Deer hunting success

Achucker

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https://www.google.com/amp/s/bismar...afe5be05-13bf-524c-99c1-b28f9aa599ef.amp.html

I've always said the gnf doesnt give me a tag because their success rate would go up because I'm so leathal. Maybe there is something to that. Lol:;:

Seriously. Would like to hear opinions on why success rates are so low. My guess is people getting tags and not using them. Either tag soup or dont go out. I get the tag soup but why apply with intentions to hunt but dont even go out. Some guys wait a long time and put in a lot of effort to fill them.
 


Meelosh

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Not finding deer on the public land/open private land they usually hunt and not asking/getting permission on private land that’s holding deer. And as always, decreasing good habitat.
 

NDSportsman

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I never understood why GNF goes by success % when setting tag numbers. I know a lot of people that pass on many deer and never fill their tags. It had nothing to do with low deer numbers. Some people just like to hunt. GNF is still stuck in their old ways.
 


Duckslayer100

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I think most buck hunters are a lot picker now then they were 10 years ago. It's more difficult to get a tag, so when they do, they're holding out. Sometimes it pays off, other times it doesn't. I was fortunate in the past two years I shot what I felt were respectable bucks on opening day on public land.

For instance, when I first started hunting ND back in the early 2000s, our group of 5-6 guys would have plenty of buck tags and multiple doe tags. We weren't too picky as we primarily only hunted opening weekend. Many bucks that weren't "trophies" got a free ride in a pickup bed. Now, my entire hunting group only hunts MN where they purchased land. So I'm alone. I'm not as picky as some guys, but I have standards I try to follow since I know buck tags aren't an every-year or even every-other-year occurrence for most guys.

I do still feel more and more people, in general, are supplementing with archery hunting. I'd like to see those success rates. No doubt they're less than rifle, but compared to other states in particular, I'd wager ND archery success is higher on average (at least for WT ... mulies not so much).
 

SDMF

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I'd love to assign blame to a lot of things, but, specific to fall of 2019, the single largest factor has to be all of the water.

Row crops were standing. Beans were standing. Water in sloughs was well outside of the cattails so unless you're hunting cattails in chest-waders..........

Minus some paradigm shift whereby row crops are greatly reduced, I think one can expect lower success and hunter-day participation rates any year in which harvest is "behind schedule".
 

Meelosh

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I forgot about that SDMF. A shit ton of standing crop last fall certainly had an effect.
 

SDMF

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I do still feel more and more people, in general, are supplementing with archery hunting. I'd like to see those success rates. No doubt they're less than rifle, but compared to other states in particular, I'd wager ND archery success is higher on average (at least for WT ... mulies not so much).

Cut/paste from the linked article in the OP:

A total of 27,582 archery licenses were issued, with 21,960 bow hunters harvesting 8,978 deer -- 7,988 whitetails and 990 mule deer -- for a 41% success rate.


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I forgot about that SDMF. A shit ton of standing crop last fall certainly had an effect.

I took the pup for a drive yesterday and saw someone harvesting corn..............
 

shadow

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From what I have seen in the last 2 years, our rut has been weird to say the least. There seems to be a very short window of great daylight activity. Additionally, the pre-rut 2 years ago was led by intense 2 days, but last year, well it never seemed to happen while I was in the stand nor on my cameras, there just was not the deer movement as in the past.

There are few hunters, but lots of coyotes, so perhaps that is why they are nocturnal? But the rut has been abnormal where I am to say the least.
 


SDMF

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From what I have seen in the last 2 years, our rut has been weird to say the least. There seems to be a very short window of great daylight activity. Additionally, the pre-rut 2 years ago was led by intense 2 days, but last year, well it never seemed to happen while I was in the stand nor on my cameras, there just was not the deer movement as in the past.

There are few hunters, but lots of coyotes, so perhaps that is why they are nocturnal? But the rut has been abnormal where I am to say the least.

The full moon in opener certainly didn’t help either.
 

Duckslayer100

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Cut/paste from the linked article in the OP:

A total of 27,582 archery licenses were issued, with 21,960 bow hunters harvesting 8,978 deer -- 7,988 whitetails and 990 mule deer -- for a 41% success rate.

I'm a dolt. I totally missed that in the article.

41% is incredible. To put it in perspective, I think that's even higher than rifle success for the entire state of MN.
 

SDMF

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I'm a dolt. I totally missed that in the article.

41% is incredible. To put it in perspective, I think that's even higher than rifle success for the entire state of MN.

“Sound-Shot” hunters have got to be statistically significantly less lethal........
 

NDSportsman

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Deer hunting and hunters have changed a lot since I started back in 1985. Just about everyone that wanted a tag back then got one and most filled them with whatever they had the opportunity. There seemed to be more tags then deer back then but success was always around 70% because people shot whatever they could. People relied on the meat more back than IMO. Now days hunters care more about the hunt and time spent with family/friends and less about filling the tag just to fill it or for the meat. IMO GNF needs to adjust their tag allotment to actual deer numbers rather then success % because that doesn't really reflect the amount of deer like it used to back in the day. They should have a much better idea of actual deer numbers now days.

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I'm a dolt. I totally missed that in the article.

41% is incredible. To put it in perspective, I think that's even higher than rifle success for the entire state of MN.
Gotta remember most of this "data" is guestimates from the few surveys they actually get filled out. Wouldn't take many to skew the numbers one way or the other.
 

LBrandt

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My tag got filled out the kitchen window due to stepping in a badger hole after getting a new hip. I crossed that off my bucket list. Many thanks to a buddy of mine that helped me get it back up to the house and gutted out.
 


Duckslayer100

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Gotta remember most of this "data" is guestimates from the few surveys they actually get filled out. Wouldn't take many to skew the numbers one way or the other.

True, but statistical accuracy would be relevant to the overall pool versus percentage of respondents. Plus, there's no way to judge if folks are being truthful or dishonest. But I'd think it's the 80/20 rule, which is what the GF bases things off.

The only way around that would be a mandatory registration. Which would go over like a fart in church.

Until then, this is probably the best we can hope for.
 

zoops

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Just running through my brain of 20 people I know who deer hunt most years, I'd say 6 or 8 will do whatever they can (hunt every free day, etc) to get a deer or just have really good land where it's almost guaranteed unless they're super picky and usually do fill out. Another 5 or 6 just go because their family or friends do or just ride along for a weekend and could care less if they fill out. The other 6 or 8 hunt a weekend or two and put in a standard effort and often get a deer (pretty much where I fall). Gotta remember that many just don't try that hard or care if they fill out so ~60% seems very realistic. No doubt there are guys that work very hard to get a deer and sometimes don't but that's part of the game.
 

Fly Carpin

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hunter-success-table-493x760.jpg
 

shadow

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There is no way of knowing what is harvested or not. You can say all you want that people are honest, but it just is not true. So many people would screw their family members or neighbors for a dollar, you think they will be honest or even fill out a survey? Fat chance on that happening.
 


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