Last year was my first time deer hunting, but I went with a friend who's been hunting here all his life (he's in his early 40's), and hung out with local "old timers" before the season to learn as much as I could from them.
One thing that kept coming up was that in the last 30 years, summers on average have become progressively longer and warmer. The impact on hunting is that fall/winter comes later and therefore the rut comes later. During the time now designated as "deer season", the males are not responding to calls, and they are not coming out looking for does and challenging other males.
The only locals I've heard about who actually tagged an animal last year were farmers who took them on their property (in other words, they'd been watching them eat at the edges of their fields for weeks, and on opening day they 'harvested' them...). No one I talked to even knew anyone else who was successful in the hills.
Anyone else find the season to be moving, or the temperature changes effecting their hunting?
Any suggestions on how we could petition local govt. game and wildlife departments to move the season later?
One thing that kept coming up was that in the last 30 years, summers on average have become progressively longer and warmer. The impact on hunting is that fall/winter comes later and therefore the rut comes later. During the time now designated as "deer season", the males are not responding to calls, and they are not coming out looking for does and challenging other males.
The only locals I've heard about who actually tagged an animal last year were farmers who took them on their property (in other words, they'd been watching them eat at the edges of their fields for weeks, and on opening day they 'harvested' them...). No one I talked to even knew anyone else who was successful in the hills.
Anyone else find the season to be moving, or the temperature changes effecting their hunting?
Any suggestions on how we could petition local govt. game and wildlife departments to move the season later?