Deer numbers down

[oldpink]

It's just anecdotal, but I've seen more bucks (four) this hunting season than I ever have, all but one (that one I shot opening day) just standing in the fields as I was driving past, but that's still quite a number for my area at least.

 

[patience0830]

Kill more coyotes-save more fawns. The epizootic did some damage here but it's been a few years ago now. Herd has been pretty stable. We took 6 the first day of gun between 5 of us. One of my hunters killed 3 coyotes the second w/e.

 

[Willie]

Current reported deer harvest


107,283

From Sept 15, 2016 to Monday, December 5, 2016 as of 4:23 PM CST

DNR: Indiana Deer hunting, biology and management

We are down about 2,000 deer from this time last year.

Keep in mind that the firearm season came in two days earlier this year than last year.. That was two prime days of archery hunting lost.

 

[trapperDave]

Numbers are up in my woods this year

 

[MRP2003]

Numbers were way down in the area that I hunt in Brown County.

Number of big bucks were up in the area that I hunt in Morristown but number of doe was slightly down. Coyotes are thick in that area. Never had luck coyote hunting.

Didn't expect harvest numbers to change much. Don't think CF rifles make much of a difference in wounded deer. If they can't shoot, the type of weapon is not going to make much of a difference.

 

[oldpink]

Numbers were way down in the area that I hunt in Brown County.

Number of big bucks were up in the area that I hunt in Morristown but number of doe was slightly down. Coyotes are thick in that area. Never had luck coyote hunting.

Didn't expect harvest numbers to change much. Don't think CF rifles make much of a difference in wounded deer. If they can't shoot, the type of weapon is not going to make much of a difference.

I agree about the CF rifles not harming the herd numbers, but I would bet that you're less likely to get wounded deer with them, specifically because of the significantly more dramatic wound channels they cause.
Shot placement is key, as with any other gun used, but the deer will almost always go a shorter distance with a high powered rifle shot in exactly the same spot as with any other gun.

 

[MikeBrennan]

I just looked at the current deer harvest numbers for 2016 and it appears that we are only at around 105,000 dear taken so far. Last year we were at around 123,000 deer killed and with muzzleloader And late firearm left I wonder if we will get to that. Looks like the warm weather had an impact. I guess the new calibers didn't bring as much devastation as some thought.

I don't know if there is much to it, but one older hunter I know thinks that in addition to the warm weather the "super moon" has had a role in it....thinks the combination of the two had he deer running around at night vs day even more than usual.

 

[ChrisK1977]

We still have muzzleloader season and antlerless only season to go. I still think even if the numbers would show more deer turned in that we actually have more deer recovered and really had less deer killed. Rifles prolly saved several extra deer being shot because sometimes if a deer goes more than 60 yards after they were shot people won't find them. More precise shot placement. People usually only fill there tags with deer they recovered.

 

[oldpink]

We still have muzzleloader season and antlerless only season to go. I still think even if the numbers would show more deer turned in that we actually have more deer recovered and really had less deer killed. Rifles prolly saved several extra deer being shot because sometimes if a deer goes more than 60 yards after they were shot people won't find them. More precise shot placement. People usually only fill there tags with deer they recovered.

That's only speculation, but the reasoning behind it is sound.

 

[Hookeye]

I agree about the CF rifles not harming the herd numbers, but I would bet that you're less likely to get wounded deer with them, specifically because of the significantly more dramatic wound channels they cause.
Shot placement is key, as with any other gun used, but the deer will almost always go a shorter distance with a high powered rifle shot in exactly the same spot as with any other gun.

Work in a decent sized plant, already heard of a few hit and lost with CF. That doesn't include the missed one's that weren't. Winchester 100gr soft point zipped through my deer, acted as though he was unhurt. No real blood til he covered 40 yards and stopped for a couple secs, then nothing great, but consistent for another 40 where he dropped.
How many other folks used a .243 win and similar bullet type? Double lunged with rib centered on exit.

Definitely will load up some premium bullets for next yr.

A longer shot, could be punched deer that only the yotes find.

 

[Hookeye]

The guys that shot like crap with MZ and shotgun but kept their shots to 100...........proly shoot their CF rifles like crap at 150.
I aint buying the "rifles help in accuracy".
The bore sight morons the night before the opener were keeping sales staff busy after hours again this yr.
Do think the lesser recoil to help decent shooters that are older/injured. But they already know how to shoot.
IMHO the avg deer hunter doesn't.
Hear of too many that think a lead sled or sight vise and a bench is same as field positions.

 

[oldpink]

Work in a decent sized plant, already heard of a few hit and lost with CF. That doesn't include the missed one's that weren't. Winchester 100gr soft point zipped through my deer, acted as though he was unhurt. No real blood til he covered 40 yards and stopped for a couple secs, then nothing great, but consistent for another 40 where he dropped.
How many other folks used a .243 win and similar bullet type? Double lunged with rib centered on exit.

Definitely will load up some premium bullets for next yr.

A longer shot, could be punched deer that only the yotes find.

I'm with you on the idea of going with a premium bullet next go round.
My buck didn't go fifty feet after I clobbered him with the 165 grain Barnes TTSX (a premium bullet if ever there was one) moving along at 2780 fps, staying within visual contact the entire time.
You won't regret spending the extra dollars on a bullet that gives you a better wound channel.

 

[clfergus]

I'm with you on the idea of going with a premium bullet next go round.
My buck didn't go fifty feet after I clobbered him with the 165 grain Barnes TTSX (a premium bullet if ever there was one) moving along at 2780 fps, staying within visual contact the entire time.
You won't regret spending the extra dollars on a bullet that gives you a better wound channel.

I had similar blood trail issues with the Winchester power point 150gr in .308. My deer only want about 60 yards before choking from a double lung shot but the exit wound was very small at the size of a nickel at best. This has caused me to start exploring for a new bullet myself and as I read other state hunting forums and magazine reviews I found that the Hornady American Whitetail ammo might be the answer for 20.00 a box.

I am no bullet expert so I don't really get all the differences between a power point/core-lokt and the Hornady interlock bullet but it sounds like the Hornady is designed to crumple quicker to expand so it can transfer the energy. From what I have read in the thread on INGO I posted as well as real world experience in the other state forums, the round has had a very good success rate with immediate drop kills as well as exit wounds the size of a silver dollar.

You might look at it before spending 40.00 a box.

 

[yetti462]

Work in a decent sized plant, already heard of a few hit and lost with CF. That doesn't include the missed one's that weren't. Winchester 100gr soft point zipped through my deer, acted as though he was unhurt. No real blood til he covered 40 yards and stopped for a couple secs, then nothing great, but consistent for another 40 where he dropped.
How many other folks used a .243 win and similar bullet type? Double lunged with rib centered on exit.

Definitely will load up some premium bullets for next yr.

A longer shot, could be punched deer that only the yotes find.

I started off shooting the Barnes expanders out of my 54 cal Knight muzzleloader years ago. The results were impressive. When I bought my 50cal omega I shot the Barnes expanders, very impressive. The bullets are devastating to deer.

When the wildcat rifles were made legal, I bought a custom .358. Originally I was shooting a 200gr. Hornady ftx bullet out of it. Lame results. I switched to the 200 gr. Barnes and Bingo!!! 2016 rolls around and my favorite Winchester m70 243 is now in the game. It digests sierra 80gr btsp pushed by 37.5gr of imr 4895 well producing clover leaves at 100. A change in the recipe to an 80gr. Barnes resulted in 1" at 100. This combo was good enough so no tweaking was needed.

With this combo I head shot a doe and the results are self-explanatory. The buck that was downed was a 3.5yr old 12pt. He was slightly quartering away at 180yds. Double lung and heart were taken out with an exit through opposite shoulder. The blood trail was minimal due to small entrance hole. Being the exit hole was through the opposite shoulder the blood didn't have time to get from the chest cavity and out of the meat. He went about 15-20 yds before piling up. If he had gone farther I am assuming the blood would have started to pump out. The internal damage was impressive.

The Barnes bullet is a deer slamming pill. I have some 130gr Barnes for my 300 blackout. I will give the results after the antlerless season ends. Based on years of Barnage (Barnes carnage), I'm expecting good things.

I forgot to mention. My elk rifle is a Remington 700 7mm remmag. And you guessed it, 160gr Barnes is what it digests and yes the results are impressive.

 

[oldpink]

I had similar blood trail issues with the Winchester power point 150gr in .308. My deer only want about 60 yards before choking from a double lung shot but the exit wound was very small at the size of a nickel at best. This has caused me to start exploring for a new bullet myself and as I read other state hunting forums and magazine reviews I found that the Hornady American Whitetail ammo might be the answer for 20.00 a box.

I am no bullet expert so I don't really get all the differences between a power point/core-lokt and the Hornady interlock bullet but it sounds like the Hornady is designed to crumple quicker to expand so it can transfer the energy. From what I have read in the thread on INGO I posted as well as real world experience in the other state forums, the round has had a very good success rate with immediate drop kills as well as exit wounds the size of a silver dollar.

You might look at it before spending 40.00 a box.

That sounds good.
FWIW, while the TTSX is expensive, I didn't spend nearly that much for it, as I rolled my own.
Running the numbers on the components (Federal brass, 57 grains IMR 4831, Barnes TTSX bullet, CCI #200 primer), including the brass that will be reused at least a dozen times, the total cost per round comes out to $1.44/round or $28.80/20, and leaving out the cost of the brass takes it to $0.94/round or $18.80/20.
That's probably just about the most expensive ammo that can be made for .30-06 without using the expensive custom or semi-custom bullets loaded in Lapua brass.
As yetti mentioned above, the results on my first ever deer taken with my Ruger (fourth deer ever) using them were also impressive.
The price on the TTSX component bullets is roughly double what most other conventional non-bonded bullet or partition bullets is, but they have another benefit: 1 MOA out of my Ruger!

 

[Steeler]

I'll throw in another plug for the Barnes expanders. I have used Remington copper solids for years, and Barnes expanders in my ml. Found out a few years ago the copper solids are Barnes expanders. As said, devastating.

 

[yetti462]

I'll throw in another plug for the Barnes expanders. I have used Remington copper solids for years, and Barnes expanders in my ml. Found out a few years ago the copper solids are Barnes expanders. As said, devastating.

One doe I shot with the expander the bullet exited the opposite shoulder. When skinning her out the whole shoulder fell off with the skin. Completely detached from the carcass. Another deer I shot in the neck, just below the head. When gutting the heart was the size of a mini basketball with three 1" ruptures on the bottom side. They pack some serious shock. Not very meat friendly though, but with that said, I've never lost a deer with them.

 

[Steeler]

One doe I shot with the expander the bullet exited the opposite shoulder. When skinning her out the whole shoulder fell off with the skin. Completely detached from the carcass. Another deer I shot in the neck, just below the head. When gutting the heart was the size of a mini basketball with three 1" ruptures on the bottom side. They pack some serious shock. Not very meat friendly though, but with that said, I've never lost a deer with them.

Nice! The first buck I shot with the expander, literally dropped over in his tracks. Complete nervous system shock I guess, and it wasn't a perfect hit. Just behind the shoulder, but a little high, at about 45 yards. I've seen that instant death on hunting shows, but it was a first for me.
I don't want to jinx myself, but I haven't had to track a deer yet since using them.

 

[MRP2003]

Current numbers this am, 110,526.

I don't think we will get to last year's number.

Just based on the areas that I hunt and the number of deer I saw this year, I kind of expected the total number for the entire year to be less than 110K.

I cant really complain, had seen a lot more deer in the past and had taken a lot more in year's past so having a down year just makes me appreciate the booming years.

 

[ViperJock]

On the other hand some asshat shot both of the tiny does running around in our area.