Schu72
Well-Known Member
Agreed Ryan, but the argument that telecheck hasn't made poaching easier is bologna. Risk modifies behavior and with telecheck there is almost no risk.
Deer harvest trend continues down
- Thread starter Lundy
- Start date
yotehunter
Member
I only went out a half dozen times over gun week, but I didn't see a single doe and the deer sightings were few and far between. Between the crazy number of hunters that were hunting around me this year, and the lack of deer sightings, o won't be killing another deer this year, at least not around here. It is crazy how quickly a population can decline with added pressure and ridiculous number of tags a hunter can purchase...
Bowhunter57
Senior Member
The deer population is going to continue to spiral down into a hole...a deep hole. I won't be surprised if we don't end up going back to a drawing for a doe permit, like we did in the late 70s.
It's going to become a standard of having to hunt coyotes in the spring, if you want to hunt deer in the fall. Between the coyotes killing the fawns and does getting killed in the fall...effectively killing 3 deer, the hunting's not going to last much longer. :smiley_dead:
1 dead doe kills 2 fawns in the spring = 3 deer for future hunts and population recovery. :smiley_chinrub:
Bowhunter57
It's going to become a standard of having to hunt coyotes in the spring, if you want to hunt deer in the fall. Between the coyotes killing the fawns and does getting killed in the fall...effectively killing 3 deer, the hunting's not going to last much longer. :smiley_dead:
1 dead doe kills 2 fawns in the spring = 3 deer for future hunts and population recovery. :smiley_chinrub:
Bowhunter57
Hortontoter
Senior Member
Telecheck is like auto theft. Leave the keys in the car, easier to steal, and much more tempting.
IMO, it's not any different than it was before. Dishonest people will always be dishonest. Just like the guys that get caught for poaching and lose their license, then get caught for poaching without a license.
dante322
*Supporting Member*
I disagree. A guy couldn't kill a small buck, toss the antlers along with everything else, and call it in as a doe. A check station had to examine the carcass.
Ohiosam
*Supporting Member*
They were supposed to but many weren't. Others I know offered to wrongly tag bucks for friends.
Hortontoter
Senior Member
We all have opinions. I believe telecheck made those teetering on the edge of not checking in a deer, put those guys over the edge. How many bucks are being called in as does, plenty I'm thinking. The easier it is to cheat, the more that will do it. I'm not sticking my head in the sand and pretending it isn't happening.
Our GW and I talked abit during gun season about the telecheck and said the same, "cheaters are still gonna cheat", but also said, "it made it a lot easier" too!
Yeah I don't think telecheck changed things too much, still a paper temporary tag on the deer until the hunter gets it back to his garage, then butcher it. Same way it was before around here.
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Agreed. One you don't take it in, the other you don't call it in. Actually the old way was more trouble.
I think the new system took some of the comradery out of it. With the old system I enjoy going over to the local checking station just to see what was coming through. Shoot the bull with some of the locals and trade stories. That doesn't happen now.
I definitely agree with this, but I love the telecheck for the ease and lack of rushing to place before they close.
I think it is really cool that the place in Columbiana County (the one J posts about) encourages people to still come in and show off their harvests. They then publicize them on facebook. Looks like a well run operation.
We have a local place similar to that, but they do not promote hunters to come in and share their trophies. I wish they did.
To me the temporary paper, handwritten, tag is most of the problem. You can hunt state land, tag it with a piece of paper, bring it home and still never call it in if you don't want to. Not saying Michigan has it any better but here you get your actual permanent tag that you have to punch out and attach before you move the animal. Sure there are always those that simply won't tag or try to pull a fast one but it helps cut down on those that decide once they get home not to call it in. Also, the only way to get a replacement is by contacting the MDNR, no quick re-print, no fill out a slip of paper to get you home, etc.. To me Ohio is missing the boat by not having a permanent tag to begin with, the number could still be mandatory and entered/added after. Of course though, they are saving big $$ by not having to supply special paper, printing machines or tags by having the store print them off of an every day printer.
Bingo. I would venture to guess 90% of all those that poach could give two shits less what type of check-in system we have, because that deer is going straight from the woods to their garage, with either a temp tag or nothing at all.
Hortontoter
Senior Member
I agree that some people were cheating before telecheck. Those will continue to do so. My thinking is that some that never did before are doing it now. It is just to easy to not check in the kill. Put on your homemade temporary tag, making transport legal. Take the deer home and process it and toss the tempoary tag. Make a new homemade tag and go shoot another one.
The only saving grace is that the average hunter shoots only 1.2 deer per season. Lets rephrase that to actual terms. The average hunter only CHECKS IN 1.2 deer per season.