Mandatory Ontario Hunters Report

Joe549

Joe549

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
150   0   0
Location
Socialist Ontario
I started completing the report and got to the question regarding how many live deer I observed while hunting. This has me wondering if putting in the number of deer I saw on my trail cameras plus the number I saw in person. I was checking cameras each day of the hunt so I know how many were coming to my stand. The deer were not moving at all this year during the day, I saw 2, the only 2 that were seen all week between 6 of us. A couple of our neighboring camps experienced the same thing, lots of night time photos but nothing during the day. I know for a fact that there was at least 9 different deer coming to one of my feed piles, I have 5 does and fawns in a single photo plus there was 4 different bucks coming in as well, at night, after I had been there.

For the question regarding 'how many I saw', would it be acceptable to answer 9 or could that be considered falsifying the report and I should only answer for the 2 that I was actually there, in person, to see?
 
Interesting thinking, I'd be in the same boat, I'm going to input the number of deer I observed in person myself, no real reasoning, just how I am thinking i should report myself, the trail cams are great tools, if the Peterborough MNRF folks want that information they can ask for it on a separate question on the report.
 
In every survey i ask myself "What are they going to do with the data?"

If you want more tags for everyone in your WMU answer 9
If you want less tags for everyone in your WMU answer 2

e.g
We have lots of turkey in our area but we only have a spring hunt. I asked MNR about adding a fall hunt and they said that not enough turkey tags were being filled so they assume that we don't have a lot of turkey. They dont have the resources to come do a count

So when i id my survey i counted every bird i saw even though i likely saw the same bird more than once. Im not lying, im just choosing how i interpret.

for deer though, id say 2 as our area has a lot of hunters and we don't need more doe tags.
 
I am trying to submit my report right now and the website is aweful...I select answers and have to click elsewhere on the screen to get the next question to show up. I can't even get thru the wolf report past question 2.
For the deer report only 1 question....Did you hunt for deer....then only option was to submit.
 
Jmcc said:
In every survey i ask myself "What are they going to do with the data?"
Click to expand...

If you want more tags for everyone in your WMU answer 9
If you want less tags for everyone in your WMU answer 2

e.g
We have lots of turkey in our area but we only have a spring hunt. I asked MNR about adding a fall hunt and they said that not enough turkey tags were being filled so they assume that we don't have a lot of turkey. They dont have the resources to come do a count

So when i id my survey i counted every bird i saw even though i likely saw the same bird more than once. Im not lying, im just choosing how i interpret.

for deer though, id say 2 as our area has a lot of hunters and we don't need more doe tags.
Click to expand...

And this is why I ask the question... This is from the ontario.ca website;

How hunter information is used

The information hunters provide through their reports is important for managing wildlife in Ontario.

Reporting helps to:

monitor wildlife populations
develop tag quotas
make changes to seasons and bag limits
inform other management policies
Click to expand...

If they are going to rely on information from hunters observations for any of the above, and will only accept directly observed data, ie "I saw with my own eyes", then they are relying on inaccurate information, and you know what decisions and changes made based on inaccurate information will lead to....

I intend to call the MNR and speak with them regarding this and see what they say, was just interested if anyone else had considered this when answering these surveys...
 
Joe549 said:
And this is why I ask the question... This is from the ontario.ca website;



If they are going to rely on information from hunters observations for any of the above, and will only accept directly observed data, ie "I saw with my own eyes", then they are relying on inaccurate information, and you know what decisions and changes made based on inaccurate information will lead to....

I intend to call the MNR and speak with them regarding this and see what they say, was just interested if anyone else had considered this when answering these surveys...
Click to expand...

This is one tool they rely on for population estimates. It hasn't really changed much, except now they make everyone report versus only successful hunters in the past. It should mean more accurate information than they've been getting for years. How else do you propose they do it?
 
dmcdam said:
This is one tool they rely on for population estimates. It hasn't really changed much, except now they make everyone report versus only successful hunters in the past. It should mean more accurate information than they've been getting for years. How else do you propose they do it?
Click to expand...

By putting in "how many different deer did you observe in person or with trail cameras"
 
thepolinator said:
I would include the video. They are trying to determine the total population in an area.
Click to expand...

Thats the thing! If you saw 9 different ones, who cares if its on camera, you would be lying if you told them 2. You know there were 9 deer. And them saying "observed live" means you arent reporting a carcass you found.

Im including my cam pics in with my count.
 
The answer is 2. They need an apples to apples comparison. So if everyone reports what they saw with their own eyes they can us the data correctly. If you report oranges because you think for some reason your right, and everyone else reports apples that data is useless.

And for those that lie to try to manipulate the tag numbers in the WMU you should be ashamed of yourselves for your short term selfish thinking. Its a long term game and meant to ensure the next generations get to enjoy the same things we do. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised with the me, me, me generation.
 
FishHog said:
The answer is 2. They need an apples to apples comparison. So if everyone reports what they saw with their own eyes they can us the data correctly. If you report oranges because you think for some reason your right, and everyone else reports apples that data is useless.

And for those that lie to try to manipulate the tag numbers in the WMU you should be ashamed of yourselves for your short term selfish thinking. Its a long term game and meant to ensure the next generations get to enjoy the same things we do. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised with the me, me, me generation.
Click to expand...

He saw more than 2, though.

Just because they are on the camera, does not mean they don't exist. His eyes observed the ones on camera as well, and they were alive.
 
FishHog said:
T
And for those that lie to try to manipulate the tag numbers in the WMU you should be ashamed of yourselves for your short term selfish thinking. Its a long term game and meant to ensure the next generations get to enjoy the same things we do. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised with the me, me, me generation.
Click to expand...

I think you completely mis read my intent

My family has owned and hunted the same plot of land for almost 100 yrs. We practice herd management. Our camp has self imposed 2 deer max no matter what. There have been years the guns get put away opening day. We get doe tags that usually go unfilled because we know the land and know that it has been over hunted by cowboy neighbours. This is why id under report deer to MNR. To keep doe tags down and the herd up.

As a kid i watched the very first batch of wild turkey reintroduced into Renfrew county. I now see +20 at a time in our yard, I know that they can support a second season. If the numbers dipped, we'd pull back.

We know the land better than the "experts"

Its actually the opposite of selfishness...
 
Also,

You will never get apples to apples. Some people go out and have a 2 hour nap during their sit. 5 deer might have walked by in that time. If he didnt see anything the rest of the hunt he would report 0. If he had a camera and the camera spotted those 5, he would be able to let the ministry know "hey, there actually are deer in my area!" Instead of the 0 he would have otherwise told them.
 
If they wanted trail camera data they would ask for trail camera data. That is not what they ask for.
The actual number is not important, its a year to year comparison with apples to apples numbers. The guy who slept last year probably did so again this year. But if sighting go up overall from all hunters they will know that population increased. If everyone all of a sudden reports what their trail cameras see they are going to think the population has exploded compared to past years.
Your not smarter than the MNR, tell them what they ask for and stop trying to justify your opinion as better than theirs. Its not and you are screwing with their data. Period!!!! there is no way to justify that no matter what you think.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom