Let’s look at just CNCs map and think logically about what it would look like if you’re were to overlay a breeding map on top of it. Virtually unlimited doe killing in the northern 70% of the state thru the first second and third rut cycles, while extending the season an additional 10 days insures that vitrually every doe shot from December on, in the north zone, has or will have been bred since breeding is over by mid Jan. No additional does will be bred after season closes. Deer kills in the northern 70% of the state are declining in all counties, in some counties drastically.
Meanwhile, the southern 30% of the state now gets to hunt at least the first cycle of the rut and the northern counties in the south zone might have some that cycle in a second time right there before the season goes out. Meanwhile, bucks are still breeding does all February and into March. The extreme southern portion of the state along the FL line, barely gets to hunt the rut at all, as it comes in even later. So a large percentage of their does end up being bred outside of the season dates. Guess what, the extreme southern counties of the state are showing by far the largest harvest increases which would, in theory, indicate an expanding population or more harvest opportunities.
It’s real simple, trends start to show up after years of change. It took a number of years for people to see a noticeable decline in the population after the state went to unlimited doe days which in turn led to a wholesale doe slaughter. Now that we’ve had the extended season (and unchecked doe killing) pretty much statewide, for multiple years, you’re seeing the same thing. It is especially prevalent in the area of the state where the extended season it is not needed for hunters to be able to hunt the rut and the extended season is actually detrimental to bred does surviving, which is the northern 70%. I agree with extending it in the south portion so that they actually get to hunt the rut like the northern guys have always been able to do.
The key is, you need your bred does to survive hunting season to produce next years fawns. Assuming natural mortality is the same statewide, The higher the % of your bred does that get killed In hunting season, the less fawns you’ll take into the next season. If every doe you kill has been bred and breeding is completely over for the year, 20-30 days before the season ends, (north zone) your population will suffer (northern 70%). If some of the does you kill have been bred but your bucks continue breeding for a month and a half after the season closes, you’ll still have a large number of bred does surviving and fawning the next summer thus the population will maintain its self (central and northern part of the south zone). If the majority of your does are bred at the very end of the season and after the season closes, most of your does will fawn and you’ll have more deer the following years available to be killed or a still expanding population (Extreme southern counties in the state).
And yet, the majority of people STILL say that "we need to kill more does". Even in areas where the hunting is absolutely, unbelievably bad. People hunting in some of those counties go all year and see single digits of deer in an entire season.
I really don't want any more rules, but doe killing is usually not good in areas with very few deer.
