially as a result of hunters becoming more selective in what they shoot. In my area, South West Farmland, 15 years ago the yearling buck percentage was around 40% and now it's down to the low 20's. Many parts of the state of Wisconsin the yearling buck percentage is around 50% but it looks like it's dropping throughout the state. Does your state track this? What is it in your area?View attachment 68162

That is a very encouraging trend. I’ve heard some crazy success in places like Pennsylvania too where yearling buck harvest was upwards of 90%. I wish I could find this for my state.

 

[bueller]

You think the cigarette smoking 16 year old hippie that used to put metal tags on the rack at Casey's "registration station" knew the difference?

True for some, but a DNR biologist was usually present at ours checking jawbones. I don't remember the exact % of yearlings she told me but the number was crazy high like over 80 I believe.

 

[SwampCat]

That is a very encouraging trend. I’ve heard some crazy success in places like Pennsylvania too where yearling buck harvest was upwards of 90%. I wish I could find this for my state.

I dont know where the majority of the data comes from. AR g&f ages DMAP harvest, specific wma special hunts, some deer processors, and some taxidermists. If I had to guess, it is skewed a little to the high side. That said, I have not seen a dead 1.5 yr old buck killed in years

 

[Brian662]

View attachment 68174

I dont know where the majority of the data comes from. AR g&f ages DMAP harvest, specific wma special hunts, some deer processors, and some taxidermists. If I had to guess, it is skewed a little to the high side. That said, I have not seen a dead 1.5 yr old buck killed in years

I like the trend WI is/was on in this table.

Of course my *home* state of MN doesn't offer any data because all deer are at risk of the gun season that starts ~Nov 4. So dumb.

 

[BenAllgood]

As for the LA data, most of that probably comes from DMAP clubs. Most of these clubs are restricting buck harvests in some way, so it makes sense that the ages would be greater in those results. But, I don't believe it translates over into what most of the LA hunters are taking. I could be way off, but aging deer is done on the managed clubs, not on the state level.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I bet MN could top WI in the 1.5 yo harvest %

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I bet MN could top WI in the 1.5 yo harvest %

And it’s so regional right? Like south Minnesota and southwestern wisc are totally different ballgames than the rest of the state?

 

[Maddog66]

I wish it wasn’t so but in my part of North Wi, I know for a fact that every single one of my neighbors and their guests will shoot a 1.5 so fast it’ll make your head spin.

Why? Because it’s the only buck they are likely to see, and there are no doe tags available.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I wish it wasn’t so but in my part of North Wi, I know for a fact that every single one of my neighbors and their guests will shoot a 1.5 so fast it’ll make your head spin.

Why? Because it’s the only buck they are likely to see, and there are no doe tags available.

My mom/stepdad divorcing is basically the end of my time on "our" land in northern MN but I can still see cell cam pics up there. On 5 or so cell cams over nice looking food plots, last I looked there wasn't a single antlered deer yet on cam this year. It is BAD up there.