A hunt for all seasons

Here at Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, deer season is one of the most important events that occurs in the calendar year. Staff must be present every weekend through most of October and November to check in and out hunters and check in deer. Despite the difficulty in finding enough staff, the hunt has persisted year after year and plays an important role at maintaining the deer herd at an appropriate population size. Typically 300-400 deer (or even more) are killed over the course of the season.

Success varies heavily depending on the conditions each day of the hunt, but is much higher at the peak of the rut. Our most successful day this year was November 7, when 95 deer were harvested right at the peak rut, representing a 22% success rate based on the number of hunters that day. Despite this clear peak in overall success, earlier and later season hunts can offer good opportunities, especially since bucks at these times are less likely to be locked down with receptive does, which can often occur in the rut and reduce deer movement.

Success rate is a metric which is calculated every year based on the number of deer harvested divided by the total number of hunters for each day of the hunt; a total for the season can be calculated. This information is one of the main reasons check-ins are still performed manually at the office. The overall success rate over the years at Big Oaks has stabilized near the DNR management target of 20-22%. When the first hunts began at Jefferson Proving Grounds under the Army, the success rate was around 50%, representing extreme overpopulation.

Another metric taken is the weight of 1.5 year old bucks, an age class that is relatively easy to determine by examining teeth. The average weight over the years has slightly increased since the opening of Big Oaks NWR, which suggests improving health for the deer resulting from less intraspecific competition (competition between deer) due to a lower population.

-Mark