Deer harvest down 12%: Acorns blamed.

danb · Dec 19, 2014

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/belair/ph-ag-deer-hunting-1219-20141218-story.html

"Whenever we have a good acorn year, our deer harvest drops because deer do not move as much in search of food," Brian Eyler, deer project leader for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, wrote in an email Thursday. "This makes them more difficult to hunt."

Also... higher birthweight fawns in the spring.

I dunno... I feel like I'm seeing the same number of deer as usual. True, I'm seeing a huge crop of acorns. What we need is snow to get the deer moving.

traveller · Dec 19, 2014

Maybe the harvest is down because the rules are so bizarre and all but the most determined have given up on the activity ?

JPG · Dec 19, 2014

This is the first year in decades that I haven't hunted. Didn't even buy a license.

CaptChaos · Dec 19, 2014

I haven't been seeing anything this year. Even in bow season before firearm season started, which is when I usually see tons (always too far to shoot an arrow through, of course).

Vandy · Dec 19, 2014

We have about the same number of deer as any other year. Unfortunately, once bow opened they all went nocturnal....that usually doesn't happen until just before shotgun season for us, but the cameras showed it almost right after the season opened.

We are averaging about one sighting per 20 hunting hours.

Marshmallow · Dec 19, 2014

Seeing more than ever...

fabsroman · Dec 19, 2014

There are deer all over the place by me. Thing is, I am willing to bet that the warmer weather has allowed them to feed less frequently and to feed when they so desire. It was the same way with the geese in November. Hardly any movement from the birds. I don't think there has been a single day yet where I have said to myself "Damn, it is cold outside." When it isn't cold, they don't consume calories keeping their body heat up and therefore don't have to feed as often. It allows them to lay low. Also, without any snow cover on the ground, they have plenty to eat. Heck, the grass on my lawn is still green and I have seen them grazing on lawns in the evening.

mark71211 · Dec 20, 2014

Wondering what the % of hunter are this year. Also you got to factor in the new buck rule change and how many little bucks that would have been shot but instead have walked this year cause of it.

foxtrapper · Dec 20, 2014

My deer herd went almost totally nocturnal after opening day rifle in Cecil. Plenty of deer back in there too. Game cam and my own hunting tells the story. LOTS of acorns in the mature wooded part, and I'd say they are well fed between that and noshing off my corn pile. My doe had a lot of fat on her.

Reloader · Dec 20, 2014

That's strange, I'm surrounded by oaks and don't have any acorns this year. Usually it's like walking on marbles out there...plenty of deer around.

Inigoes · Dec 20, 2014

Yeah,

They are nocturnal. Also the deer are bedding in the 150 yard safety zones.

I had to laugh the other day in firearms season. The state game lands parking lot was full of hunters cars, and a doe was munching away calmly by the entrance way from the road. lol

rdc · Dec 20, 2014

Reloader said:
That's strange, I'm surrounded by oaks and don't have any acorns this year. Usually it's like walking on marbles out there...plenty of deer around.

Same situation with the acorns at my place. Very few this year and the ones I did have we're very small.
I don't really ever have deer where I'm at.

iH8DemLibz · Dec 20, 2014

Saw 29 deer last opening day.

Saw no deer this opening day.

They are almost non existent this year.

Something happened or is happening.

Hope next year is better.

Kman · Dec 20, 2014

I'm seeing a lot less deer.

Usually early AM I can see them moving in the tree line about 175 feet behind the house.

Maybe my eyes are worse, but I haven't seen any this year.

rdc · Dec 20, 2014

iH8DemLibz said:
Saw 29 deer last opening day.

Saw no deer this opening day.

They are almost non existent this year.

Something happened or is happening.

Hope next year is better.

Man made Global Warming. :outta her

ohen cepel · Dec 20, 2014

Warm early season and not allowing Sunday hunting (in my county at least) hurts.

Taking Sunday is taking 1/2 of many people's seasons. I could see no firearms on Sunday but if forced to use a pointy stick (archery) I don't see why I can't hunt on Sunday.

tdt91 · Dec 20, 2014

At my in laws place they have not been seeing deer this year either. I hunted it two years ago and took two deer. Didn't hunt it last year. I plan on going out this afternoon. There are signs of deer there but I didn't see any tree rubs where I used to see lots.

Erno86 · Dec 20, 2014

Most likely...it's consecutive early muzzleloader seasons taking its dreaded toll on deer, that most don't even have the chance to breed before being shot. IMHO --- it's due to the Maryland DNR being in cahoots with the automobile insurance industry, in order to decimate the whitetail Maryland deer herd.

molonlabe · Dec 20, 2014

Couple of smash ups of the liberal tree hugging people in maryland of their (beamers, Prius, insert here) then they can petition Annapolis to move the deer crossing signs to a less traveled area.

I don't know about the rest of the state but owings mills is awash with deer.

iH8DemLibz · Dec 20, 2014

rdc said:
Man made Global Warming.

New alien spacecraft that run on venison.

Deer harvest down 12%: Acorns blamed.

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