2012-2014 Annual Deer Harvest Survey Reports/NW 13 Counties

[daappleknocker]

I have been comparing the annual harvest survey results from before MAR's in 2012 and the two years after MAR's in the 13 county area including 045. The results are eye-opening.

As a side note, in Leelanau 045, restrictions started in 2008. In 2007 the year before restrictions, Leelanau had 4185 hunters who harvested 1314 antlered deer. Two years later (09), when antlered buck harvest was guaranteed to bounce back from the first year, hunters numbered 3746 and antlered deer harvest was only 703. WOW, MAR's in 045 was NOT such a big success. Five years later in 2014, hunter numbers (4012) still lagged behind 2007 numbers and antlered bucks harvested was still down 20% at 1082. These numbers totally disprove the myth that MAR's will increase recruitment, retention and harvest numbers.

Now to the complete NW 13 county survey numbers. In the first two years hunting under MAR's, antlered buck harvest dropped by 18,700 animals. This breaks down to 9,466 in 2013 which was expected, but fell another 9,234 in 2014. 18,700 bucks at a average weight of 150 pounds, means that 2,805,000 pounds of venison did NOT fill freezers in the NW 13 County MAR's area. What a shame.

And the anti-traditional hunters call this a success? 

[field-n-feathers]

With all due respect.....

Before I point out exactly why you've done it....Could you please explain to the readers of this forum why you chose to use a single year, 2012, as the year to compare APR's to?

[daappleknocker]

2012 was the year before MAR's was implemented in the NW 12. When the 2015 report comes out I expect a slight increase in the antlered deer harvest but still below the pre-MAR's 2012 season. MAR's have been a disaster everywhere they have been mandated for the average Joe, non-affiliated hunters.

[field-n-feathers]

Yes, 2012 was the year before APR's in those counties. Where the water gets muddied when comparing a single year Luke that, is it can be very misleading. I'm not saying you were intentionally misleading anyone at all. However, 2012 had the highest buck harvest in almost every single county in the NW 12 over the 5 year span leading up to APR implementation. Comparing that single year to the 2 year results of APR's is very misleading. Again, not saying you are doing it intentionally. It's just how the facts and harvest numbers are.

[daappleknocker]

Thanks for pointing that out. I am going back to average the last five years (a daunting task, but I am up to it) before MAR's, 2008-2012, and see how they stack up to post MAR's in the 13 county area.

[daappleknocker]

F-N-F;

Well, I went back and averaged the previous five years, 2008 thru 2012 and the results were tempered but still do not support the claims made by the promoters of MAR's. The five year average harvest in the NW 12 County MAR's area is 25,758 antlered bucks. In 2013 that harvest was down 4,943 and in 2014 when the protected yearlings should have been back in the hunt, it dropped another 4,960 for a total of 9,903 antlerless deer in two years. It will be interesting to see what the harvest numbers show for 2015.

Another worry is the loss of hunters in the NW 12 County DMU. In 2013 there was a gain of 517 hunters but that gain evaporated in 2014 with a loss of 5,949 hunters from the previous year. What is my concern about this drop in participation? If you don't hunt you can't vote! As hunters hemorrhage, they lose their voice in the Annual Deer Harvest Survey Reports and the revote on MAR's. This will assure re-passage of the extreme MAR's in the NW 12.

You only need to look to the Hunter's Choice regulations in the Upper Peninsula, and what it has done to participation, to verify this. Hunter numbers have dropped from a high of 115,000 hunters pre-HC to a new low of 73,000 in 2014. Those lost hunters can not vote. That is why although the hunter satisfaction has dropped to record lows, the approval of HC in the UP has remained high and even advanced in 2014. The 2014 Annual Deer Harvest Survey Report had a dismal participation or return rate of barely 50%. As the participation rate goes down the approval rate of HC in the U.P. raises. Why? For two reasons. First, all the hunters that normally hunt to put meat in the freezer become disillusioned and either stop hunting or go, or stay downstate. Secondly, the more avid and passionate hunters are more likely to return their surveys. This has been proven by a survey in 2002 by the MDNR when 84% of QDMA members responded compared to under 50% for average Joe hunters.

[field-n-feathers]

I don't disagree that the numbers are down, but not nearly as much if you're only comparing them to 2012. The first year results are to be expected. Nobody denied that. From a statistical significance standpoint, I also feel we need another year or two post APR to truly assess the success/failure of them. As in pre APR years, there are just too many factors in play to place so much significance on only a two year timeframe. The next couple of Harvest Surveys should give us a better grasp on their full impact, whether that be positive or negative.....time will tell.

Again, as I've also stated before....I feel there is more to the hunting experience than just killing a deer. What the hard numbers aren't going to tell you is how satisfied are the hunters with the regulation change. Not everyone views their hunting experience like you or I do. The APR resurvey will tell us how happy they are, regardless of harvest numbers.

[field-n-feathers]

Additionally, you're making a big assumption that hunters are leaving just because of the APR regulation. Maybe some of them are. But, just like the fact that hunters have various opinions on what a satisfied hunting experience is, so to do those that quit hunting in the state altogether. Placing the blame on APR's for that is like someone blaming lack of APR's on tge reason hunters in other areas of the state are leaving.

I know some guys like living life with issues as black or white. However, many of these things we discuss/debate are not simply black or white. They are various of grey. (Not referring to the movie.)

[field-n-feathers]

Apparently, someone just can't help it in regards to editing my posts and has completely disregarded the advice of your administrator. The posts above do not reflect what I wrote. Sad that it has come to that, and very telling.

[QDM MARS]

Feb 6, 2016 10:16:55 GMT -5 field-n-feathers said:

Apparently, someone just can't help it in regards to editing my posts and has completely disregarded the advice of your administrator. The posts above do not reflect what I wrote. Sad that it has come to that, and very telling.

First off my advice was for you to put your big boy panties on and quit being such a drama queen !

Now for the editing of your post , that wasn't done intentionally it was done automatically because of the foul language that was used in some previous posts . I am working on having certain words replaced automatically when someone uses them. There is still some adjustments that will have to be made as issues come up . The part of your post that was changed due to that auto program has been fixed . Now there is also another feature of this forum where you can type in certain symbols or words instead of using the drop down box to insert smileys into a post. I can not change the words or symbols only the smileys that correspond to that word or symbol. When you used the word ( capitalized so it won't be auto changed) the forum automatically inserted the smiley as that is the word used for it. I also went back and capitalized the S so the smiley wouldn't show up any more.

[field-n-feathers]

Feb 6, 2016 11:45:55 GMT -5 QDM MARS said:

Feb 6, 2016 10:16:55 GMT -5 field-n-feathers said:

Apparently, someone just can't help it in regards to editing my posts and has completely disregarded the advice of your administrator. The posts above do not reflect what I wrote. Sad that it has come to that, and very telling.

First off my advice was for you to put your big boy panties on and quit being such a drama queen !

Now for the editing of your post , that wasn't done intentionally it was done automatically because of the foul language that was used in some previous posts . I am working on having certain words replaced automatically when someone uses them. There is still some adjustments that will have to be made as issues come up . The part of your post that was changed due to that auto program has been fixed . Now there is also another feature of this forum where you can type in certain symbols or words instead of using the drop down box to insert smileys into a post. I can not change the words or symbols only the smileys that correspond to that word or symbol. When you used the word ( capitalized so it won't be auto changed) the forum automatically inserted the smiley as that is the word used for it. I also went back and capitalized the S so the smiley wouldn't show up any more.

Drama Queen? Not hardly. I was responding to being attacked by a certain individual. That is all. Amazing how I can get along just fine with you or others on here when we simply stick with the issues at hand.