Game Management Criteria used to extend deer Season

[Meat Hunter]

Can anyone please tell me why the Georgia Department of Natural resources, Game Management Division decided to extend the deer season in Georgia? Was there a study done that I am not aware of where they discovered an over abundance of deer? Also what was the criteria used to extend the buck only season in both Chestattee and Coopers Creek WMA's i.e. Dec 27-Jan 1?

 

[Meat Hunter]

I guess not

You mean none of the DNR employees who regularly monitor this site can give an explanation? Your silence speaks volumes......

 

[cowhornedspike]

As far as "extending" the season in general, all they did was make it a statewide season rather than a north-south difference and that meant that the south half of the state got a little shorter season and the north half got a little longer one.

This was done after MANY public hearings and MUCH discussion that you apparently missed...sorry. It was discussed heavily here on the GON forum. You had the same opportunity as the rest of us to give them your opinion before the change was made.

 

[PappyHoel]

It's taking longer to fill 12 tags for subsistence hunters. Therefore the season needed to be extended in north Georgia too.

 

[Meat Hunter]

Again other than public opinion which is usually pretty subjective, what science was used if any at all? I mean hunting public land specifically in the N Georgia mountain region, i.e. Coopers Creek and Chestatee WMA's. Did anyone conduct a study on these areas? I guess many of you guys don't get out of the office that much, but the numbers are down up there. As far as private lands have at it. If those hunters haven't figured out that most does have been bred by January and they are killing next years bucks, well as Forrest Gump once said stupid is as stupid does......

 

[Gaswamp]

Again other than public opinion which is usually pretty subjective, what science was used if any at all? I mean hunting public land specifically in the N Georgia mountain region, i.e. Coopers Creek and Chestatee WMA's. Did anyone conduct a study on these areas? I guess many of you guys don't get out of the office that much, but the numbers are down up there. As far as private lands have at it. If those hunters haven't figured out that most does have been bred by January and they are killing next years bucks, well as Forrest Gump once said stupid is as stupid does......

the same science that gave southern zone baiting.

 

[Crakajak]

Again other than public opinion which is usually pretty subjective, what science was used if any at all? I mean hunting public land specifically in the N Georgia mountain region, i.e. Coopers Creek and Chestatee WMA's. Did anyone conduct a study on these areas? I guess many of you guys don't get out of the office that much, but the numbers are down up there. As far as private lands have at it. If those hunters haven't figured out that most does have been bred by January and they are killing next years bucks, well as Forrest Gump once said stupid is as stupid does......

It doesn't matter when you kill the does...you are killing future generations of the deer herd.

 

[tree cutter 08]

I'd rather them close it on January 1st, AND close the cnf on the same day also instead of the 26th. Not enough deer killed that that week to hurt anything since its buck only. Swallows was open also that week too and I bet there was only a handful of deer killed on all three places. Just another chance to hunt thousands of acres that's only open for rifle season few days out of the season. Most bucks on these wmas are killed during peak rut and outside of peak rut you would think deer don't exist. Also they removed doe days on these wmas thankfully, which should have been done years ago.

 

[elfiii]

As far as "extending" the season in general, all they did was make it a statewide season rather than a north-south difference and that meant that the south half of the state got a little shorter season and the north half got a little longer one.

This was done after MANY public hearings and MUCH discussion that you apparently missed...sorry. It was discussed heavily here on the GON forum. You had the same opportunity as the rest of us to give them your opinion before the change was made.

This. ^ There were all kinds of public hearings and opportunities for input. It was also a recommendation of almost all of the regional subcommittees that participated in formulating the new 10 year deer management plan.

 

[j_seph]

It doesn't matter when you kill the does...you are killing future generations of the deer herd.

^^^^^^this^^^^^^

 

[Rulo]

This. ^ There were all kinds of public hearings and opportunities for input. It was also a recommendation of almost all of the regional subcommittees that participated in formulating the new 10 year deer management plan.

Can someone enlighten me on what .."This.^" and what ^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^ means? Are you in agreement or in disagreement?

 

[Meat Hunter]

So from the response here "cowhorned spike" I gather that there was no real science used in the setting of these dates? I mean no study of deer populations in these WMA-s just uninformed public opinion? I have hunted many of theses WMA-s this past season and I have to tell you there are fewer deer every year. I believe that as Georgia hunters we are being short changed by the miss management of theses WMA-s. I truly wonder what the real reason was for the increased days? Maybe the Georgia Insurance lobby? I mean like in example, the deer baiting policy in south Georgia, who pray tell benefited from feeders being legalized down there? I mean like certain deer feeder companies etc. in that region? What happened to the idea of spreading disease such as chronic wasting i.e "mad cow" disease or hoof and mouth disease?

 

[PappyHoel]

So from the response here "cowhorned spike" I gather that there was no real science used in the setting of these dates? I mean no study of deer populations in these WMA-s just uninformed public opinion? I have hunted many of theses WMA-s this past season and I have to tell you there are fewer deer every year. I believe that as Georgia hunters we are being short changed by the miss management of theses WMA-s. I truly wonder what the real reason was for the increased days? Maybe the Georgia Insurance lobby? I mean like in example, the deer baiting policy in south Georgia, who pray tell benefited from feeders being legalized down there? I mean like certain deer feeder companies etc. in that region? What happened to the idea of spreading disease such as chronic wasting i.e "mad cow" disease or hoof and mouth disease?

The Georgia house of reps sets the day's based on recommendations from DNR. DNR has meetings with all the old retired statists that have nothing but time on their hands and they complain loudly. The complainers get relayed to the Georgia house reps, who then make law.

You can also go complain at the input meetings. I have a job and family so I don't have time to go complain, instead I complain here. Maybe when I'm an old curmudgeon I will participate in the "my way is the right way" Deer complaint sessions with DNR?

 

[cowhornedspike]

So from the response here "cowhorned spike" I gather that there was no real science used in the setting of these dates? I mean no study of deer populations in these WMA-s just uninformed public opinion? I have hunted many of theses WMA-s this past season and I have to tell you there are fewer deer every year. I believe that as Georgia hunters we are being short changed by the miss management of theses WMA-s. I truly wonder what the real reason was for the increased days? Maybe the Georgia Insurance lobby? I mean like in example, the deer baiting policy in south Georgia, who pray tell benefited from feeders being legalized down there? I mean like certain deer feeder companies etc. in that region? What happened to the idea of spreading disease such as chronic wasting i.e "mad cow" disease or hoof and mouth disease?

The Georgia house of reps sets the day's based on recommendations from DNR. DNR has meetings with all the old retired statists that have nothing but time on their hands and they complain loudly. The complainers get relayed to the Georgia house reps, who then make law.

You can also go complain at the input meetings. I have a job and family so I don't have time to go complain, instead I complain here. Maybe when I'm an old curmudgeon I will participate in the "my way is the right way" Deer complaint sessions with DNR?

LOL no use discussing facts with you. "A man convinced against his will remains a man unconvinced still"

Bye

 

[tonyrittenhouse]

I to have a problem being able to go to these meetings. I work second shift and there is never really a meeting really close to were I live. So, I send my comments in by computer. But, I can't help but feel that my words would have more impact if they could be heard than read on a computer. Anyway I have really complained about one specific WMA close to were I live ( JOHNS MTN. WMA ) and nothing seems to be done. It gets worse every year as far as deer hunting goes and nothing seems to be done. I see comments people write on Facebook and other places on the computer about how bad the deer population has gotten on the wma and a lot of people thinks it needs shut down for a few years to deer hunting. I am one that agrees it should be shut down but, then again nothing is going to be done so I give up.

 

[Rulo]

I went to the meetings (2 of them), a lot of my fellow rabbit hunting people went, I wrote letters, voiced my concerns,,,,,spoke to my state rep....dont extend the deer season......DNR didn't listen.....the fix was in......between insurance companies and a pro deer hunting DNR staff..who are on this very forum everyday....we didn't stand a chance......

Now that its in place and were looking at deer season being extended to January 31st.........its easy to start questioning why we need game management period.

What do they do other than set game dates and post little yellow Wildlife Missing Area (WMA) signs on trees?

I am not talking about Game Wardens....we need them...........I am talking about Game Management..............why do we even pay for them? DO we need people like this on state payroll?

If the deer population is so stable .........that we can have a deer season that runs from September 9th through January 14th, much of it either sex..... and soon to be January 31st......and we are a one game animal state (deer) why do we need game management?

It would be so much cheaper if the state simply contracted with a private entity for recommendations on the condition of the deer herd and all but eliminated game management............

 

[Meat Hunter]

Drain the swamp

I'm with you Rulo and Tonyritten, the WMA's really should be called Wildlife missing areas! Unless you go to the crowned jewel Charlie Elliot WMA, which looks like a model WMA, most of the WMA-s in this state are grossly over hunted, not managed at all other than the ever increasing obsession with killing deer. Forget small game rabbits, bobbed white quail, ruff grouse, they worry about the red cockadded woodpecker ! They used to say that they had 40 deer per square mile, I doubt it seriously. You might have ten in the Piedmont region and maybe 5 in the mountain WMA-s. Like I said in my earlier post, these goverment employees don't get out of their offices much. They like their jobs but hate their positions. Where is the science behind your changes in the deer seaason, wheres the beef boys? I don't buy it and i'm out there all the time. There are large areas in these WMA-s that have little or no wildlife at all.

 

[Rulo]

The Georgia house of reps sets the day's based on recommendations from DNR. DNR has meetings with all the old retired statists that have nothing but time on their hands and they complain loudly. The complainers get relayed to the Georgia house reps, who then make law.

You can also go complain at the input meetings. I have a job and family so I don't have time to go complain, instead I complain here. Maybe when I'm an old curmudgeon I will participate in the "my way is the right way" Deer complaint sessions with DNR?

Yes they do (The Georgia house of reps sets the day's based on recommendations from DNR) The same guys(DNR Game Management......) who are on this very forum with disclaimers stating that there opinions expressed on here don't reflect those related to their job, or whatever... are the ones making recommendations to the legislators....how convenient.....you work for DNR, get on GON, tell us how deer hunting is your passion.....push deer hunting....and then make recommendations for an extended season and then bump it up a week every year until January 31st....

as for the rest of us.....oh its go talk to your representative....he will listen.....well I did....he works in my office complex....and described the process as this......the committees make recommendations, and based on the recommendations.......yea or nay on a bill..........everybody votes for it.........regardless of what constituents think......or want done......

and thats whats going on with this deer season extension stuff.....DNR staff...on here.....push for the extended season.....under the guise that there is a hidden 2nd rut in the northern zone.......so we need to extend the deer season......thus the extended season......

in the meantime you have people who run dogs that get there season cut now by 2 weeks because deer clubs don't want you running dogs period when deer season is in.....

and you wonder why some of us don't care for DNR?

especially when a lot of there staff is on here pushing for an extended deer season...talk about a conflict of interest.....

 

[cowhornedspike]

Show me where the DNR staff members are pushing for the season to continue to the end of January. Don't believe you can.

 

[Meat Hunter]

Show me the study they used to increase the deer season????? Crickets=chirp, chirp!