There are lots of deer in the woods this fall for New Hampshire hunters, according to early reports from the archery deer season. The deer harvest through October 21 was the highest in at least nine years, with most counties showing significant increases. Archery deer hunters had taken 2,406 at this point in the season.

The archery deer season continues through December 15 (December 8 in WMU A). Deer survival last winter was good, as was fawn production and survival last spring. ”Deer hunting this fall is definitely providing some excellent opportunities!” said Kent Gustafson, Fish and Game Deer Project Leader. ”Youth, muzzleloader and firearm deer hunters should expect a similar good season ahead.”

For more on deer hunting in New Hampshire, visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_deer.htm.

The first two archery hunts on the southern portion of Camp Blanding Wildlife Management Area since the 2001 terrorist attacks were an “extraordinary success,” according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists.
The hunts took place Sept. 26-28 and Oct. 3-5 in the area south of State Road 16, which the National Guard had closed to hunter access for security reasons.
“During these six days of hunting, more than 125 deer were harvested,” said Scott Johns, district biologist in the FWC’s Olustee Field Office. “The hunting was so good, many hunters were selecting the bucks and letting the does walk.”
During archery season, hunters on Camp Blanding can take a buck with three or more points on a side, any buck with antlers shorter than 5 inches, and does. It is not legal to take spotted fawns.
“There were 17 deer brought through the check station the first morning of the hunt,” Johns said. “Of those 17, 15 were bucks. Most were six points or better, and that’s impressive.”
The area being closed for five years could explain the hunting success.
“The deer are much less wary of people, because they’ve not been hunted. The normal life span of a deer in a hunted area is six or seven years. So we have a whole generation of deer on Camp Blanding’s South Post that have never been hunted by the public,” Johns said.
Many bucks were also in rut, which is unusual according to the biologist. Normally the rut peaks the last two weeks in October in North Florida.
“We don’t know why the rut is this strong this early. It’s unusual. And it’s not just at Camp Blanding. We’ve also seen deer coming out of Big Shoals in rut also,” Johns said.
The first day of archery season, there were 205 vehicles and 254 people who came in through the check station by noon.
“We anticipated heavy use of the area, and the hunters showed up in droves,” Johns said. “There were no major problems on the area during the hunts. We did have some people attempt to drive down some closed roads. We just want to make sure folks stay on the roads that are open to public access.”
Another tip is to stay out of the impact area, which contains unexploded ordnance, and the surrounding buffer zone.
“When hunting pressure gets this high, deer may move into the impact area, where no hunting is allowed. We don’t want the hunters chasing the deer into this area. People could get seriously injured and when caught, they would be expelled from the WMA,” Johns said.
More hunts are scheduled for Camp Blanding:
Muzzleloading season dates are Oct. 10-12 and Oct. 17-19.
There are two youth hunts: Oct. 7-8 and Oct. 21-22.
General gun still hunts will begin Nov. 18 and go through Jan. 14.
The general gun dog hunts, held on the north post of Camp Blanding, are Nov. 18-26 and Dec. 23-31.
Spring turkey hunts will be March 19-25 in the dog hunt area and March 26-30 in the archery and still hunt areas.
For more information about Camp Blanding’s hunting dates and regulations, go to: MyFWC.com/hunting/wma/2006-07/NorthCentral/CampBlandingletter.pdf or call the FWC’s North Central Regional office in Lake City at 758-0525.

Numerous archery education courses are available across South Dakota for those who need to participate in one before archery elk and deer seasons open this fall.
South Dakota archery hunters between the ages of 11 and 16, all first-time archery hunters regardless of age and all archery elk hunters in South Dakota are required to complete the internationally recognized International Bowhunter Education Foundation’s Bowhunter Education Course.
Hunters may apply for a license without course certification, but the course must be completed prior to receiving their big game license from the Game, Fish and Parks licensing office.
The IBEF course emphasizes hunter safety, ethics and responsibility, and offers plenty of advice about becoming a more proficient and conscientious bowhunter.
Upcoming courses include:
July 22 - three courses in Sioux Falls and one in Chamberlain.
July 29 - one course in Watertown and one in Pierre.
July 30 - one course in Britton.
Aug. 1 and 2 - one course in Rapid City.
Aug. 5 - two courses in Mitchell.
Aug. 11 and 12 - one course in Sioux Falls.
Aug. 12 - one course in Sioux Falls.
Aug. 13 _ one course in Yankton.
Aug. 26 - one course in Sioux Falls and one in Custer.
Sept. 9 - one course in Madison.
Sept. 23 - one course in Sioux Falls.
Sept. 24 - one course in Yankton.
Most courses require pre-registration and many classes fill up quickly, so archery hunters are advised to register early. Contact information can be found on the Game, Fish and Parks Web site: www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/Safety/Archerycourses.htm.

Bow Hunters have successful harvest
SPRINGFIELD, IL — Illinois Department of Natural Resources Acting Director Sam Flood announced today bow hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary statewide total of 64,474 deer during the 2005-06 archery deer season in the state.
“We are very pleased with the harvest total and congratulate the hunters in Illinois who helped make this another successful archery season,” said Flood. “Deer hunters enjoy the great opportunity they have for bow hunting in Illinois, and we appreciate their support for our deer management program.”
The 2005-06 Illinois archery deer season began on Oct. 1, 2005 and concluded on Jan. 12, 2006.
“The preliminary statewide harvest total is in line with our projection that harvest would be close to last year’s record-setting archery deer harvest of 63,639,” said Paul Shelton, manager of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Forest Wildlife Program.
With implementation this fall and winter of the new DNR Direct telephone and web-based deer harvest reporting system, some duplicate harvest reports may be included in the preliminary harvest total for the 2005-06 season.
“We won’t be sure whether this season’s harvest total is a new record for the Illinois archery deer hunting season until we have time to analyze the harvest data, but we’ll probably be close to last year’s record,” said Shelton.
The top five county harvest totals based on preliminary harvest data were Pike , Fulton , Jefferson , Adams and Peoria .
A table including preliminary county harvest totals for the 2005-06 Illinois archery deer season compared with actual totals for the 2004-05 season is attached below.
Illinois Archery Deer Preliminary Harvest 2005-06
County 2005 - 2006
Pike 3821
Fulton1522
Jefferson 1487
Peoria 1203
LaSalle 1199
Marion 1167
Madison 1120
Calhoun 1102
Macoupin 1069
Vermilion 1005
Randolph 932
Wayne 919
Franklin 909
Williamson 897
Will896
Brown 889
Pope 888
Knox 854
Greene 852
Hancock 850
Fayette 843
Sangamon 839
Bureau 813
Shelby812
Schuyler794
Perry 787
Jackson779
Montgomery 754
St. Clair 749
Clark 739
Ogle 735
Union733
Tazewell 730
JoDaviess728
Crawford728
White 721
Jersey 716
Morgan 678
Clay 668
Woodford664
Jasper657
Cass 644
Hamilton628
Johnson628
Rock Island602
McHenry 601
McDonough575
DeWitt 575
McLean571
Washington 569
Richland 539
Carroll 534
Lee 529
Coles 523
Macon 521
Clinton513
Grundy 510
Henry500
Lawrence499
Saline 485
Whiteside 485
Mason 478
Effingham 472
Champaign 463
Christian 452
Stephenson 451
Lake 449
Winnebago 444
Kane439
Bond 413
Iroquois 411
Massac 388
Mercer385
Hardin 383
Edgar 382
Monroe 373
Menard 361
Cumberland 355
Warren 353
Marshall 353
Livingston 333
Kankakee 333
Scott 320
Piatt 319
Gallatin 312
Moultrie 302
Logan 296
Pulaski 288
Putnam 283
Wabash 280
DeKalb 265
Henderson 264
Kendall 222
Edwards 216
Douglas 214
Alexander 211
Boone 177
Stark 164
Cook 156
Ford 73
DuPage 68
Total 64474

October. A lot of Iowa deer hunters just circle the whole month. From tree top vantage points, the show now unfolding seems unmatched in other outdoor pursuits.
Iowa’s bow season stretches through October’s peak of fall colors, to November’s drab grays and browns, to December and January’s ice and snow. Deer swing from summer patterns to the full-tilt mayhem of the breeding season, then into the cold-and often predictable–solitude of winter. The biggest challenge facing Iowa’s nearly 50,000 bowhunters is how to balance all the trips we want to make, with time missed on the job, around home and elsewhere, as we stumble around in the dark and strap ourselves to a tree trunk for hours at a time.
Hundreds of articles each year tell us how to harvest trophy bucks or to use cover to our advantage. But what do veteran Iowa deer hunters think? When is the best time to bow hunt? Where? And why? I asked a few of them.
Willy Suchy, Chariton. As the DNR’s deer biologist, Suchy spends most of the year tracking deer trends, numbers. So when and where does the guy who studies deer for a living go during bow season?…
“I like to get out in late October, early November,” says Suchy.
“The weather is more consistent then. There might be more deer moving through mid November, but the chance for bad weather is higher. Hunting in 10 degrees…I’m not so sure that’s fun.”
There is still plenty of fall color in mid-October to enjoy. Beyond that, Suchy says signs of whitetail activity abound and tell him what is going on. “You can see the trails, the rubs in the woods. I read that sign and then base my hunting plan on deer activity. I want to know where the crops are and then set up in a funnel where that day’s wind is not a problem,” says Suchy.
Chris Mobley, Iowa City. His outdoor interests match up well with his job as archery manager at Fin & Feather Outdoor Store. But when the calendar turns over to November, he wants to be in his stand…
“The rut is right around the corner. Deer are more aggressive; bucks are fighting each other or chasing does,” says Mobley. “The leaves have fallen. You can see a lot farther. To know you rattled or grunted in a deer, turning him right into range for a shot gives you a huge feeling of satisfaction.”
Mobley sets up close to bedding or feeding areas, but moves, depending on the crops, wind or deer activity. Still, Mobely sees advantages in hunting early and late. “That first week or two, deer aren’t influenced as much by humans,” he concedes. “The end of the season can be great, too. It’s cold. There’s snow. Deer are easier to pattern. Set up near food plots and you often can narrow down to 50-100 yards.”
Elaine Brown, Council Bluffs. Volunteer archery/bowhunter instructor at ‘Becoming an Outdoor Woman’ workshops. ‘I married into it,’ she laughs. After bowhunting 15 years, she prefers the early days.
“I love to get out early in the season; mornings best of all. If the temperature doesn’t get to 70 degrees, that’s a little below my comfort zone,” laughs Brown. “I do a lot of hunting in October. You see a lot of change then. The leaves are falling. Everything isn’t so brown. We set up a little closer to water sources during those warmer days.”
Still, she’s not against November hunting. “That’s when I want to get out during the day and stay longer,” suggests Brown.
Randy Taylor, Council Bluffs. President of the Iowa Bowhunters Association. Just back from a week hunting mule deer in South Dakota, he prefers the peak of the rut for Iowa whitetails.
“If I could pick out just five days, it would be November 11-15,” declares Taylor. “Over the years, we have killed a lot of nice deer in that time frame. Also, it isn’t that cold yet.”
Taylor’s stand locations don’t change much over the season. “It’ll depend some on crop rotation, too, but we make sure we pattern the does. The key is to hunt where the does are. The bucks will be there, too.”
Jim Jensen, Tripoli. For several years, served as a DNR depredation biologist working with landowners to reduce wildlife crop damage. Now a management biologist in northeast Iowa, his focus returns to whitetails in November.
“I don’t get started until the last week of October. Then I hunt as much as I can through the third week of November,” notes Jansen.
“If you hunt deer, you almost have to be in the woods then. The peak of the rut is coming. The bucks are moving. Does are, too. There’s a lot of pushing around and interchange.”
Jensen takes in three factors before setting his deer stand. “Wind direction, some sort of food source and, when I can find it, a natural funnel,” says Jensen. “I want to set up on the downwind side; anticipating the direction deer will travel to and from feeding areas.”
But the best time is always the day, or two or five that you plan to get away and surround yourself with the sights, sounds…and prospects of another Iowa bow season.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will hold three regulated archery deer hunts to reduce the overpopulation at Oak Mountain State Park. An online registration process will randomly select 70 hunters for each of the hunts scheduled for November 8-9, 2005, December 6-7, 2005, and January 3-4, 2006.
Online registration begins Monday, September 12, 2005 at www.oudooralabama.com. Residents and non-residents are allowed to apply, and registrants are eligible to be drawn for all three hunts. A $6 fee is required to register for the computer drawing, and a $50 fee is required of the 70 randomly selected hunters. Fees will be used to cover a portion of the costs associated with conducting the hunt and to recoup a portion of lost revenues due to the park’s closure during the wildlife management hunt. Bowhunters must pass an archery proficiency test. Hunters may harvest two deer per day, only one of which may be an antlered buck.
Conservation personnel monitored the park’s deer population for several years. Experts conducted surveys in 1999 and 2000 that documented serious vegetative impact resulting from deer browsing new growth of wildflowers, trees and shrubs before it has a chance to develop. This, in turn, affects the population of small mammals and nesting birds.
Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley made the decision to actively manage the herd. “We intervened because the deer population exceeded the land’s capacity to support their number. The overpopulation impacted other plants and animals in the park like songbirds and wildflowers. Recovery of the habitat will take years but there are signs of progress already. Some plants not seen in years are becoming reestablished in the park,” Lawley added.
Biologists point out that herd health deteriorates when deer density exceeds the nutritional carrying capacity of the land. A herd health check by the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study based at the University of Georgia was conducted at Oak Mountain in 1999. The results showed parasites, malnutrition and a presence of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in the deer. EHD is a virus of white-tailed deer transmitted by biting flies.
Hunters serve an important role in wildlife management. “Hunting is the most accepted and widely used management tool for controlling deer populations. Oak Mountain is public land and the deer within the park are a natural resource that belongs to the public. Hunters provide an important public service by harvesting the excess deer and utilizing the venison,” Lawley added.
Lawley encourages hunters to donate deer to the Hunters Helping the Hungry program, whereby the venison is distributed to local food banks. “If a hunter harvests a two-deer limit the first day and does not need any more venison, we encourage that hunter to return the second day and donate any harvested deer to Hunters Helping the Hungry,” he said.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Parks, State Lands, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR visit www.outdooralabama.com.

BOONE - More than 1,700 Iowa bowhunters participated in the first ever Iowa Bowhunter Observation Survey during the 2004 deer hunting season.
The randomly selected bowhunters from across the state were asked to record the number of hours they hunted and the number of deer and selected furbearers they observed while hunting. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources received observations from over 27,000 hunting trips, which provided nearly 95,000 hours of observational data. The data is being used to supplement existing deer population data and to examine population trends of selected furbearers over time.
In addition to deer, bowhunters were asked to record the number of badgers, bobcats, cats, coyotes, gray fox, opossum, otters, raccoons, red fox and skunks. Results from the survey were calculated for each of the 9 climate regions of the state.
“The amount of information provided by the bowhunters is much greater than what we could ever obtain with our biologists, technicians, and conservation officers,” said Steve Roberts, DNR wildlife research biologist who collaborated on the study with William Clark, professor at Iowa State University. He said bowhunters donated the equivalent of 12,000 workdays during the survey. “Their efforts were just phenomenal.”
“It’s really satisfying to know that many of Iowa’s bowhunters do care about conservation, which is obvious because of their willingness to participate in the survey,” Roberts said. “I have received many positive comments from bowhunters about this survey, and we are hopeful that even more bowhunters will participate in future years. This is, by far, the most popular survey that I have conducted.” Roberts said he and Clark believed avid bowhunters would be the best hunters to select for the survey because they would hunt often and tend to have the most experience in selecting good stand locations. They would also be more likely to control or mask human scent, use camouflage, identify animals correctly, and return the survey.
Surveys were sent to a random sample of bowhunters who obtained bow-hunting licenses each year during 2001, 2002, and 2003. Roberts and Clark made every attempt to distribute the survey evenly across the state.
Results from this survey will be online at www.iowadnr.com by early next week. For more information, contact Roberts at 515-432-2823.

PIERRE, S.D. - South Dakota archers seeking certification should note that a number of National Bowhunter Education Foundation courses are still available.
Archery antelope and deer seasons are only a few months from opening, and the remaining courses are this year’s final chances for hunters to take an NBEF course.
South Dakota requires that all first-time bowhunters, all bowhunters under the age of 16 and all archery elk applicants complete a National Bowhunter Education Foundation sanctioned Bowhunter Education Course before applying for any of South Dakota’s archery big game licenses.
Hunters can view the list of the remaining courses on the Game, Fish and Parks Web site at www.sdgfp.info. Those interested should look for the archery education link after holding their computer cursor over the subheading “Wildlife Hunting and Fishing” and then click on the link to “Hunting.”
The current list of remaining courses includes:
July 16, Sturgis Armory, Harry Globstad, 347-0027.
July 16, Sioux Falls Sportsman’s Warehouse, Keith Miller, 978-9800.
July 23, Chamberlain GFP Office, 734-4530.
July 30, Mitchell, Cabela’s, 996-0337 Xt8539.
July 30, Watertown, Skip Meisenheimer 886-9537.
July 30, Sioux Falls, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Keith Miller, 978-9800.
Aug. 13, Pierre, Dan McCormick, 224-6528
Aug. 13, Mitchell, K & B Archery, 996-9810.
Aug. 14, Yankton, Dakota Archery, 665-8340.
Aug. 20, Sioux Falls, The Outdoor Campus, 362-2777.
Aug. 20, Burke, Tim Pravecek, 842-0855.

CONCORD, N.H. - Hunters who want to buy a 2005 special archery deer permit, valid for taking one additional antlered deer using bow and arrow during the archery deer season, must now purchase the permit at the same time they buy their archery license. As of this year, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department does not sell the special archery deer permits separately. The permits cost $16.
“Archery hunters will not have the option of adding a special deer permit later as they could before,” said Fish and Game Licensing Supervisor Susan Martin. “If hunters want that extra permit, they need to get it when they buy their archery license or they’ll be out of luck this year.”
In 2004, Fish and Game sold 18,803 archery hunting licenses and 7,419 special archery deer permits.