I know it can get a little crazy when we start throwing around deer harvest numbers. I sympathize with you because I find it difficult to read my own columns without having a calculator in hand when I begin rattling off kills of bucks and does in the state as well as in regions and counties. Toss in percentages up and percentages down when compared with other years and you need a slide rule.
If you are too young to know what a slide rule is, go to Wikipedia.
Having said that, I have found some Maryland deer kill numbers that I have to share with you. I think they are interesting.
I know that there are readers out there in Almost Maryland who believe that the Maryland Wildlife & Heritage Service is less than honest in reporting harvest numbers. If you are such a reader — one who believes the agency pulls the numbers out of thin air — don’t torture yourself by reading any further.
First, let’s take a look back at deer kills, moving forward from the first year of recordation, that being 1931. We will go by decades instead of year by year.
I mean I don’t have all day here and I’m sure you don’t either.
Unless I tell you differently, all of the deer were bucks.
In 1931, there were 21 deer killed in Garrett County and 11 in Allegany.
In 1940, 289 in Garrett and 48 in Allegany. Hunters in 1950 bagged 374 in Garrett and 188 in Allegany. The 1960 kill was 869 in Garrett and 781 in Allegany.
It appears that 1961 was the first year that hunters began killing more bucks in Allegany than in Garrett, a trend that generally held true until 1984.
Then in 1970, 402 bucks and 28 does were whacked in Garrett and 556 bucks and 10 does in Allegany. In 1980, Garrett gave up 1,150 bucks and 119 does, while in Allegany the numbers were 1,361 and 116.
Moving ahead to 1990, we find that 2,856 bucks were checked in Garrett along with 2,474 does. In Allegany, the numbers were 2,705 and 2,317. In 2000, Garrett hunters put 4,340 bucks in the freezer or on the wall along with 3,215 does. Allegany gave up 4,271 and 3,703. That buck kill in Allegany in 2000 was the highest ever recorded. Garrett’s top buck year was 2001 with 4,443.
In our most recent year of deer hunting, that being 2009, there were 2,649 bucks and 2,273 does taken in Garrett and 2,315 bucks and 2,193 killed in Allegany.
Let’s talk public land deer hunting.
I will go public land by public land, giving you the best year of buck harvest and the most recent. In Allegany County: Billmeyer Wildlife Management Area, 43 bucks in 2002 and 23 in 2009; Dan’s Mountain WMA, 355 in 1995 and 112 in 2009; Warrior Mountain WMA, 163 in 1999 and 67 in 2009; Green Ridge State Forest, 1,089 in 2000 and 388 in 2009; Rocky Gap State Park, 66 in both 2000 and 2001 and 17 in 2009.
Remember, these numbers are for all deer hunting seasons combined.
In Garrett County: Mount Nebo WMA, 76 in 2001 and 36 in 2009; Garrett SF, 172 in 1999 and 86 in 2009; Potomac SF, 143 in 2000 and 52 in 2009; Savage River SF, 701 in 1995 and 266 in 2009.
Some observations:
• You will find the percentage differences from year to year and from decade to decade basically reflected in the deer harvest numbers in nearby West Virginia counties.
• In the late 1990s and early 2000s in Allegany County, hunters were killing as many bucks during the firearms season as are being taken nowadays in the combined bags from the firearms/bow/muzzleloader hunts.
• The annual buck kill in Allegany County has been amazingly stable during the past six years: 2,333 in 2004; 2,428 in 2005; 2,648 in 2006; 2,478 in 2007; 2,582 in 2008; and 2,315 in 2009.
That’s it for this week. I have run out of fingers and toes.
Contact Outdoor Editor Mike Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.
Michael A Sawyers - Outdoors
Caution: numbers ahead!
- Michael A Sawyers - Outdoors
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