HorizontalHunter
NES Member
Christmas at the in-laws. You know how it goes.
Seriously though, some of the early, larger doe fawns will go into estrus about now so that might be it.
Bob
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Mass Gun Season Opener Tomorrow
- Thread starter HorizontalHunter
- Start date
Christmas at the in-laws. You know how it goes.
Seriously though, some of the early, larger doe fawns will go into estrus about now so that might be it.
Bob
Chris M.
NES Member
Gonna keep at it tomorrow pm Fri and Sat. Seen a bunch of does. And it's true some have already shed the antlers. Ex bro in law sent me a pic of a nice shed he found a week ago. So im hunting not only bucks but bucks that havent shed the horns yet. lol
I have an antlerless tag still for zones 9 and 10. Hunting in 9 Saturday and 10 on Monday. Buddy of mine got a buck last week that had lost his antlers already......he thought it was a doe.......flipped it over to dress it and got a surprise!
Anyway........keep in mind everyone......balls or not you have to have an antlerless tag to shoot a buck that has dropped already.
Mark from MA
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From what I've seen over 10 years of watching deer in CT, and on cams where I see lots of deer. Its due to the poor food production this year. During good food years, bucks drop around late January, and I've seen them keep them to February. Poor food years, my cam has them dropping as early as Mid December.
One particular year my dad shot a 180 pound buck in late december, that he thought was a doe because he didn't think horns would drop that early, so he wasn't even thinking about it, or paying attention looking for balls. He was pissed at himself for not even thinking about it.
One particular year my dad shot a 180 pound buck in late december, that he thought was a doe because he didn't think horns would drop that early, so he wasn't even thinking about it, or paying attention looking for balls. He was pissed at himself for not even thinking about it.
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
Average Year Projected for Deer Harvest
“What came in to our check station during the first week appears to be similar to what came in during the past few years, but that is only one week’s worth of data,” Mr. Stainbrook said. “What has been reported online so far seems consistent with previous years. We will see what the total ends up being at the end of the season, but it will be tough to beat last year’s record number of 844 deer. It will probably end up being in the 700 to 800 range.”
Bret Stearns, natural resources director for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, Aquinnah, is also still tabulating numbers of deer harvested and reported at the tribe’s deer check-in station, but he said anecdotally, it felt like a typical year.
“It was a normal season for us,” Mr. Stearns said. “It seemed about average. We have the same groups coming to us year after year, they all seem to have a level of success.”
Mr. Stearns said he noted no abnormality in the health of deer checked in up-Island, but did notice the age range of the deer taken was different this year.
“We did more adult than really small animals this year,” Mr. Stearns said. “This year it was a wide variety, and we had more 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 year old animals.”
Mr. Stearns added that there were plenty of deer to be seen this fall, judging by the number of vehicle accidents involving deer, and the number of near-misses reported by drivers.
“When you drive up-Island you get the feeling like there was no hunting season,” said Mr. Stearns. “Still a lot of deer around. They won’t be quite so active, they’ll go back to the woods soon enough, but people say they’re still seeing a lot of animals.”
Mr. Stainbrook will be keeping a close eye on the number of female deer taken this season, a crucial factor in managing the deer population.
“The most important thing for Zone 13 [Martha’s Vineyard] is to keep the female harvest high so we can continue to reduce population growth,” Mr. Stainbrook said. Last year 457 male deer were harvested on the Island, while 387 female deer were taken.
He said one of the largest obstacles to reducing the deer herd, which is estimated to be about 50 per square mile on the Island, are private lands where hunting is not allowed, and the large developed areas where it is illegal to discharge a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling in use.
Read more:
Average Year Projected for Deer Harvest
- Steve Myrick
- Thursday, December 13, 2018 - 3:01pm
“What came in to our check station during the first week appears to be similar to what came in during the past few years, but that is only one week’s worth of data,” Mr. Stainbrook said. “What has been reported online so far seems consistent with previous years. We will see what the total ends up being at the end of the season, but it will be tough to beat last year’s record number of 844 deer. It will probably end up being in the 700 to 800 range.”
Bret Stearns, natural resources director for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, Aquinnah, is also still tabulating numbers of deer harvested and reported at the tribe’s deer check-in station, but he said anecdotally, it felt like a typical year.
“It was a normal season for us,” Mr. Stearns said. “It seemed about average. We have the same groups coming to us year after year, they all seem to have a level of success.”
Mr. Stearns said he noted no abnormality in the health of deer checked in up-Island, but did notice the age range of the deer taken was different this year.
“We did more adult than really small animals this year,” Mr. Stearns said. “This year it was a wide variety, and we had more 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 year old animals.”
Mr. Stearns added that there were plenty of deer to be seen this fall, judging by the number of vehicle accidents involving deer, and the number of near-misses reported by drivers.
“When you drive up-Island you get the feeling like there was no hunting season,” said Mr. Stearns. “Still a lot of deer around. They won’t be quite so active, they’ll go back to the woods soon enough, but people say they’re still seeing a lot of animals.”
Mr. Stainbrook will be keeping a close eye on the number of female deer taken this season, a crucial factor in managing the deer population.
“The most important thing for Zone 13 [Martha’s Vineyard] is to keep the female harvest high so we can continue to reduce population growth,” Mr. Stainbrook said. Last year 457 male deer were harvested on the Island, while 387 female deer were taken.
He said one of the largest obstacles to reducing the deer herd, which is estimated to be about 50 per square mile on the Island, are private lands where hunting is not allowed, and the large developed areas where it is illegal to discharge a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling in use.
Read more:
Average Year Projected for Deer Harvest
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
The season opened two weeks earlier so there was 12 extra days to hunt; shotgun season was a week earlier than usual which puts it more into the rut, and an extra week of ML, low mast crop (my areas anyway), and the Deer Projet Coordinator is saying less deer than last year? Even an average year?
It does not compute. This should be a banner year. I will be interested to see the reported numbers.
Bob
Last year there was also a few inches of snow during shotgun and muzzle loader season.......fresh snow a couple of times so we knew where the deer were....and were not. That definitely upped the success rate last season......this season no snow at all.
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
In the western part of the state we have had some intermittent bouts of tracking snow lasting a week or more.
9-14 has no snow at all right now. Last year I hunted zone 9 and had fresh soft snow......we knew where the deer were and could move silently....and the deer paid for it we had a banner year. This year it's tougher with no snow at all.
Nothing yesterday. One more day Monday going to hunt open to last minute. Might not get one this year........been many years in a row with a freezer full will be strange. But.....my buddies all know I was in the hospital for gun season opener and already tolt me to swing by to pick up some meat if I strike out tomorrow.
Was out for 3 hrs yesterday swinging and swaying in my tree stand, praying my tree would stay rooted.
It was worth it tho, as i got a good look at the big boy I’ve been trying to get. Where I was, we bow hunt only. I didn’t have a good shot so I held back.
Will try again Monday.
Talked to a friend in RI and they have shot 2 bucks that already dropped antlers. Hope this one keeps em on til mon eve!
Hopefully I can connect.
Good luck to all on mon.
It was worth it tho, as i got a good look at the big boy I’ve been trying to get. Where I was, we bow hunt only. I didn’t have a good shot so I held back.
Will try again Monday.
Talked to a friend in RI and they have shot 2 bucks that already dropped antlers. Hope this one keeps em on til mon eve!
Hopefully I can connect.
Good luck to all on mon.
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
I'm guessing that F+&G would use "antlered" for their records. Jack.
Chris M.
NES Member
Good luck Monday folks. Gonna try all day monday. Wind yesterday was nuts. Only had last two hours. Couldn't see anything fresh on the frozen ground. Lookin like tag soup for me but who knows. Time to break out the coyote calls.
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
In Mass antlerless tags are only about antlers not sex. An antlerless tag would be required to shoot a buck that had dropped his antlers.
Bob
- Antlerless deer permit (needed to harvest deer without antlers or antlers less than 3 inches in length)
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
Thanks, Bob. I know that. Just wondering how F&G keep their records . Jack.
MP-In-The-Wind
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I'm in the same boat....I hunted Zone 10 dark-to-dark on Saturday....no deer seen... I don't have one for the season yet!
Tomorrow I will be out first light to 9:30AM....My last harrah for the year! Wish me luck!
Good luck to everyone else in the woods tomorrow!
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
Good luck to all. My sons and Little Jack finished with a total of 8 deer. Good season. Jack.
A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
Mark from MA
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Yeah...some of it right on top of first week of shotgun.....
Whatever, not enough deer in the west/central for me. I'm hanging it up around here in MA, just not seeing enough to keep me interested. I'll still put cams out and if a BB shows, maybe Ill try. Otherwise, Im invited to PA next year where they see deer every day. Will fill meat tags in CT.
Local police just cost me a deer this morning! Hunting oxbow (with my permit that I paid for) and was on a hill looking over a river with my son and 4 deer were down in the valley and in range......10 minutes till legal light a loudspeaker starts up way back toward the parking spot yelling about the owner of the truck needs to come out or the vehicles getting towed. Son of a bitch....I stood up and came out.......deer were busted a that point they all bolted when he yelled over the loud speaker.....he told me I was on a fed wildlife refuge.....I said I know.....and pointed to the permit clearly propped up on the dash and he said oh......didn't see it.....then he let us go back in. Unbelievable
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
Whacko, my friend, you've had a rough season all around. The woods owe you a couple of nice bucks next year. Jack.
Mark from MA
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That sucks! Rough way to end a season!
Whacko, that’s too bad. You can still hunt Jan in R.I.!
I sat last 3 hrs yesterday and Mr. Big must of had a party to go to. Never saw a thing.
Ended season with two decent does, and saw couple nice bucks. Also secured some private land in z10 so looking forward to opening day. On to Coyotes!
Happy New Year to all the hunters.
I sat last 3 hrs yesterday and Mr. Big must of had a party to go to. Never saw a thing.
Ended season with two decent does, and saw couple nice bucks. Also secured some private land in z10 so looking forward to opening day. On to Coyotes!
Happy New Year to all the hunters.
45collector
NES Member
I put away all my deer hunting gear just now. Until next season!! Good luck out there friends in RI.
I will probably go ducking one more morning this season, and after that maybe kick around for rabbit but that’s it for me. Mainly want to get into the woods just to hike off some calories. I’m gonna be 40 this year and I’m starting to look it. LOL
I will probably go ducking one more morning this season, and after that maybe kick around for rabbit but that’s it for me. Mainly want to get into the woods just to hike off some calories. I’m gonna be 40 this year and I’m starting to look it. LOL
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
40? Wow! I'm more than twice that and put my gear away due to the friggin arthritis in my back and shoulders. However, the sons and Little Jack supply me with venison. Oldest son Mark in AK comes to visit at least twice a year and brings us salmon, halibut and moose. So, we eat good. Jack.
