I wan't to start off by saying..this thread is intended to make us stop and think...not start another needless argument.
I spend a lot of time in the mountains year round. One thing that stands out to me over and over is...How hard it must be to manage our wildlife. Especially considering the amount of land PA has, plus the sheer numbers of hunters, and our diverse habitat.
Recently i was out scouting for deer in a Dmap designated area...I saw very little deer sign on the mt i was on..very very few tracks in the snow. First impression would have me thinking what the heck? why have DMAP tags for a area that obviously has a low deer population.
But one must consider...first of all this was one poor habitat for deer...mostly all laurel...very little browse of any significance. What i am seeing now is the herd that must overwinter here..How many deer can this area really support? Now i'm no biologist but i do have a bit of knowledge as to how much animals will eat, having been raised around farm animals. I could be wrong but my best guess would be a normal sized deer would need somewhere around 11/2 tons or a little better of food per year. And deer don't just eat any old thing like some people believe but have preferred foods.If there be any Biologist or PGC people that know this figure i'd be interested in knowing it...But if my educated guess is anywhere close and just assuming a overwintering herd of say 15 deer per square mile..folks that is 22.5 tons of food per SQUARE MILE!! that forest must produce..JUST TO FEED THE DEER!!.... I hope somebody with some knowledge chimes in here...But this is something to consider next time you walk through your favorite hunting area.
I spend a lot of time in the mountains year round. One thing that stands out to me over and over is...How hard it must be to manage our wildlife. Especially considering the amount of land PA has, plus the sheer numbers of hunters, and our diverse habitat.
Recently i was out scouting for deer in a Dmap designated area...I saw very little deer sign on the mt i was on..very very few tracks in the snow. First impression would have me thinking what the heck? why have DMAP tags for a area that obviously has a low deer population.
But one must consider...first of all this was one poor habitat for deer...mostly all laurel...very little browse of any significance. What i am seeing now is the herd that must overwinter here..How many deer can this area really support? Now i'm no biologist but i do have a bit of knowledge as to how much animals will eat, having been raised around farm animals. I could be wrong but my best guess would be a normal sized deer would need somewhere around 11/2 tons or a little better of food per year. And deer don't just eat any old thing like some people believe but have preferred foods.If there be any Biologist or PGC people that know this figure i'd be interested in knowing it...But if my educated guess is anywhere close and just assuming a overwintering herd of say 15 deer per square mile..folks that is 22.5 tons of food per SQUARE MILE!! that forest must produce..JUST TO FEED THE DEER!!.... I hope somebody with some knowledge chimes in here...But this is something to consider next time you walk through your favorite hunting area.