Well, we didn't eliminated the species

[ucfireman]

Will be interesting to see what happens when folks are able to hunt and not being rained on. I'm not a proponent but to each their own.

 

[spencer12]

One thing baiting did help with was ticks. The neighbors must be feeding those protein pellets with tick repellent/ whatever in them because there was not a single tick on any of the 8 deer we killed this year throughout the season, and that's unheard of.

Didn't see too many this year either for whatever reason. I killed an 8 point in November that was completely clean. We hadn't even had a real good frost yet.

 

[green thumb]

I was just looking over the harvest totals today and to say that baiting had no impact does not seem to be the case.
2016/2017 total harvest was 182,749
2016 Southern Zone 96,995 or 53% of the harvest
2016 Northern Zone 85,754 or 47% of the harvest

2017/2018 total harvest was 184,395
2017 Southern Zone 97,213 or 53% of the harvest
2017 Northern Zone 87,182 or 47% of the harvest

2018/2019 total harvest has been 163,799 as of this morning with extended archery adding to that total
2018 "Southern Zone" 76,975 or 47% of harvest
2018 "Northern Zone" 86,824 or 53% of harvest with extended archery adding to this

Now I think the hurricane damage could be a cause for decreased southern zone harvest numbers but all the rainy days should have impacted the harvest numbers pretty evenly for both the Northern and Southern Zones. Other than baiting being introduced in the Northern Zone, what other reasons would have led to such a harvest percentage shift between zones or the fact that the Southern Zone was significantly down ie rainy days, but the Northern Zone did not see a drop?

 

[nmurph]

The number of deer killed this year has way more to do with the population in the preceding several years. If it didn't make the kill total go up, then why not do away with it? It obviously doesn't help.

 

[rosewood]

I was just looking over the harvest totals today and to say that baiting had no impact does not seem to be the case.
2016/2017 total harvest was 182,749
2016 Southern Zone 96,995 or 53% of the harvest
2016 Northern Zone 85,754 or 47% of the harvest

2017/2018 total harvest was 184,395
2017 Southern Zone 97,213 or 53% of the harvest
2017 Northern Zone 87,182 or 47% of the harvest

2018/2019 total harvest has been 163,799 as of this morning with extended archery adding to that total
2018 "Southern Zone" 76,975 or 47% of harvest
2018 "Northern Zone" 86,824 or 53% of harvest with extended archery adding to this

Now I think the hurricane damage could be a cause for decreased southern zone harvest numbers but all the rainy days should have impacted the harvest numbers pretty evenly for both the Northern and Southern Zones. Other than baiting being introduced in the Northern Zone, what other reasons would have led to such a harvest percentage shift between zones or the fact that the Southern Zone was significantly down ie rainy days, but the Northern Zone did not see a drop?

If you will notice, the northern zone was pretty close to last year. The Southern zone is down from storms. From 16/17 to 17/18 to 18/19, the northern zone seems pretty flat.

Rosewood

 

[antharper]

The number of deer killed this year has way more to do with the population in the preceding several years. If it didn't make the kill total go up, then why not do away with it? It obviously doesn't help.

Because more people are for it than against it , and I can’t see no deer without it ?

 

[Thunder Head]

A lot of that probably has to do with all the rainy weekends.

I know every processor around Stephens county was slap full after thanksgiving weekend. At least one closed there doors to new deer for 5 full days.

 

[Buford_Dawg]

Rainy weekends kept some of my group out of the woods alot. I am positive all the rain on weekends save some deer lives. Heck, It kept me from hunting much of December.

 

[Mark K]

Not sure if you boys up North remember Oct 10, but a Hurricane came through. I know it’s hard to imagine if it didn’t happen to you, but imagine your entire hunting land inaccessible. Heck some folks were stuck in their homes/neighborhoods for a week. We were more worried about everyday life than hunting. And once we finally did go we had the same work all over again. Then add in the rain later in the year which left some roads impassable.

So yeah, our harvest numbers probably weren’t as high as previous years...bait or no bait.

 

[rosewood]

Rainy weekends kept some of my group out of the woods alot. I am positive all the rain on weekends save some deer lives. Heck, It kept me from hunting much of December.

Rain kept me out early in the season, but as it was winding down and it was looking like a skunking, I started hunting the rainy days. Had to break out the Savage Weather Warrior for those days.

Rosewood

 

[spurrs and racks]

I could have sworn, all the "anti-baiters" said it was the "be all to end all" of fair chase deer hunting.......

well, as you can see that is not the case..........

 

[ryanh487]

The rain killed my December hunting, as did the holidays. I don't think I hunted from the second week of November until new year's day.

 

[spurrs and racks]

I know I had quit by Thanksgiving.........

and my back has thanked me almost everyday

 

[Rabun]

one season does not a pattern make. I agree with the weather having a significant impact especially down south. I think we need to have a few years of data to determine any kind of impact on the herd

 

[Sixes]

Baiting in the northern zone has been legal for years, only the distance requirement changed, so why would the kill totals be all that different anyway?

 

[rosewood]

We have had baiting in the Southern Zone for several years to get a sample now. Has there been any measurable effect?

Rosewood

 

[JB0704]

Mebbe it just means folks wuz already baitin' before it was legal

 

[antharper]

We have had baiting in the Southern Zone for several years to get a sample now. Has there been any measurable effect?

Rosewood

The only measurable effect I’ve seen is more deer and bigger

 

[Mr. Fishunt]

More proof that baiting is a waste of time and money.

 

[DeweyDuck]

Everybody said allowing baiting in the Northern zone would bring about a deer apocalypse and the herd would disappear.

Numbers are up in the Georgia deer harvest report.......

This season, we managed to kill 20,000 fewer deer than last season.

Sure was the situation in my case. I set up a bench rest shooting spot at 500 yards from a feeder where in years past, I saw deer just about every time in the woods. I bragged about killing one at that spot on opening day Oct 20th. Well, I hunted that spot 8 times, morning and evening, and never saw a single deer. Every morning i checked the feeder and saw that all the corn put out the night before was gone yet not one deer showed up wanting to go home with me. Finally got desparate and went to another blind where I saw at least 7 deer each of the last 3 sits and shot one for meat. Baiting is not gonna impact my herd.