zirc_99
Member
Do they use an airborn infrared scan or what?
If so,was wondering how they sort out the hogs, coyotes and armadillos from the deer.
If so,was wondering how they sort out the hogs, coyotes and armadillos from the deer.
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DNR Deer Population Surveys? How?
- Thread starter zirc_99
- Start date
I think there are multiple rehashing of this annually on this Board and using the search tool may help one review those threads. (e.g. http://www.woodystaxidermy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5193&page=1&pp=10)
In a nutshell:
How deer popualtion estimates are generated involves several steps. Each deer season, WRD staff spend a considerable amount of time visiting hunting clubs and/or deer processor/cooler operators across the state. From these sites we randomly collect data from deer of each sex. This effort is spread over the entire deer season and across each Deer Management Unit.
For antlerless deer, we collect age, sex, date of kill and county of kill. The same data is collected for antlered bucks and additionally we collect antler diameter, beam length, number of points, and outside spread. Each deer is also observed for any signs of EHD.
This data is complied into a database by age class. Harvest estimates (see bottom for how this separate project is administered) from the annual hunter survey are assigned to age class based on proportion of ages from the processor/cooler/hunting club database. This provides a representation of the deer that were harvested and the age of each deer from 6 months to 4.5+ years.
Our population models (3 of them) are driven by this harvest/age class data. Age specific data is entered into the models, which then produce a current year PRE-HUNT population estimate and predict a PRE-HUNT population for the coming season.
These models have been in use for 20 years and the consensus of the biologists on the deer committee is that the estimates are considered a minimum estimate. However, it should be noted that the estimates only represent one component used to make scientific management decisions about the statewide herd.
Here are how harvest estimates are obtained: http://www.gohuntgeorgia.com/content/displaycontent.asp?txtDocument=209.
These are two annual projects administered by WRD each year. Their combined cost is about $81,000; almost split evenly between the two projects.
In a nutshell:
How deer popualtion estimates are generated involves several steps. Each deer season, WRD staff spend a considerable amount of time visiting hunting clubs and/or deer processor/cooler operators across the state. From these sites we randomly collect data from deer of each sex. This effort is spread over the entire deer season and across each Deer Management Unit.
For antlerless deer, we collect age, sex, date of kill and county of kill. The same data is collected for antlered bucks and additionally we collect antler diameter, beam length, number of points, and outside spread. Each deer is also observed for any signs of EHD.
This data is complied into a database by age class. Harvest estimates (see bottom for how this separate project is administered) from the annual hunter survey are assigned to age class based on proportion of ages from the processor/cooler/hunting club database. This provides a representation of the deer that were harvested and the age of each deer from 6 months to 4.5+ years.
Our population models (3 of them) are driven by this harvest/age class data. Age specific data is entered into the models, which then produce a current year PRE-HUNT population estimate and predict a PRE-HUNT population for the coming season.
These models have been in use for 20 years and the consensus of the biologists on the deer committee is that the estimates are considered a minimum estimate. However, it should be noted that the estimates only represent one component used to make scientific management decisions about the statewide herd.
Here are how harvest estimates are obtained: http://www.gohuntgeorgia.com/content/displaycontent.asp?txtDocument=209.
These are two annual projects administered by WRD each year. Their combined cost is about $81,000; almost split evenly between the two projects.
BuckyG
Senior Member
The Answer is ____
They use UGA volunteers to call registered hunters. I was polled last year, and boy did it hurt...
They use UGA volunteers to call registered hunters. I was polled last year, and boy did it hurt...
Throwback
Chief Big Taw
They call all the hunters that hunt the same exact stand in a sea of planted pine trees for 10-15 years in a row with a handfull of feed type wheat seed thrown on top of bare red dirt for a "food plot" and ask them how many deer they see. This covers 90 % of the hunters out there.
They make up the other 10%.
T
They make up the other 10%.
T
I really feel our Biologist are doing the best they can especially with what they have to work with.Sometimes we are quick to criticize when we don't have a clue of a better way,me included! My intentions are to reframe from this kind of posting and commenting as it accomplishes nothing!
My .02 cent worth.
My .02 cent worth.
What does it matter how many there are there is no need for these surveys if you think about it the honest hunting clubs are going to manage there property no matter if you can kill unlimited deer or 10 and the ones that arent dont care about the law anyway so make up a law and stick to it just like corn there are stores that sell more corn than cokes for it to be illegal to corn up in GA every corner store sells it so some body is buying it and useing it just my .02 cents worth.
Recognizing that hunting season has been open for several months, the current population is probably between 610,000-630,000. However, by June it will be back up around 1.1-1.2 million.stumpman said:I say 1.5 million deer in GA whats your guess? remember i dont live or hunt in GA i just like talkin to you bunch a huntin nuts.
Neither one will be right because no one knows for sure how many there are for sure .
Which brings me to pointing out an issue that I haven't yet seen given as a reason for seeing fewer deer this time of year. Hunting season has been in for over 3 months and people are harvesting deer; therefore, yes there are less deer available and you will see less deer as a result. Then add to that abundant food availability across most of the state, practices that don't make deer work for living in some places, 3 months of hunting pressure on those that have managed to survive this far, and others that have forced deer to change their patterns or be killed. How many hunters have really changed their patterns (remember, Woody's members are not likley to be representative of the mass of hunters)? Other factors include, in particular, how many weekends of rain have we experienced? Does this or does it not, on average, affect hunter behavior and activity? How mnay folks will recall all this next year, when , if we have a poor mast year, deer seem to be everywhere? Not many, short-term memories that concentrate on the bad and disregard the good. Hence, the ambiguous repeated statement, "Its worse than its ever been."
Legal challenges that an agency will lose when they have sound scientifc basis and defendable data for defending management practices, including hunting. Evidence of this goes back several years and even this year across this Nation. We are also required by law to gather and report this data to the General Assembly.stumpman said:
zirc_99
Member
thanks to all that responded to my thread......
I've hunted both north and south of the Mason Dixon Line and was surprised at how liberal some of the southern states are when it comes to "tagging".
Most northern states are VERY "testy" when it comes to tagging. (of course they seem to have the resources to tabulate the data and ENFORCE tagging regs)
I just have the gut feel that a small percentage of people are slaughtering everything "brown", and skewing the data.
I too have spent a lot of time in Ohio, and the observations by others on this board are accurate. You see more, and have the opportunity to shoot more than here in GA.
It would be interesting, and possibly quite revealing, to do a "compartment study", using present data collection methods; and then do multiple "flyovers" using both visual (daytime), and infrared (nightime) deer counts.
I've hunted both north and south of the Mason Dixon Line and was surprised at how liberal some of the southern states are when it comes to "tagging".
Most northern states are VERY "testy" when it comes to tagging. (of course they seem to have the resources to tabulate the data and ENFORCE tagging regs)
I just have the gut feel that a small percentage of people are slaughtering everything "brown", and skewing the data.
I too have spent a lot of time in Ohio, and the observations by others on this board are accurate. You see more, and have the opportunity to shoot more than here in GA.
It would be interesting, and possibly quite revealing, to do a "compartment study", using present data collection methods; and then do multiple "flyovers" using both visual (daytime), and infrared (nightime) deer counts.
ill work cheap if i get to hunt all the hot spots. Well,
Since all of the post about numbers have been posted,I have tried to determine how many deer are useing on my farm.It is 400 acres with about half in woods and crp.I watch the crossings and normal sign each day.I have roads and rv trails all over.Some days I am sure the herd on the farm is gone,then the sign appears everywhere.I still don't know a lot more than I did.Point being,400 acres is nothing compared to the entire state!
JBowers,I have walked a mile in your moccasins sir.I salute you for your efforts of trying to report an accurate number of animals.Without a doubt your calculations are complicated and very time consuming to say the least.I don't know how you biologist do as well as you do?
Since all of the post about numbers have been posted,I have tried to determine how many deer are useing on my farm.It is 400 acres with about half in woods and crp.I watch the crossings and normal sign each day.I have roads and rv trails all over.Some days I am sure the herd on the farm is gone,then the sign appears everywhere.I still don't know a lot more than I did.Point being,400 acres is nothing compared to the entire state!
JBowers,I have walked a mile in your moccasins sir.I salute you for your efforts of trying to report an accurate number of animals.Without a doubt your calculations are complicated and very time consuming to say the least.I don't know how you biologist do as well as you do?
