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Here is how deer harvest estimates have and remain to be determined: http://www.gohuntgeorgia.com/node/3335. Tags were not used to determine annual deer harvest even when we had them. In fact, compliance estimates when tags were requested to be mailed in at year's end was 10% or less!

Statute mandates that the Wildlife Resources Division managed the State's wildlife resources based on the scientific principles of wildlife management.

While telechek and phone reporting systems can be valuable technology for facilitating law enforcment efforts, they are not scientifically reliable for determining accurate harvest estimates. Whether mandated, or not, individual compliance is an individual decision the same as the current harvest record (also a law enforcement tool; not a harvest reporting tool). The systems also cost money - far more money than the current annual scientific survey WRD conducts.

The annual WRD harvest survey costs less than $50,000 per year. A telechek system for Georgia would cost in the range of about $200,000 per year and a telephone check system would cost in the range of $400,000 per year. These two check systems at best would only provide a minimum REPORTED harvest, although they could provide some "gee-whiz" real time information that may be of more interest to hunters than biological management of the deer herd (e.g., real-time county reported harvest). The telechek and telephone check system would not produce or provide a scientific defensible or reliable estimate of deer harvest, so the current method of annual survey would still be required. Thus, in a nutshell - WRD could go from spending less than $50,000 to meet it statutory mandate for scientific management of deer to spending in excess of $250,000.

Would spending $200,000 more dollars help you sleep more comfortably at night? feel better about deer management in GA? gain your trust in GA's deer harvest estimates? Why? Not saying telechek and telephone system checks are ALL bad, just is not a decision to be taken likely, lots of questions to ensure spending dollars wisely and justifying the value gained.

WRD continues to monitor the availability and use of telechek and telephone reporting systems. WRD also discusses the use of and problems with these systems with other agencies that use them in other states. Just like most of us didn't run out and buy flat screen TV technology when it first became available, there can be value in letting others go first and waiting until product is more dependable and versatile at a much cheaper cost! At some point, WRD is likely to develop and institute use of such a system as an additional tool to the current scientific survey. Designed right and for a more reasonable cost, such a system could generate some "cool" information, but its use scientifically would be very limited.

BTW, physical tags would cost in excess of $400,000. It also is not a harvest reporting tool, but a law enforcement tool. What happens when some one claims to have "lost" their tags. DO we issue them more. What evidence of "lost" is requried. How much more are you willing to pay to get physical tags. Etc, etc, etc.

Just offering some food for thought! Please continue on with ya'lls debate!

One last question: When Georgia implements a telechek or phone checking system and the minimum reported harvest estimate from that system is reported. And, the scientific harvest survey is conducted and the harvest estimate generated (which is more often to be higher than the telechek/telephone system) is also reported, which one are you going to believe or trust more? Why?
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