Harvest numbers

[Sailfish]

I was looking around today to see if I could find any sort of harvest numbers for FL deer (this year or last) and found they don't have them.
 
On the Florida Wildlife website the FAQ response to the question is:
 
"There is no exact count of the number of deer harvested in Florida. Hunters are not required to report the number of deer that are harvested on private lands, and harvest data is incomplete or not collected on many public hunting areas (especially cooperative areas)."
 
 
So it makes me wonder, what kind of science is being used to protect and manage the resource? I can't imagine but maybe it's just night counting?

[longcarbine]

Ecology and Management of White-tailed Deer in Florida 

[Sailfish]

[font=arial]Thanks I think I have read that in the past.[/font]
[font=arial][/font] 
[font=arial]Night counting, track counting (based on outdated science) aerial survey's are options employed, but from their own article:
[/font]
 

"Collecting information from harvested deer and keeping good records is an essential part of herd management. Without it, deer management is based on guesswork."
 
[font=arial][size=2]So it seems it's just all guesswork??[/font]
 
[font=arial]And while reading I managed to find this tid-bit. Which according to most herd management information it is not quite the healthiest thing to do for the overall herd:[/font]
 

Currently, in most of Florida, FWC allows for some of the most liberal buck hunting in the country and relatively conservative doe hunting strategies.

 
 
[font=arial]I imagine they do the best they can with what they are given to work with.[/font]
 
 
 
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[longcarbine]

I believe that FWC needs to make some changes. Here in Blackwater WMA the antler rule is 5 inches.  THey need to change it to at least a 3 point or better.  I have some ideas what the state can do to improve the quality of deer/ hunting,  but no time to mention them now.  Will do at a later date!!!
Merry Christmas!!!![;)]

[FlDeerman]

I think Alabama is headed in the right direction with there liberal doe harvesting.The panhandle needs that bad. 
MERRY CHRISTMAS!An may all have a good shot.

[kazi19722003]

a 3 point or better or a 3 points on one side would be fine in florida it would be better than listening to the spike you let walk get shot down when it crosses the fence to the lease next to you and we do need more days to shoot does

[69Viking]

Florida definitely has some backwards deer management strategies when you compare it to what is recommended in magazines based on today's science.  You can shoot any buck with 5 inch antlers but then only have a very small window to shoot does, that is totally backwards with today's science on Whitetail management. 
 
I have been hunting 5 years and luckily through friends I've had an area in Alabama to hunt.  Sure it costs me more but their management practices are way ahead of Florida's.