Game Check #'s so far

https://game.dcnr.alabama.gov/Deer/State.aspx



Shane

surprised to see Jackson Co. leading in number of bucks killed. Don't know if that's good, bad or neither. Too bad there isn't info. on what the age of the bucks are.

Lauderdale and Limestone are beating Jackson by quite a few.

Total deer reported so far 2013-2014 [ at the time of this post]: 7248

Total deer killed in Alabama 2012-2013 266,700

7248 / 266,700 = 2.71 percent of deer killed last year reported so far this year

266,700 – 7248 = 259,452 difference so far

259,452 / 64 days left in deer season = 4053 per day to catch up with last year



... and that's with an "OVERWHELMING MAJORITY" of hunters in support of Game Check

.


i ain't saying nothing . lol

I guess Baldwin county doesn't count

Way to much time for math means less time hunting.

Matt, I didn't look close enough I guess. Even more surprised that Limestone and especially Lauderdale are at the top...

It would be interesting to see why those counties are leading...more bucks killed due to a higher number of yearling bucks being killed, these counties are just doing exceptionally well and have a lot more bucks than a lot of other counties, more man hours in the woods or are more hunters calling in their kills from these counties than others? There sure is a lot left to be determined.

Matt, what is the state hoping to learn from these numbers, considering the probability that a lot of hunters aren't calling in their kills and there is no info. on the ages of the bucks being killed? Not complaining, and if it's just a warm introduction to a more informative reporting systems then even better.

I was thinking the total numbers looked extremely low, like 9er said.

Where did the 266K deer number for last season come from? How accurate is it? State don't know how many me and my son killed last year, so I guess you should add 4 bucks and about 15 does to that total. How are we to know there won't be that many this year?

According to my friend that hunts in Florence, they are rutting up there right now and do so every year about this time. This would help explain the # of bucks being killed there.

I can tell you the answers to all the questions you ask about Limestone Co. The first thing you need to know is that you are hard pressed to find a track of land over 300 acres in Limestone co. Every little parcel is being hunted inside and outside the city limits by people who are scared that the one and two year old bucks will jump the fence and their neighbor will kill them which they will. Most people in Limestone co like to parade their
70inch stud bull around town, get their picture in the paper, and are loving that they can call someone and tell them they shot a deer. The common comment is how he was a big ol bodied deer and in reality he was a 2 yr old that tipped the scales at about 125 live weight. I wish like hell we would go to one buck per year to stop the madness in this part of the world.

By the way our mature deer have not chased hard yet in Limestone but most will argue that point because they kill the first dink they see sniffing at a doe and say they were chasing hard. Thanks to the Limestone co idiots this is the cream of the crap county in the state to deer hunt.

If the survey is statistically valid as it should be....they don't need to know how many deer you and you son killed to figure out with reasonable accuracy how many deer were killed last year.

2Dogs,


266,700 + 19 = 266,719

7248 / 266719 = 2.72 percent


Feel better now??

since we are doing some guessing, I will say the state can look at how many license were sold by county or zip code and do some guesstimating of their own.

How many deer are actually taken each season....the world may never know..

Think yer numbers are wrong.

Game check is great. Too bad it isn't mandatory.

Lol, bad day at the office?

Yelcka is right tired of all this bullchit if its brown its down up here mentality I know we cant save all the 2 yr old deer from the fate most get up here but limiting bucks to one or maybe 2 with one requiring 4 on one side sure would help up here, not cutting back on doe harvest but what do I know?

More illegal QDM guvment regs, you gonna get it now!

2Dogs,


OK. Then let's double the number to be sure all of the deer killed were counted, including yours and your kid's.


7248 / 533,400 = 1.36 percent of deer killed last year reported so far.


There's still not quite a VAST MAJORITY of hunters supporting it now, is there?

Yep but oh well just my thoughts on it sure would be nice to grow some high 40's or 50's EVERY year!

I think if they were to let each club or group turn in their records as a whole; then the real harvest numbers would probably be more accurate.What do y'all think of this idea. I am sure it would not be a 100 percent by no means; but I believe the data would be far more factual than on an individual level. Even if you don't hunt with a group it would still be more likely that an individual would probably turn in his or her numbers after season. Also what would be wrong with having it where you could just simply keep your totals and say mid February everyone turns your data in by say any given certain day. By doing this even with it not mandatory I feel like most people would abide because of their curiosity and some simply want to see statistics. Just a thought . What do y'all think?

Of the 120 bucks killed and reported in limestone co I would put every dollar bill in my wallet on the table and bet that les than 5 of those deer were 3 yrs old or older. Hey I am all for hunting and harvesting game but we still have guys around here killing every buck that walks into killing range and they are not stopping at there three. I have known guys my entire life here that kill 20 to 30 bucks a year and you couldn't melt all the racks down and pour up a 130" rack. Pitiful! These people I speak of are not the ones reporting there deer either so how bad does that skew the numbers.

Yelcka is absolutly correct with his observation of Limestone County. I live in West Limestone, and in my area every spike that takes a step in daylight and alot of times after dark, is gunned down like there is no tomorrow. And pertty much the same goes for doe's. It is amazing that the population is as good as it is. I guess deer migrate down from Giles county ever year and replenish the population.

If you want to just kill one buck per year, then go for it. I prefer you didn't try and push your thinking down my throat. Just because they say you can kill 3 bucks, doesn't mean you have to. I think everyone should be able to manage their own property by their own standards,. I don't want the state forcing someone to manage their property for trophy deer, if thats not what they want. I believe in QDMA, not TDMA. Just because i believe in QDMA, doesn't mean i want to force it down some else's throat.

Blumsden, I am not trying to push anything down anyones throat. I am not for bigger government or regs but you didnt understand what I was saying. Limestone co is THE smallest county in the state of alabama geographically speaking. We have a huge problem with the way our game laws currently read due to the make up of our county. How would you like it if turkey season opened in 1997 like it did for us with a 10 day season and enough birds to hunt. Fast forward to 2005 and we had 30 days to hunt and no population left. The majority did not move out they were slaughtered by every redneck in this county. As a dyed in the wool turkey hunter I know better that to de bird an area but when you have hundreds or idiots shooting them with rifles during deer season and then killing every jake, hen a gobbler they see we end up like we are now. No huntable population and no help from the state to correct the cause or the effect. The deer are going to meet the same fate. We have the fastest growing urbanization in the State of Alabama due to Huntsville and Madison. That brings more people to our small county that want to go out and kill a deer. Hell I don't care if they open the rest of the state back up to a buck a day but we sir do not need three UNMANAGED buck tags in our county. By the way my entire rant is about people making un educated guesses on why Limestone co and others that were named are killing so many bucks. We dont need one more sob from out of town hunting in this area. Its like me saying that a certain guys living room must be a hot bed for good looking single receptive females because he is married or has a daughter. Enough said.

I understand perfectly the fact they don't have to know every deer that was killed state wide.

What's wrong with what we've already got???


220-2-.73 The Alabama Cooperative Deer Management
Assistance Program

Section 1. The Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries of the
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources shall
administer a program entitled "The Alabama Cooperative Deer
Management Assistance Program" to improve management of white-tailed
deer through cooperative agreements with landowners and hunting clubs.

Section 2. Each prospective participant shall submit an application
on a form to be supplied by the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater
Fisheries. Each application must be accompanied by two copies of a map
of the area to be included in the Deer Management Program that are of
sufficient detail to allow the area's boundaries to be readily determined.
Cooperators in Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Districts 1-2 and 3-5
shall have at least 200 and 500 contiguous acres, respectively. Approval of
the application shall be at the discretion of the Division of Wildlife and
Freshwater Fisheries. Each landowner/club approved shall be termed a
"cooperator."

Section 3. Each cooperator shall designate a person with authority
to represent all parties with a controlling interest in hunting activities on
the land to serve as the cooperator's contact with the Division of Wildlife
and Freshwater Fisheries.

Section 4. The Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries shall
designate a Wildlife Biologist, knowledgeable in deer management, as the
agency's contact with each cooperator.

Section 5. Cooperators must abide by all hunting laws and
regulations. Failure to do so shall be cause to terminate participation in
the Deer Management Assistance Program.

Section 6. Each cooperator shall make a written statement of its
deer management objectives. Those objectives must be within the
capabilities of the harvest and management strategies that can be applied.

Section 7. Each cooperator shall collect specified biological
information from deer harvested and submit the data to the Division of
Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries as directed. Failure to do so shall be
cause to terminate participation in the Deer Management Assistance
Program.

Section 8. Information concerning past harvest, existing conditions
and deer management objectives will be considered in the development of
a deer management and harvest strategy for each cooperator. Harvest of
unantlered deer will be prescribed as appropriate.

Section 9. Harvest of unantlered deer outside the regular Hunter's
Choice hunting season will be allowed only where appropriate to meet the
deer management objectives of the cooperator. The number of unantlered
deer to be taken, dates of harvest and bag limits will be designated and
shall be by written permit as approved by the Division of Wildlife and
Freshwater Fisheries Director based on recommendations submitted by the
Wildlife and Enforcement Sections. The regular Hunter's Choice hunting
season shall not apply to the extent of its conflict with the provisions of
said permits.

Section 10. Any person hunting on areas included in the Deer
Management Program shall comply with all applicable laws, rules, and
regulations, including those relating to the wearing of hunter orange.

Section 11. The Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries shall
provide the cooperator a report based on the biological information
submitted.


pp. 38-39 Alabama Regulation 2013-2014, Game, Fish, Furbearers and Other Wildlife



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


220-2-.22-.208ER Wildlife Management Areas and Sanctuaries
Established

(1) The areas and refuges described in paragraph (2) hereof are hereby
established as "wildlife management areas." The boundary lines of
these areas and refuges shall be as they are described on the revised
maps attached hereto and made a part hereof as though set out herein
in full.

(2) The names and counties of these areas and refuges are as follows:
Autauga County Community Hunting Area (Autauga); Barbour
Wildlife Management Area (Barbour, Bullock); Black Warrior
Wildlife Management Area (Winston, Lawrence); Blue Spring
Wildlife Management Area (Covington); William R. Ireland, Sr. -
Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area (Bibb, Shelby);
Choccolocco Wildlife Management Area (Cleburne, Calhoun); Coosa
Wildlife Management Area (Coosa); Crow Creek Management Area
(Jackson); David K. Nelson Wildlife Management Area (Sumter,
Greene, Hale, Marengo); Frank W. & Rob M. Boykin Wildlife
Management Area (Washington, Mobile); Fred T. Stimpson
Community Hunting Area (Clarke); Freedom Hills Wildlife
Management Area (Colbert); Geneva State Forest Wildlife
Management Area (Geneva, Covington); Grand Bay Savanna
Community Hunting Area (Mobile); Hollins Wildlife Management
Area (Talladega, Clay); James D. Martin - Skyline Wildlife
Management Area (Jackson); Lauderdale Wildlife Management
Area (Lauderdale); Little River Wildlife Management Area (DeKalb,
Cherokee); Lowndes Wildlife Management Area (Lowndes);
Mallard-Fox Creek Wildlife Management Area (Morgan, Lawrence);
Mud Creek Management Area (Jackson); Mulberry Fork Wildlife
Management Area (Walker, Tuscaloosa); Oakmulgee Wildlife
Management Area (Bibb, Perry, Hale, Tuscaloosa); Perdido River
Wildlife Management Area (Baldwin); Raccoon Creek Management
Area (Jackson); Riverton Community Hunting Area (Colbert); Sam
R. Murphy Wildlife Management Area (Lamar, Marion); Scotch
Wildlife Management Area (Clarke); Seven Mile Island Wildlife
Management Area (Lauderdale); Swan Creek Wildlife Management
Area (Limestone); Upper Delta Wildlife Management Area
(Baldwin, Mobile); W. L. Holland and Mobile-Tensaw Delta
Wildlife Management Areas (Baldwin, Mobile); Wolf Creek
Community Hunting Area (Walker, Fayette); Forever Wild Gothard-
AWF Yates Lake Wildlife Management Area (Elmore); North Sauty
Refuge (Jackson); and Crow Creek Refuge (Jackson)…


220-2-.55 Wildlife Management Areas, Community
Hunting Areas, Public Hunting Areas, and
Refuges of Alabama

(1) It shall be unlawful on ALL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS,
COMMUNITY HUNTING AREAS, PUBLIC HUNTING AREAS,
AND REFUGE AREAS, all of which are established as "wildlife
management areas" by Rule 220-2-.22 and all of which are
hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to herein as "AREAS" or
"AREA":

… (q) To transport deer killed during gun hunts from any AREA before
being checked at the designated checking stations for scientific
data, except on David K. Nelson, Grand Bay Savanna, Riverton,
Upper Delta, W. L. Holland and Mobile-Tensaw Delta, Wolf
Creek, and Forever Wild Gothard–AWF Yates Lake AREAS or to
transport turkey without reporting as specified for each AREA.



pp 79-82 Alabama Regulation 2013-2014, Game, Fish, Furbearers and Other Wildlife

... Alabama instituted the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) to work with landowners and lease holders to understand the consequences of overpopulation. Included in the program was a method for does to be removed from the herd through a tag system.

“We made an intensive effort on the Deer Management Program in the mid ’80s and early ’90s, when we didn’t have liberal doe harvest, to educate the hunters about doe harvest,” Moody said. “When we first started the DMAP, a lot of clubs saved the tags until late in year. They thought they would wait and a lot of deer didn’t get harvested.

“Our wildlife biologists worked closely with DMAP Cooperators and those who were taking does began to see results. Although many had concerns initially about the number of does to be taken, they began to get confidence in what we were doing. Then we moved into the statewide liberal harvest, got the message out and the public has become more knowledgeable about the need to manage does through proper.”

The educational campaign has become so successful that Alabama hunters now harvest more does than bucks. The 2003-04 Hunter Harvest Survey reveals that doe harvest comprised 54 percent of the total deer harvested and, similarly, 52 percent according to the 2004-05 survey.

“We expect it to fluctuate from year to year,” Moody said. “But you’ve got to consider how much progress has been made. It used to be 70:30 bucks to does. It was tremendously skewed toward buck harvest.

“Today, clubs can get help from the wildlife biologists to determine what needs to be harvested to maintain healthy herds. Because we have a very liberal season, it gives hunters and clubs the opportunity to make the decision. The season framework allows the opportunity for hunters and managers to reach goals for each individual tract they hunt. But, the liberal bag limit was never meant to encourage hunters to take a buck every day of the season.”

when i checked in my last deer it said that jackson co. had over 4000 deer killed and limestone co had 300. thats 10x the amount. that chart must be from youth day because last I checked Madison co had over 1000 deer killed.

Deer Management Assistance Program Changes Encourage Enrollment


The Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) has made two significant changes to its Deer Management Assistance Program (DMP). Starting with the 2012-13 hunting season, the enrollment fees will be dropped, and a series of regional meetings will be conducted by WFF biologists to collect the data gathered by participating hunting clubs.



The WFF’s goal is to enroll 400 to 500 hunting clubs scattered evenly across the state in order to collect enough data to help it better understand and manage the state’s deer population. During the 2011-12 hunting season, only 104 participating hunting clubs were enrolled in the program.



Hunting clubs in all parts of the state with 500 acres or more are especially encouraged to enroll in the program. Clubs in the northern part of the state with less than 500 acres that are interested in participating in the DMP are encouraged to contact their district office to discuss enrolling in the program.



According to WFF Wildlife Section Assistant Chief Ray Metzler, participation in the DMP is a win-win situation for both the hunting clubs and the WFF. “Hunting clubs and deer managers will receive free professional technical assistance from a WFF wildlife biologist regarding habitat management, harvest recommendations, breeding chronology, population dynamics, and other facets of white-tailed deer management,” he said. “The WFF will receive much needed age-specific harvest data from hunting clubs throughout the state.”



The DMP was started in 1983 with 10 hunting clubs. Participation quickly grew to approximately 2,200 hunting clubs and included more than 12 percent of the state’s land area. Enrollment in the program declined significantly over the past decade as a result of the liberalization of the statewide antlerless deer hunting seasons. The decline in participation resulted in less age-specific data available to WFF biologists to use in assessing the health and condition of Alabama’s white-tailed deer population.



“By lowering the barriers to DMP participation we hope to ensure the long-term health of the state’s deer herd,” said Chris Cook, WFF Deer Project Study Leader. “Alabama’s hunters are vital to that effort.”



DMP participants are required to obtain sex, weight, lactation rates, antler measurements, and other data for all deer harvested during the hunting season. Hunting clubs interested in partnering with the WFF to assess and better manage local deer populations can enroll in the program by contacting their district office. WFF District Wildlife Office contact information is listed below and can also be found online at outdooralabama.com.



WFF District Wildlife Office Contact Information:



Montgomery Headquarters

(334) 242-3469



District I

Counties: Blount, Colbert, Cullman, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Walker, and Winston.

(256) 353-2634



District II

Counties: Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Randolph, St. Clair, Talladega, and Tallapoosa.

(256) 435-5422



District III

Counties: Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Shelby, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa.

(205) 339-5716



District IV

Counties: Barbour, Bullock, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, and Russell.

(334) 347-9467



District V

Counties: Baldwin, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Washington, and Wilcox.

(251) 626-5474

so you want to say that we shouldn't kill 3 bucks because the people youv'e known all your life are killing 20 to 30 bucks a year. why should we only shoot one buck so that they can shoot 20 or 30. sounds like its time for them to pay up. ive found most outlaws would be more than happy to snitch you out 10x faster.

In less that 12hrs I have proved my point. The majority of hunters in Limestone co have so little dirt to hunt on they can not stand the thoughts of letting any buck walk. I hope yall kill every last dang one of them! Yall get on down the Wal Marts and buy some more bullets. Oh and make sure you tell everyone exactly where you killed it when you put your picture in the Athens news paper.

We need some revisions to the DMAP program and the buck limit both.

DMAP should be changed so that the total number of both bucks and does to be killed is set for the total management unit instead of allowing an individual bag limit for each hunter for bucks. The cooperators can then decide how they want to divide the allotment among the participants. That may involve more or less than a statewide bag limit for individual hunters, depending on the site-specific conditions.

The deer killed on one management unit should not count against the hunter's statewide bag limit. An individual hunter should be allowed to hunt on more than one management unit, a state WMA, or open permit public land without being restricted to one arbitrary statewide bag limit. Bag limits should be set for the management unit and then allotted to individuals hunting on that unit, not for the individual hunter statewide.

State management areas should do something similar. The total number of deer of both sexes that are allowed to be killed on the management area should be determined, and bag limits for individuals should depend on the total for the management area. The deer killed on that particular management area should not count against a statewide bag limit.

There are 32 management areas in the state that are independent management units. Deer killed on Skyline WMA have no effect whatsoever on the deer on the Barbour WMA.

The hunter's bag limit for a particular management unit should not count against an individual's statewide bag limit.

Yelcka I agree with you 100%. If the county was not in such close proximity to Giles county there would not even be a huntable population of deer to hunt. I know in the mid 90s in Sept. you could ride around in the afternoon in the area I live and easily see over 100 deer now you are lucky to see a couple. I am fortunate enough that my property borders a land owner that has a large track (for Limestone County) and does not allow hunting so I still see deer often. But as you said earlier turky's are a thing of the past.In the 1990s you could here them in the spring anytime you went outside. Now they are completely gone. There are 0 turkey in a area where 15 years ago they were everwhere.

Can anyone answer or provide a theory as to how the State determined the amount of deer that was killed last year? And also, the State must already know that only a certain percentage of deer will be reported on the Game Check system. I wonder what percentage they will assume? Will they look at other state's Game Check numbers vs. actual data? Will our State still determine to amount of deer we kill using the same approach as in previous years (which refers back to my first question). Haaa, the more I think about this the more questions I have!

Start at the front of this report. It explains how the survey is conducted, etc.

2012-2013 Hunter Survey Report *** click here ***


Don't overlook this:



There are 32 state wildlife management areas along with DMAP management units where plenty of hard biological data is collected all across the state.

Aint it great to live in a country that gives us the freedom to do this?.....



...until someone who knows alot more than the rest of us want to impose their opinions on how the rest of us should live.

One question...how is a one buck limit gonna change this? If they are not obeying the law now, why would they stop at just one?

Democrat

We have been a 3 buck club since 89. Last year we went to 2. It makes you look at them a little longer. I have 2 months to kill one more buck. I will be sitting down in the creek waiting on a good one.

Anyone else besides shocked to see Lamar Co so low on the numbers?

Those numbers are a joke.

Out of curiosity, if we had a bonafide mandatory tagging/reporting system the numbers in Limestone County were found to be truly low enough to suspend all deer hunting in the county for a period of at least a decade, would that be OK?

No deer hunting whatsoever. None. For at least 10 years. Same thing for turkeys.

All good with that?

Lamar hasnt got started good yet , those numbers will greatly increase over the next month .

[quote=Clem]Out of curiosity, if we had a bonafide mandatory tagging/reporting system the numbers in Limestone County were found to be truly low enough to suspend all deer hunting in the county for a period of at least a decade, would that be OK?

No deer hunting whatsoever. None. For at least 10 years. Same thing for turkeys.

All good with that?

/quote]

Sure, no problem. I have land else where.

As a mater of fact I have told our wardens and several other die hard turkey hunters agree that they need to close our season in limestone for several years. Hell what difference would it make? You can't kill what's not there!

Agree with the poster above. Those numbers are meaningless.

My opinion, it's a joke. People are not reporting deer they are killing. I was hoping it would be around 50% reporting but based on the numbers so far, it looks to be about 1 out of 50 deer or less being recorded. You can't make any decision with only 5% of accurate information. Which begs the question, should it have stayed mandatory?

Seat belts were optional for a while and when they made them mandatory, compliance went up. We now have a generation that instinctively wears them. Probably won't be the same for hunters reporting deer.

It's baffling to me why folks wouldn't report harvested deer.

Dr. B

I checked the numbers at Venison Creations in Camden on 12/01/13. There had been 512 deer turned in to be processed. The owner said at least 75% were from Wilcox County. As of today 12/17/13, 129 have been reported to Game Check. I don't know what to take form this but I was very disappointed in the difference in the numbers.

Jackson 135 220 362

looks like Jackson is where we all need to be huntin

What concerns me about Jackson, well pretty much all of the state is the number of does to bucks being shot. I know the numbers ain't right, but what is there doesn't support a good buck/doe ratio it doesn't seem like to me.

because ,,,,,

seat belts save lives .
counting dead deer does not help manage the herds .

The State's stance on seatbelts is a joke.

I hope the State is smart enough to know that if only a small percentage of deer are being reported that it isn't the same percentage for does and bucks if they try to extrapolate the data somehow. I bet a much larger percentage of does is reported than bucks considering you can only kill 3 total bucks in a season as opposed to 2 a day for does for the most part.

5054 does reported
3746 bucks

yeah sure.....

It goes on everywhere. we need a tag system for bucks.

Why? Just because you want it?

The low participation indicates most hunters don't want crap like that forced on them.

Mandatory seat belt usage - that is, you'll get a citation if caught without it and/or other penalties - went into effect after the Feds threatened to withhold gas/road tax money returned to the states if they didn't go along with seat belt enforcement.

It wasn't because states and the citizenry went "Oh, let's all participate." Seat belts had been in vehicles for years. The states just hadn't been blackmailed yet to set and enforce any penalties for not wearing them.

True, and wasn't making the drinking age in all states 21 part of that "deal" ?

8800 deer reported / 266,700 deer killed last year = 3 percent

The limestone county posters are correct in the fact these people believe in if it's brown it's down! My wife and I own only a small amount of acreage and we love to just see all the animals while out hunting. We have one neighbor that shoots about every day and I'm sure isn't checking in all his kills! The reporting system is a joke in Alabama. But multiple deer a day is also. I mean can you really eat 30 deer a year? Just wanted to get my rant in also

just throwing this out there, but does anyone think that reporting by processors would yield more accurate numbers?

i know there are those that clean their own but maybe processors could get the numbers a little closer to accurate...

Doc, I agree. I asked a friend, who recently commented to me that he had no intention of participating if it wasn't mandatory, why not? His reasoning was, "What if I see a great deer after I've already killed three? I can't pass him up, especially if it's a once in a lifetime buck. If I report my three and then get caught at the processor or the taxidermist with #4, I'm stuck paying a huge fine I cannot afford. If I don't report any, they have no way of knowing if this is #1 or #4."
At least he was honest with me.

if it was mandatory he could still do the same thing . the 24 hour gives people the chance to cheat .

why would they , i would damn sure not .

i would not ask them to keep up with it aint thier place too .

Amen 49er

People cry and cry until to gov gets involved (then they have a real reason to cry)

When has more government involvement ever resulted in ANY improvement in anything? Forget hunting I'll take anything as an example. Healthcare, welfare, schools?

http://www.alafarmnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=74%3Adecember-2006&id=640%3Aalabamas-deer-herd&Itemid=23&6ed3af3a7fb3f305843385fa292f20df=a83c6e4

once again

congratulations to Limestone co. hunters they are reporting their deer probably at a higher rate than any other co. Limestone is known for not having too many deer and yet a large amount of deer have been reported. I just found out that I alone reported 1% of the deer killed here. The only thing those numbers show is that people don't report their deer. limestone co. has a real lack of woods due to all the farm land. it also has a lot of hunters. i also believe the numbers are high here since the rut has already come and gone, but don't worry the rut is heading east, and it is heading south and pretty soon there will be big numbers everywhere.

You make a good point, and I'm glad they did the repopulation efforts.

I just think we should be careful what we ask for in terms of more regulations because they seldom give up power once they get it.

Remington270,


Let's be clear. Game Check has nothing to do with repopulation and conservation of the species.

Game Check is nothing more than an attempt to satisfy the liberals who want their 3 buck limit to be strictly enforced.

There is a huge difference in conservation and replenishment of wildlife and attempts to micro-manage a particular species.

The general public supported conservation. Our legislature passed our game and fish laws. Those laws are a reflection of the public sentiment.

Game Check and quality deer management rules are the result of a small group of men who want to force their theories on the public while bypassing our legislative process. The low participation in Game Check is a reflection of the sentiment of the public as well.

49er,

I consider you an intelligent man. Yet, when you spew BS like this it makes me wonder!

How do you know what the crafters think? Do you have the ability to read minds?

The reason there is low participation could be that it is voluntary and therefore everyone knows it won't be adhered too and accurate. But, once again I guess you are a mind reader and know the truth.

Your distain for the DCNR and government in general become more apparent with every post.

The FACT is if it weren't not for the DCNR and the government deer and turkey would be gone from Alabama just like the elk are gone. You can't have unregulated hunting and maintain a healthy population of animals.

I have to agree with 49er. Anyone who is a big supporter and in favor of the game check system would definitely be calling their kills in.......voluntary or not. Looks like its a pretty small percentag right now.

I have turned in all of my kills so far. I dont have a problem with reporting to help give them data, but I do not think it should be mandatory. A hunter survey after the season would likely have a higher percentage of participation than what we are seeing now.

My biggest gripe is the harvest record system. Its a joke and a complete waste of time.

Elkhunter,


I've read their own words describing their purpose in the public records of the Advisory Board of Conservation.





My disdain is for any public official who violates his oath to support our constitutions.

That is not disdain for government in general. That is disdain for people who want to take our government down the path to anarchy instead of adhering to the principles of a constitutional republic as they have sworn to do.

CNC, do you think there could be any correlation between low participation and lack of knowledge about the "NEW" game check system? I've called in my kills but if I didn't get on this site, I'm not sure I'd know about the game check system. I doubt the avg hunter reads the game law publication so how are they supposed to know. I bet there are also a lot of hunters in SW bama that didn't know their season was closed until they either got busted or someone told them.

Ignorance is not an excuse but ignorance can't be underestimated. You can't go from the most liberal game laws in the country to trying to implement a tagging system, call in system, etc. and expect immediate compliance or participation. Over time it will happen and it would be sooner than later if the DCNR would find some better ways to communicate these changes to the general hunting public than just through the hunting reg pamphlet.

Not sure what percentage of non respondents that it would account for but no doubt lack of knowing is playing some role. My family is a prime example. When I mentioned it to some of them before season they were like "Huh?????". Didn't have a clue about it. Most of them are older and just not "wired" in like the younger generation. That actually points to another issue of trying to make it mandatory. If large groups of hunters still don't know about it after all the hoorah this year then some other methods will need to be used to reach them over time.

For the record all mine have been called in. I'll support it as long as its voluntary.

I called all of mine in also. I just think most people wont do anything they are not required to do. What if we had voluntary bag limits or seasons they wouldn't work either. If it is gonna stay voluntary people won't do it and it is an even bigger waste of money.

I have not called in squat, And i dont really plan on calling in anything either. Waste of time

The numbers are a joke

I agree communication is key. But, don't we as hunters have the responsibility to check each year on the updated game laws and regs? I know I pick up the digest each year and read the what's new section or whatever it is called.

I have hunted in several states and I will say without a doubt we have the simpliest game laws/regs of any of the states I hunted. I mean in some states you have rules for each drainage for fishing. You have different rules for each county for hunting. I mean it takes a lawyer to figure out what to do in each location.

I have to give 49er credit, at least he fights what he disagrees with. Many hunters/fisherman simply go ahead and do what they want to do. So what if they kill 10 bucks in a season.

Like I said, ignorance isn't an excuse, but you can't underestimate it either and it's definitely a factor. I'm just saying, I bet the avg. "law abiding" hunter in AL. doesn't read the digest every year. We are in the "in" cause we spend too much time on this forum. LOL...

I agree our laws are simple (except for the baiting debacle) so simple that it's going to take some getting used to for the avg. hunter to do anything other than pull the trigger, field dress and take to the processor..

So how is the virtual de-regulation of wild hog hunting working out?

I heard about game check here, in the regulations booklet, on TV, in the local newspaper, on the DCNR website, from friends, at a civic club, and I believe it was in both the electric coop's magazine and the farmer's coop magazine.

Wow, you are really tuned in but I'm thinking the same hunters that don't read the reg book probably don't go the the DCNR website. civic clubs and electric/ farmer's coop magazines probably will reach a couple of hunters out there What percentage of people in AL. still read the paper??? Glad to see it was advertised in other places than the reg book, but if it were me, I'd advertise at Wal-mart and hunting stores. Maybe hand out a flyer to customers... just a thought.

I have called 2 in. It just takes a few minutes.

I've talked to several hunters who thought Game Check was still mandatory.

I haven't talked to any who didn't know about it at all.