2017 State Park Deer Reduction Results

[greg]

2017 Summary Eighteen state parks (including one natural area and one recreation area) required deer reduction in 2017. The first two day hunt was held Nov. 13 and 14 and the second was held Nov. 27 and 28. A total of 1,158 deer were harvested with4,348 hunter efforts across two, two-day reductions. The mean 2017 H/E was 0.28, which is a slight increase over the 2016TH/E of 0.27. In 2017, Trine State Recreation Area (SRA)hosted its first reduction. Archery equipment was required and16 hunter efforts yielded two deer harvested, for a H/E of 0.13and a H/Mi2 of 6.9.

https://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/sp-DeerRMRR.pdf

 

[Mark 1911]

I wish they would stop this already. I don't understand why they need to do this year in and year out. Since they have started this, I see significantly fewer deer in the the area I hunt. If it hasn't decimated the herd, it sure isn't far from it.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I wish they would stop this already. I don't understand why they need to do this year in and year out. Since they have started this, I see significantly fewer deer in the the area I hunt. If it hasn't decimated the herd, it sure isn't far from it.

Stop hunting in state parks! Its illegal!

 

[spencer rifle]

I wish they would stop this already. I don't understand why they need to do this year in and year out. Since they have started this, I see significantly fewer deer in the the area I hunt. If it hasn't decimated the herd, it sure isn't far from it.

Well, you certainly can't blame me. Two full days at Chain O Lakes and I didn't even SEE one - until on the way out. A big doe was standing next to the road right by the entrance station. I swear it was sticking it's tongue out at me, but my hunting buddy says maybe it accidentally got a mouthful of garlic mustard and was trying to spit it out.

 

[Mark 1911]

Stop hunting in state parks! Its illegal!

I see the purple. But let me just throw this out there. Winamac State Fish & Game Area is directly across Highway 35 from Tippecanoe State Park. The same deer share both areas. Deer hunting at Winamac is WAY DIFFERENT than it was back in the 90s and the early 2000s. I used to see herds of deer at Winamac, not uncommon to see groups between 10 and 20 deer. I haven't seen that large of a group in at least 5 years. Deer hunting at Winamac has taken a huge hit because of the Tippecanoe reduction hunts, deer hunting at Winamac has really suffered because of it.

I thought the purpose of the DNR was to protect the herd, and to preserve hunting, not to destroy both. But I think the top management at the DNR are being owned by the big insurance companies. Some of you will say that's just another tin foil hat conspiracy theory. But talking to the worker bees at the Fish & Wildlife areas, they don't like the reduction hunts either, because they like to hunt just like the rest of us. How far down does the herd actually need to be "reduced"? It's really sad that Indiana's deer herd is being so poorly managed. This could be a much better state for deer hunting than it is.

 

[JimH]

I wish they would stop this already. I don't understand why they need to do this year in and year out. Since they have started this, I see significantly fewer deer in the the area I hunt. If it hasn't decimated the herd, it sure isn't far from it.

IDNR = Incompetents Doing Nothing Right.
=

 

[Mark 1911]

IDNR = Incompetents Doing Nothing Right.
=

 

[Hookeye]

Heard way back that lots of deer used to hang out at Tippy..........safety zone (from Winamac).
Also heard that the high deer number meant lots of deer ticks........and that Lyme disease prompted the reduction at the park.

 

[bstewrat3]

I am have been doing the reductions for quite a few years and have had decent results. I don't doubt that it is reducing the herds, but I think the low success rate is also a result of impatient hunters who are heading out of the woods at 10am to drive around trying to spot them from the road.

 

[spencer rifle]

The ONLY purpose of DNR is not to preserve hunting and protect the herd. There are other factors also, like the destruction of low level plant life and destruction of ground nesting bird habitat. I remember several prominent state parks where you could see long distances through the forest because all the vegetation up to 5 or 6 feet off the ground was missing. That included all the wildflowers and cover for other animals. Deer were way overpopulated in those areas, and the habitat was paying for it. DNR has multiple management objectives and multiple pressures from various interest groups. People come to state parks to see deer, but also to see wildflowers and hooded warblers.

I used to live next to a national park where hunting was not allowed. I helped them with deer population surveys and know exactly what problems occurred. Normal deer population density is around 12-15 deer per square mile. That park had areas with around 100/mi2. One year 50 fawns were found starved to death, their stomachs full of sumac bark since that was about all that was left to eat. Since we have eliminated all the large predators, we (or our cars) must do the job.

Sure, DNR should tweak their numbers on occasion. But with all the competing pressures and management objectives, I think their resoning is sound.

 

[two70]

I see the purple. But let me just throw this out there. Winamac State Fish & Game Area is directly across Highway 35 from Tippecanoe State Park. The same deer share both areas. Deer hunting at Winamac is WAY DIFFERENT than it was back in the 90s and the early 2000s. I used to see herds of deer at Winamac, not uncommon to see groups between 10 and 20 deer. I haven't seen that large of a group in at least 5 years. Deer hunting at Winamac has taken a huge hit because of the Tippecanoe reduction hunts, deer hunting at Winamac has really suffered because of it.

I thought the purpose of the DNR was to protect the herd, and to preserve hunting, not to destroy both. But I think the top management at the DNR are being owned by the big insurance companies. Some of you will say that's just another tin foil hat conspiracy theory. But talking to the worker bees at the Fish & Wildlife areas, they don't like the reduction hunts either, because they like to hunt just like the rest of us. How far down does the herd actually need to be "reduced"? It's really sad that Indiana's deer herd is being so poorly managed. This could be a much better state for deer hunting than it is.

The DNR's job is to protect the deer herd and the habitat not to provide hunters with lots of targets. The extremely high deer density that you want is not sustainable long term, eventually the deer will destroy the habitat (as they were doing in the State Parks) and disease will do the job that hunters complain about the DNR trying to do.

 

[JimH]

The DNR's job is to protect the deer herd and the habitat not to provide hunters with lots of targets. The extremely high deer density that you want is not sustainable long term, eventually the deer will destroy the habitat (as they were doing in the State Parks) and disease will do the job that hunters complain about the DNR trying to do.

I call BS on this-back 25 years ago we had y more deer than we have now-10-20 times as many.Never heard of CHD,eHD or any of the other alphabet diseases.Damage in parks? At least in Versailles they have done far more damage with dozers than the deer ever did.

 

[Willie]

The ONLY purpose of DNR is not to preserve hunting and protect the herd. There are other factors also, like the destruction of low level plant life and destruction of ground nesting bird habitat. I remember several prominent state parks where you could see long distances through the forest because all the vegetation up to 5 or 6 feet off the ground was missing. That included all the wildflowers and cover for other animals. Deer were way overpopulated in those areas, and the habitat was paying for it. DNR has multiple management objectives and multiple pressures from various interest groups. People come to state parks to see deer, but also to see wildflowers and hooded warblers.

I used to live next to a national park where hunting was not allowed. I helped them with deer population surveys and know exactly what problems occurred. Normal deer population density is around 12-15 deer per square mile. That park had areas with around 100/mi2. One year 50 fawns were found starved to death, their stomachs full of sumac bark since that was about all that was left to eat. Since we have eliminated all the large predators, we (or our cars) must do the job.

Sure, DNR should tweak their numbers on occasion. But with all the competing pressures and management objectives, I think their resoning is sound.

THIS...

The DNR is charged with managing ALL wildlife not just deer..

 

[patience0830]

I call BS on this-back 25 years ago we had y more deer than we have now-10-20 times as many.Never heard of CHD,eHD or any of the other alphabet diseases.Damage in parks? At least in Versailles they have done far more damage with dozers than the deer ever did.

I can remember Brown County State Park before they started the deer reduction hunts. Absolutely nothing green in the browse zone. If the deer could reach it, it was gone. The does were about 2/3 the size of normal deer today at 3yrs old. No cover for turkeys or other ground nesting birds. Even the amphibians and the snakes were having a hard time.
I'm grateful that has changed.

 

[JimH]

I can remember Brown County State Park before they started the deer reduction hunts. Absolutely nothing green in the browse zone. If the deer could reach it, it was gone. The does were about 2/3 the size of normal deer today at 3yrs old. No cover for turkeys or other ground nesting birds. Even the amphibians and the snakes were having a hard time.
I'm grateful that has changed.

I agree with the way Brown Co.was,the problem I have is the way they keep pounding the parks.Between my neighbors,who don't hunt or live on their land and I we have close to 100 acres with park on 3 sides,on a dead end road.At the 6 month period of owning this land,and living on it,I had seen a total of 3 deer.This farm has been in my family for 80+ years and I don't believe a deer has been killed in 20+ years.At the 6 month period I had also seen 3 bald eagles,which is great,but they are tough and smell like fish when you cook them.

 

[Willie]

I agree with the way Brown Co.was,the problem I have is the way they keep pounding the parks.Between my neighbors,who don't hunt or live on their land and I we have close to 100 acres with park on 3 sides,on a dead end road.At the 6 month period of owning this land,and living on it,I had seen a total of 3 deer.This farm has been in my family for 80+ years and I don't believe a deer has been killed in 20+ years.At the 6 month period I had also seen 3 bald eagles,which is great,but they are tough and smell like fish when you cook them.

Marinate them in apple cider for a couple days first...

 

[two70]

I call BS on this-back 25 years ago we had y more deer than we have now-10-20 times as many.Never heard of CHD,eHD or any of the other alphabet diseases.Damage in parks? At least in Versailles they have done far more damage with dozers than the deer ever did.

Ten to twenty times the number of deer?? Try 10%-20% more deer.... maybe. Even that is probably on the high side. EHD outbreaks occurred in Indiana at least as early as the early 80's and it was relatively well known disease already then. CWD was known in western states at least as early as the 70's but it wasn't found in eastern states until the 90's.

 

[JimH]

Ten to twenty times the number of deer?? Try 10%-20% more deer.... maybe. Even that is probably on the high side. EHD outbreaks occurred in Indiana at least as early as the early 80's and it was relatively well known disease already then. CWD was known in western states at least as early as the 70's but it wasn't found in eastern states until the 90's.

I guarantee you that in Ripley Co.,at least around Versailles park we have less than 10% of the deer that we had 30 years ago.Never heard of CWD or EHD in the area until 8-10 years ago,and have seen no indication of either around my property.I own and live on the farm I was born on.Growing up in the early sixty's it was a big deal to see 2-3 deer on the farm-then the population boom in the 70's-saw 41 deer in one 5 acre field at one time behind my garage-no EHD or CWD around.Hasn't been a deer killed off of my property in 20 years.Probably see 1 deer a month,despite food plots and 3000+ acres of park joining me.

 

[Restroyer]

I guarantee you that in Ripley Co.,at least around Versailles park we have less than 10% of the deer that we had 30 years ago.Never heard of CWD or EHD in the area until 8-10 years ago,and have seen no indication of either around my property.I own and live on the farm I was born on.Growing up in the early sixty's it was a big deal to see 2-3 deer on the farm-then the population boom in the 70's-saw 41 deer in one 5 acre field at one time behind my garage-no EHD or CWD around.Hasn't been a deer killed off of my property in 20 years.Probably see 1 deer a month,despite food plots and 3000+ acres of park joining me.

My In-Laws live right next to Versailles Park (they walk across the street and it's Park Property) and they have told me the same thing Jim H is saying: that the Versailles Park and surrounding areas deer population is scarce. The reduction hunts have had a huge effect on the deer population. My Mother in law volunteers at the Park and they walk parts of the park almost every day. They see the same results that JimH sees over the past 20 or so years.

 

[Fordtough25]

They may be thinner around the park but they're all over east of there along 50! Normal to see 8-10 per field at dusk in the fields and many hit along side the road.