Thoughts on southern Ontario whitetail deer population

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halhunt

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I started deer hunting in WMU's 78 and 54 in the mid-2000's and had cottage property in 54 since 2001.
Good deer numbers up to maybe 2010 then dropped off significantly. I still see deer where I hunt in 78 but its a small marshy wetland that people do not use and difficult to hunt connected to other scrubby wetland. In 54 I haven't seen a deer or any recent deer sign this year and I've been up there almost a month this year and walk 35 km weekly in the bush and on remote access roads.

I know a couple of back to back winters with deep snow and a December ice storm plus related increased predator kills caused a decline.

What I'm interested in is why no come back in numbers. A long prey predator cycle? Too many doe tags for existing numbers? Where I live in 78 there still is plenty of food in natural and cash crop ag fields and no significant habitat loss but the local controlled hunt hunters are not seeing deer.
 
RojamB21 said:
We count ^ 6 Coyotes on our Turkey hunt in 81 and getting the rifles out by the time Turkey season is done.

BTW no Turkey yet and spotted few deer in Melacthen/ Dundalk area.
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Take your rifle out with you during turkey season.

Hard winters and predators started the decline.

Predators are keeping the numbers low now. (fawn recruitment).

There were way too many deer to back in 2005-2010. The population in most of southern ON now is likely fairly good as to what the land can handle.
 
I hunt in 85c and while the past few years I have noticed more sign of Coyote then say 10 years ago, I haven't noticed a decline in deer populations. Plenty of deer sign so far this year and I have seen 3 does grouped together in my bush, as well as the bush my dad hunts. I have however noticed less Coyote sign than last spring.
 
I hunt WMU 81 as well. I know coyotes are hard on fawns in the spring. I havnt found a deer kill in the winter in a few years which is good. I do think the deer population is on the upswing right now.

Our camp is in WMU49. Deer population is really low. Bear and wolf/coyote population is very high as well.
 
I'm in a group who hunts 54 and have been doing to for years. I've been hunting the property for about 7 years now and our harvest has gone down from when I first started with them. Wolves are a problem and cannot be hunted where we are. One of the camp pups got pretty messed up last November by a wolf and wolf sightings were also up. 10 guys, one week of hunting and one only deer down. Been like that for the last few hunts now.
 
I hunt 82 B
We see lots of deer - last year I saw 11, including 3 bucks of which I shot 1 and could have shot 2
We only shoot bucks and let the does go....
 
When did wolf protection start in the areas around Algonquin Park?, maybe that is too recent to have had an effect?
Just had another thought, how soon after tags were required for wolf hunting was the lower numbers of deer noticed?
You can see where I'm going with this :)
 
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waltman said:
When did wolf protection start in the areas around Algonquin Park?, maybe that is too recent to have had an effect?
Just had another thought, how soon after tags were required for wolf hunting was the lower numbers of deer noticed?
You can see where I'm going with this :)
Click to expand...

I dont think theyre as closely related as you think they are. Its more to do with winter severity. Of course, lots of snow does effect predation too.

In 2014 (or maybe 13 or 15?) there was additional tags my unit, 49, for the only time in my life. Deer were crazy abundant. Then we got absolutely pummeled in successive winters. Deer predictably declined.
 
i hunt 50-54 and numbers have dropped due to wolf predation.they will not rebound back anytime soon unless some proper wolf management will be put in place.Last year the wolves came everynight to camp even with us present,kind of hairy situation as im just hunting with my younge girls,i dont even take my labs out anymore for grouse if there are any left.Thats what happens when tourists take over.Im hearing the same thing with all properties bounding the park . Some ####### scientist doesent want to loose his grant and cant tell the difference between a coyote and red wolf.We should trap them alive and bring them to the cities.Let raccons get into there cottages ,I just finished a drive 2 years ago and came out on harris bay road and had on two occasions cottagers try to run me over,one came back twice. i thought about it but kept my mouth shut.went on cell phone to local police with licence and description and all i got is we will look into it.Sorerey about rant but these are the idiots that think there conservationists.Problem IS WOLVES WOLVES WOLVES.And cougars from the city
 
I think the population is good and health. Easy winter and alot of corn was left in the field for spring harvest. Yote population is up and they have been eating my lambs. Should be a bounty on them again.
 
In Brant County the population seems to be pretty decent. All winter I had about 12 does hanging in my back yard and last controlled season was our best in years.

Now in Eastern Ontario where my camp is(Bon Echo Park area), we have not shot a deer up there in 3 years or so. Just not seeing anything.
 
They need to change this BS wolf/tag system.

2 tags per year. So if you fill both tags in January your done until next january.

If you shoot two coyotes then you cant shoot a wolf. I know guys will pass on coyotes hoping for a wolf.

Fill your tags during Jan- March then during the moose hunt later that year you cant hunt them until Jan 1st again.


Open season no limit on wolves/coyotes for a few years. Why wait til all the deer/moose are scarce and then mange knocks a few off?
 
I am in 61. Last year for 2 weeks we saw nothing. No tracks, no markings and no poop. We have been seeing a decline over the last 3 years. Or it could be that we are such terrible hunters. Probably a bit of both. :)
 
WMU 87 Brant country deer are everywhere. I've had deer snorting at me every morning I went turkey hunting. I did have a farmer ask me to wipe out some coyotes they been trying to get his young cows. I'll be going out twice a week with the .223 once turkey season closes.
 
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