Georgia's Deer Management Plan draft now available for comment

[GTHunter007]

No. What they admitted was we hunters were given the tools to manage our local population, which we asked for by the way, and many of us did the wrong thing and killed too many deer so now "Daddy" has to straighten things out because "Junior" can't always be trusted with the car keys.

As with your driving analogy...you don't raise the driving age to 21 because some 16 year olds got themselves in trouble. Why do you in this case? You don't, you educate the child and let them learn from their mistakes. If they have to ride the bus for a year before they get that...let em. As soon as their friends see them get off the bus (never have a picture to share of success) they might rethink their approach.

 

[elfiii]

Read the survey results...the majority do not feel we are in a bad situation. Apparently it is the majority of people on GON forums however who feel this way though.

I am very familiar with the survey results as well as the scientific data. I served on one of the sub committees.

The survey results do indeed indicate most people are satisfied with the current population but that doesn't discount the fact in two physiographic regions (Mountain and Ridge and Valley) there has been an overall significant decline in the population as well as many areas in the Piedmont physiographic region. That coupled with the declining statewide fawn recruitment rate and the increased doe harvest indicates an adjustment should be made. That is precisely why either sex days were re-instituted last year and continue this year.

In some local areas of the Piedmont region there has been a drastic decline in population over the last few years while other areas still enjoy deer in plentiful numbers. WRD is attempting to address the former without harming the latter.

It's not just the members on here who are complaining about the declining numbers. There are plenty of others who aren't members here and did not respond to the survey or attend any of the public input meetings who see the same thing. The fact you aren't experiencing that problem in your local area does not mean the problem does not exist.

 

[Stingray23]

I remember a few years back maybe 2006-2007 I was at the Venison Shop in Woodbury one November Saturday and folks were bringing deer in by the numbers and they were stacked up like cord wood and I remember Randy shaking his head in disgust saying to me "we gonna run out of deer if we don't quit killing every deer we see" those words have kind of stuck with me through the years....

 

[tonyrittenhouse]

enforcement

I agree that some areas in Georgia are having population problems and other areas are not having problems. I also understand and agree with setting doe days specific for each county if that county is having a population decline. The only problem I have is how will this work without hiring more game wardens to enforce these county restrictions. From what I have seen we are already in need of more enforcement just to enforce the rules we have now. I am not exactly sure but, the area of the state were I am from (North Georgia) the wardens are having to cover 3 counties or more each and when we have a WMA hunt they pull the game warden's from the surrounding areas to help run and patrol the WMA hunt. With a hunt occurring every other week or so once Nov. and Dec. starts who is going to enforce the county regulations? Having new rules to help the declining numbers in certain areas are great but without enforcement I fear the new rules will not have any impact. Is there a plan to hire more wardens?

 

[moodman]

Is baiting allowed in the northern zone or not??

 

[GTHunter007]

Is baiting allowed in the northern zone or not??

No. And WRD is going to suggest it stay that way. At least that is how I interpreted the plan.

 

[308 WIN]

Is there a plan to hire more wardens?

Boy I sure hope so. A much more visible presence of enforcement is something I have always wanted. I for one would gladly pay more for a license if the money was used for more game enforcement in the field. I hate a poacher.

 

[Atlanta Dawg]

Just a Random Thought...

Boy I sure hope so. A much more visible presence of enforcement is something I have always wanted. I for one would gladly pay more for a license if the money was used for more game enforcement in the field. I hate a poacher.

If Baiting were to be Legalized in the Northern Zone-then the Game Warden's presently on staff could concentrate their activities on other more important enforcement tasks such as illegal hunting, night hunting, road hunting, no license, trespassing, over the limit, not enough antlers on one side, illegal doe's, that sort of thing...However...since the WRD is not in favor of baiting I suppose it is same ol'-same ol' !!!

 

[passthru24]

Just wandering why the Lic. fee's are the same in the Northern Zone as the Southern Zone but the NZ does not have the same opportunity to hunt the same as SZ. Such as Hunting with dogs, hunting over bait and a longer season. Seems to me they should make things State wide if the fee's are the same. Also why don't they make a baiting permit to sell for everyone to have to purchase? Wouldn't that help bring in more monies from everyone from every State not just Ga.

 

[passthru24]

The southern zone sure has a lot more pull in the way of politicians. Everyone in the Northern Zone should go to all the meeting and voice the fact that the northern zone should have the same opportunity as the southern zone,,just my opinion.

 

[Atlanta Dawg]

Amen on the baiting fee idea !!

Just wandering why the Lic. fee's are the same in the Northern Zone as the Southern Zone but the NZ does not have the same opportunity to hunt the same as SZ. Such as Hunting with dogs, hunting over bait and a longer season. Seems to me they should make things State wide if the fee's are the same. Also why don't they make a baiting permit to sell for everyone to have to purchase? Wouldn't that help bring in more monies from everyone from every State not just Ga.

I fully support a fee/call it perhaps a permit to - use corn or other similar types of bait- I would propose $50 to $100 per feeder permit fee with no corn or similar type bait just dumped on the ground. If corn as an example is scattered on the ground with no feeder and or no permit big fine-at least $1000 per offense . The benefit to all forms of wildlife is huge. Squirrels, Dove, Hawks, Turkeys, etc...all benefit... I hunt over corn in my southern zone property and it is highly successful. It would work the same way in the Northern Zone and the Game Wardens would be free to concentrate on real crimes.

 

[cowhornedspike]

Just wandering why the Lic. fee's are the same in the Northern Zone as the Southern Zone but the NZ does not have the same opportunity to hunt the same as SZ. Such as Hunting with dogs, hunting over bait and a longer season. Seems to me they should make things State wide if the fee's are the same.

My license doesn't specify which part of the state it allows me to hunt...it says Georgia and that means all of it as far as I know.

 

[fredw]

If Baiting were to be Legalized in the Northern Zone-then the Game Warden's presently on staff could concentrate their activities on other more important enforcement tasks such as illegal hunting, night hunting, road hunting, no license, trespassing, over the limit, not enough antlers on one side, illegal doe's, that sort of thing...However...since the WRD is not in favor of baiting I suppose it is same ol'-same ol' !!!

I fully support a fee/call it perhaps a permit to - use corn or other similar types of bait- I would propose $50 to $100 per feeder permit fee with no corn or similar type bait just dumped on the ground. If corn as an example is scattered on the ground with no feeder and or no permit big fine-at least $1000 per offense . The benefit to all forms of wildlife is huge. Squirrels, Dove, Hawks, Turkeys, etc...all benefit... I hunt over corn in my southern zone property and it is highly successful. It would work the same way in the Northern Zone and the Game Wardens would be free to concentrate on real crimes.

Now Atlanta Dawg, you can't have it both ways.

In one post you want baiting legalized in the northern zone so that those game wardens will be free to chase folks involved in other illegal activities.

In the second post, you advocate a fee/permit to bait. Now, who do you think will be enforcing this? Using your logic, not only will conservation officers in the north be checking bait sites but those in the south will need to do also.

 

[fredw]

My license doesn't specify which part of the state it allows me to hunt...it says Georgia and that means all of it as far as I know.

This.

 

[GTHunter007]

I hunt both zones throughout the year. I have a lease in both zones. Baiting in a big club allowed at will IMO has caused hunting to get harder for those unwilling to pay to throw bait. No longer can a steward of the land, understanding the crops, hard mast and soft mast as the season progresses, show up randomly and confidently hunt a food source or area and be sure the deer travel routes are still the same and not diverting to a bait pile 200 yards the other direction. This will become a bigger problem down the road.

I hope and pray baiting never becomes legal in the northern zone. I love knowing the land well enough to pattern deer without having the influence of another man change their habits.

 

[ShadowHunter]

I fully support a fee/call it perhaps a permit to - use corn or other similar types of bait- I would propose $50 to $100 per feeder permit fee with no corn or similar type bait just dumped on the ground:

$50-$100 per feeder? Sorry. That's insane. How about the same charge per square foot of a man made food plot of cow peas? Is it "baiting" or is it "supplemental feeding"?

 

[tonyrittenhouse]

fee

I for one would not mind paying a fee to be able to bait in the northern zone as long as the money goes to hiring more wardens. There could be a license for baiting not per feeder. I think they could do it like jug fishing for catfish. Require the person to put there name address and license # on each feeder and mark the feeders with some kind of flagging tape.I would pay extra.

 

[Mechanicaldawg]

If Baiting were to be Legalized in the Northern Zone-then the Game Warden's presently on staff could concentrate their activities on other more important enforcement tasks such as illegal hunting, ......

Hunting over bait is "illegal hunting" and it tends to make the illegal hunter easier to find.

It's ironic that those who tend to break that law typically tend to violate others as well and in many cases the GW gets a "two fer".

 

[Gadget]

No. What they admitted was we hunters were given the tools to manage our local population, which we asked for by the way, and many of us did the wrong thing and killed too many deer so now "Daddy" has to straighten things out because "Junior" can't always be trusted with the car keys.

........ so true.

Check the "lease looking for members" section of this forum to see example after example; 30 to 50 acres per member with a "state rules" harvest policy.

 

[Throwback]

I for one would not mind paying a fee to be able to bait in the northern zone as long as the money goes to hiring more wardens. There could be a license for baiting not per feeder. I think they could do it like jug fishing for catfish. Require the person to put there name address and license # on each feeder and mark the feeders with some kind of flagging tape.I would pay extra.

I understand the theory behind that but the problem is then the wardens have to go around checking feeders for compliance. its not a real big change from the current system when you think about it.


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