Reviewing a variety of deer data can help game managers decide whether the management scheme is effective and worthy of continuing the associated costs.

Story and photography by Bob Zaiglin

July is an opportune time period for sportsmen to review the past deer hunting season.  This activity entails the analysis of data gathered from whitetails harvested, not only during the last season, but over several years.  By doing so, they can recognize trends that highlight data collected on beam length, number and length of tines, mass, and most importantly gross Boone and Crockett score.  All of this can help individuals decide whether the management scheme employed is effective, and more importantly worth the effort and cost of continuing those practices.

Management decisions can also be critiqued by reviewing images obtained from motion detection cameras, which are becoming extremely popular.  But reviewing bucks on film can become an arduous task due to the substantial number of images of young bucks and does, as well as raccoons, coyotes, even birds, captured on film throughout the survey period.

However, when images of desirable bucks are identified and segregated into a single file more efficient to review, there is no guarantee that those potential trophies on film survived the post rut and will be present during the upcoming season.

A variety of techniques are employed to estimate and critique deer populations.  Fall aerial surveys employing a helicopter remains the most popular method of obtaining deer population data required to make harvest recommendations, while affording landowners and their managers the opportunity to observe a few exceptional bucks.

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