Deer Harvest Numbers

[doodadswan]

Hello all, I hope you had a great deer season. I know I am sad to see it go.

Please excuse me if this isn’t where this question should go, but I figured GON would be a good source to pose this question.

I have been looking at the harvest results on georgiawildlife.com for a few years and was curious as to why the numbers are so far apart regarding deer harvest results. Maybe I’m missing something. But why are the interactive — Georgia deer harvest dashboard numbers, and the finalized harvest summaries so different? For example, the last year they have uploaded for final deer harvest numbers is 2017-2018 and the interactive results show 184,157 total deer harvested, but the final deer harvest summary states that 381,629 deer were harvested that year.

Just curious as to whether anyone could explain the gap in numbers or clarify how this information is gathered. Thanks in advance.

 

[ucfireman]

I think 2017-18 was the first true year of using the harvest reporting thing. So I think it was still hit and miss if folks reported.
Just a guess.

 

[C.Killmaster]

Hello all, I hope you had a great deer season. I know I am sad to see it go.

Please excuse me if this isn’t where this question should go, but I figured GON would be a good source to pose this question.

I have been looking at the harvest results on georgiawildlife.com for a few years and was curious as to why the numbers are so far apart regarding deer harvest results. Maybe I’m missing something. But why are the interactive — Georgia deer harvest dashboard numbers, and the finalized harvest summaries so different? For example, the last year they have uploaded for final deer harvest numbers is 2017-2018 and the interactive results show 184,157 total deer harvested, but the final deer harvest summary states that 381,629 deer were harvested that year.

Just curious as to whether anyone could explain the gap in numbers or clarify how this information is gathered. Thanks in advance.

The dashboard number is the minimum reported harvest through Gamecheck, the other number is from the telephone survey.

 

[kmckinnie]

The dashboard number is the minimum reported harvest through Gamecheck, the other number is from the telephone survey.

Why is that so different ?
Just wondering. If we check our deer in.

 

[C.Killmaster]

Why is that so different ?
Just wondering. If we check our deer in.

Only around 65% of what's killed actually gets reported.

 

[kmckinnie]

Only around 65% of what's killed actually gets reported.

So what your saying is the phone poll more hunters say I killed a deer than what get reported as required by law.

 

[transfixer]

If they didn't turn it in, I kinda doubt they are going to admit over the phone they killed one ? I know of at least one processor in northeast ga that didn't even want the gamecheck numbers from a hunter who turned in a couple of bucks, so I wonder how close those numbers really are anyway ?

 

[jakebuddy]

It sounds like the whole system is a farce, they have no clue how many are killed, kinda the same reason turkeys are disappearing from the landscape they do a poor job of keeping up with the harvest

 

[Waddams]

they do a poor job of keeping up with the harvest

Not certain "they" do a poor job of keeping up with the harvest, especially with the app now, it's rather easy to keep up if the public at large cooperates and reports their kills. Not so much "they" doing a poor job, it's a poor job of the public cooperating.

My last sit, I got there mid morning. Was going to scout a bit and sit for the afternoon. There was a Jeep Cherokee with a rear cargo carrier mounted on the hitch, had a dead deer strapped in. Little buck, only had one forked antler, the other appeared to have broken off or shed already. I went back to the game check results data that showed the daily reporting. Nothing was ever reported for that particular spot. I didn't take a pic or anything, couldn't tell you what the license plate was, etc. Didn't see anyone either. Whoever did it, they were back in the woods again for some reason. Maybe going to back to a stand or something else they left while dragging their deer out. I didn't come out until after dark, and they wee long gone then.

 

[transfixer]

The thing is if the numbers cannot be counted on as being accurate, then where is the basis for the amount of either sex days a given county or region has ? it does sound like a lot of guesstimating,, in which case I would think they would err on the side of caution when deciding how many either sex days an area has ? I don't see that being the case in recent years, as there seems to be an effort to have nearly the whole season either sex in many areas

 

[Waddams]

The thing is if the numbers cannot be counted on as being accurate, then where is the basis for the amount of either sex days a given county or region has ? it does sound like a lot of guesstimating,, in which case I would think they would err on the side of caution when deciding how many either sex days an area has ? I don't see that being the case in recent years, as there seems to be an effort to have nearly the whole season either sex in many areas

That's what they pay the GA DNR guy's the big bucks - to figure out the methodologies to figure it all out.

Or maybe just look at past trends. If a County's reported harvest drops, cut doe days, etc. If it holds the same, the herd population is likely holding steady.

If it holds the same but is still low, maybe cut doe days too?

There are probably some trends that can be lend to conclusions and relatively good decision making even if the data isn't completely accurate.

 

[transfixer]

That's what they pay the GA DNR guy's the big bucks - to figure out the methodologies to figure it all out.

Or maybe just look at past trends. If a County's reported harvest drops, cut doe days, etc. If it holds the same, the herd population is likely holding steady.

If it holds the same but is still low, maybe cut doe days too?

There are probably some trends that can be lend to conclusions and relatively good decision making even if the data isn't completely accurate.

Actually a few years ago the reported doe harvest dropped, and they increased the doe days,,,

 

[C.Killmaster]

So what your saying is the phone poll more hunters say I killed a deer than what get reported as required by law.

Yep

 

[C.Killmaster]

Actually a few years ago the reported doe harvest dropped, and they increased the doe days,,,

What county are you referring to?

 

[XIronheadX]

Here's some good data for hunters lol. Quick google data.

How many humans are liars?
Search Results

60 percent

The study, published in the journal's June issue, found that 60 percent of people lied at least once during a 10-minute conversation and told an average of two to three lies.

Add that to the totals.

Until humans become honest and accountable I'm glad I don't have the job of our good folks at the DNR do in trying to improve things and keep everyone happy.

 

[Philbow]

But are the research paper authors lying?

 

[Swamprat]

They aren't tracking the deer killed, they are tracking you. Any self report system is a farce.
Hunter shoots first buck and reports, second he does not or reports it as a doe hoping the third or fourth buck that shows up is a biggun. That he reports as his second buck.

Not saying all or like that but there is a good percentage of folks who do not report squat.

 

[transfixer]

What county are you referring to?

Oglethorpe specifically

 

[spurrs and racks]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Milkman]

The same people who whine about possible errors in the current numbers would cry loudest if we were to go to any sort of required physical game check system.
Some folks are built to whine.