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Deer Hunting Forecast 2019

Wildlife

Denny
Supporting Member
5,396
191
Ross County
Another interesting read this morning that I thought I'd share if you haven't seen it already.

You can click on the state hyperlink below for the 2019 deer hunting forecast information for that state if interested .

I went ahead and copied Ohio's forecast below.
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Outdoor Life’s state-by-state analysis of your deer hunting prospects for this fall

By Brian Lovett
July 12, 2019


Whitetail biologists from around the country are predicting a very good deer season this fall.brm1949/depositphotos.com
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Hunters often fall into the trap of longing for the good old days, when, according to legend or conventional wisdom, things were supposedly better.

One look at America’s current deer hunting scene makes you realize we’re experiencing some pretty good days right now. Coast to coast and border to border, opportunities abound, from tracking big-woods whitetails in the Northeast, glassing for ghost-like mule deer in the Southwest, shivering on a treestand while attempting to ambush a thick-necked Midwest brute, and more.

What's even better is that those adventures are only weeks away. You’ve been shooting your bow, right? Got your cameras set up and shooting lanes cut?
Don’t wait. Get ready. Get out there. Meanwhile, here’s our 2019-’20 deer season guide to get you started.


Scroll through, or use the links below to jump to your state:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming


OHIO

Species: Whitetail
Estimated Population: No estimate
Fall 2018-'19 Harvest: 172,049

Overall Outlook: "Deer populations, hunter satisfaction metrics, and proportion of mature bucks in the harvest continue ticking upward across much of the Buckeye State," says Michael J. Tonkovich, Deer Program Administrator with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. "The 2019-'20 season should be a memorable one."

Potential Fall 2019 Hotspots: "The public-land harvest last year strongly suggests that the regulations imposed in 2018-'19 [modifications to the antlerless harvest after the state's week-long firearms season] protected a large portion of the antlerless population," Tonkovich says. "Naturally, this should translate to a few more deer on our public lands this fall. Although designed to protect antlerless deer and ultimately encourage population growth, antlered bucks may have been a beneficiary. Anecdotes suggest that many hunters may have been disinclined to buck-hunt only after the statewide gun season. We're looking for great things on our public lands this fall."

Quick Tip: Tonkovich says hunters should be excited to hunt the state's public lands. "Explore one of Ohio's public hunting areas on a Tuesday," he says. "You'll be surprised by what you see and, more importantly, what you don't see."

Ohio Season Dates/Bag Limits:
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
So now Tonk believes that a lower harvest of deer numbers equals more deer...that’s weird...I thought the more we killed, meant more deer.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
39,186
274
Deer populations, hunter satisfaction metrics, and proportion of mature bucks in the harvest continue ticking upward across much of the Buckeye State," says Michael J. Tonkovich,


Annnnnnnnmd I quit reading after the first sentence.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
39,186
274
So now Tonk believes that a lower harvest of deer numbers equals more deer...that’s weird...I thought the more we killed, meant more deer.

Exactly what he said. If more deer are being killed it means the population is too high, if less are killed the population is lower. This it the entirety of how they judged how far to reduce our deer population.