Way too early, completely unscientific, herd size thread

[Cardinalbuck]

Now that I'm done thinking about turkeys, I'm thinking more every day about deer season...

I drive about 27 miles to and from work every day along highways in NE Ohio. I've seen five roadkill deer within the last two weeks, which is more than I can ever remember in any two week stretch. It makes me wonder if our mild winter has helped the deer herd rebound a bit.

Of course this could be (probably is) completely random, and as the thread title says, way too early, but just for fun...wondering if anyone else is seeing more deer on the roads, fields, woods or elsewhere? Any cameras showing higher numbers? Other signs or reasons to believe we'll have more deer?

 

["J"]

Spring wreaks havoc on deer also, seems to be a good number of deer taken out along the highways, another few weeks you'll start seeing fawn along the road hit as well....

 

[huntn2]

I seem to see more spring roadkill than fall yearly. I too roll the NE OH highways and have noted your observation but it seems on par with what I have witnessed yearly.

 

[Bigslam51]

Spring wreaks havoc on deer also, seems to be a good number of deer taken out along the highways, another few weeks you'll start seeing fawn along the road hit as well....

I've seen reports of fawns already dropping in Illinois, and Wisconsin. Might be sooner than that.

 

[Dustinb80]

I've seen quite a few dead on the side I'd the road in the last few weeks.

 

["J"]

We had 5 carcasses in a one mile stretch a month and a half ago....

 

[hickslawns]

Keep in mind the farmers are planting. I know it sounds simple. We talk about deer getting hit during harvest season, but I think the tractors planting get them moving as well.

 

[Bigslam51]

Keep in mind the farmers are planting. I know it sounds simple. We talk about deer getting hit during harvest season, but I think the tractors planting get them moving as well.

Good point, Phil.

 

[Spencie]

Late May/early June is always a high road kill time...I've noticed this for years.

 

[Cardinalbuck]

Thoughts on the mild winter increasing deer numbers? Or is that wishful thinking?

 

[hickslawns]

Thoughts on the mild winter increasing deer numbers? Or is that wishful thinking?

I'm not a deer biologist, but I am sure it didn't hurt any.

 

[bowhunter1023]

I'm not a deer biologist, but I am sure it didn't hurt any.

This in regards to the effect of the winter...

 

[Blan37]

Was wondering about this myself just yesterday. Been seeing a lot of dead ones on I-71 to & from Columbus (and a few yotes as well).

 

[Carpn]

My wife did a paper in college . Can't remember if it was a statistics class but it was something along those lines . Anyway , what she found is that there are more deer strikes in May/June than there are in and combination of fall/winter months.

Seen a Fawn dead along the Rd earlier this week too

 

[Bigslam51]

My wife did a paper in college . Can't remember if it was a statistics class but it was something along those lines . Anyway , what she found is that there are more deer strikes in May/June than there are in and combination of fall/winter months.

Seen a Fawn dead along the Rd earlier this week too

I knew we'd be seeing fawns soon. Was that in Wayne county, Jake?

 

[Carpn]

Not sure what county . It was along 70 somewhere

 

["J"]

Ashtabula county almost lost a half dozen deer on three different occasions this morning while towing a boat... Fuggers were playing chicken with me.... Lots of pucker factor....

 

[Cardinalbuck]

I knew we'd be seeing fawns soon. Was that in Wayne county, Jake?

Saw what looked like fawn tracks today while working on my food plots Ashtabula county.

 

[Bigslam51]

Saw what looked like fawn tracks today while working on my food plots Ashtabula county.

Nice!

 

[Redhunter1012]

Does begin dispersing bigtime in spring trying to find good areas to drop fawns. More deer crossing roads equals more "streetloaf".