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would weigh 130 to 150 pounds. But no, on Augusta County’s opening day, bucks averaged 93 pounds.
Yes, there are far more deer now, and there are more hunters. We are harvesting 100,000 plus deer each year from a herd estimated to be 650,000 animals. However, the quality of the herd is lower, the average weight of the mountain deer is considerably lower.
My opinion is based on 30 years of deer hunting in the Virginia mountains, mostly in the George Washington National Forest, and simply stated: clearcutting has increased the deer numbers in all areas except size.
Most hunters would like to see deer when hunting; however, most of them would prefer harvesting a real wall-hanging buck once every 10 years than a mediocre buck each year and maybe never seeing a wallhanger.
Number games are like cow pies — different sizes, different shapes, but they’re all the same stuff.
The number games being played in our National Forests have long term effects on our enjoyment of the outdoors.
With a virtually non-existent mast crop (acorns and beechnuts) this year because of drought, we may see a serious die-off of deer this winter if the weather is severe. Pay particular attention to the matchstick size branches on all the young trees in the woods. This is browse — deer’s primary late winter food, and they’re eating it now.
Without winter food like hemlocks, it’s going to be a rough winter for deer.
Save a deer for your great, great grandson, plant a hemlock.
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