Harvest Numbers For Deer Reported (Non-check station WMAs)

Might have to file a FOIA request.

I am asking the same basic question about the turkey harvest on a different thread.  Both deer and turkey kills were mandated to be called in or reported by computer. This applied to all lands both public and private. It shouldn't take more than a computer stroke to relay this information on the FWC web site. I haven't seen the total numbers for either but may not have looked hard enough.  I was hoping they would update the numbers at least weekly throughout the season.  Maybe some day.  At least there is some type of reporting system finally in place.  Now if they would start counting the freeloading exempts (I am one) they could get a handle on how many actually hunt and fish in Florida 

Let me know if you guys can see where my son killed 2 ten inch osceola gobblers last season. I don't have time to search.

Not sure why you think exempt hunters hunting private land do not report their kills. I'm a exempt hunter and hunt private land. The rule says all hunter that hunt deer or turkeys must report their harvest. So just like all hunters that hunt deer and now turkeys I have to have a hunter ID number to report harvest. The hunter ID number gives FWC a pretty good data on how many hunters are hunting deer and now turkeys. Here's some data from the 2021-2022 survey conducted by Response Management:

"There were an estimated 122,312 deer hunters in Florida during the 2021‐2022 season, slightly up from the 106,926 who hunted deer in 2020‐2021.

In this year’s survey, the estimated statewide deer harvest was 74,098, compared to 65,707 in the previous year.

Overall, deer hunters spent 2.151 million days hunting deer in Florida in the 2021‐2022 season. "


DEER HUNTER SATISFACTION

Ø A little more than two thirds of Florida deer hunters (68.5%) are “very satisfied” or

“satisfied” with deer hunting in Florida, while dissatisfaction stands at 16.5%.


These surveys have been conducted by Response Management for quite a number of years. Also, they now have the harvest report data from the deer report system to compare to Response Managements telephone survey. To get this data and a whole lot more just give the Deer Management Coordinator Morea Cory a call or email him ......cory.morea@myfwc.com.

You can also ask him why this info isn't available on the web site.

You misread wayvis. BEFORE the mandatory reporting they had no clue how many deer or turkey were taken on private land by exempts, or most anyone else, or how many exempts actually hunted. Now that mandatory reporting is in place they should get some good data but for unknown reason it doesn't appear easily accessible. Anyone should now be able to go on the FWC site and see how many turkey were killed in spring 2023 without a FOIA request. I checked a turkey on April 15 from Hardee County private land. That info, as well as the total number from Hardee County and any other county I enter, should be available with a click of a key stroke and not require a call to Cory.. With a totally transparent check and report system Resource Management may have become obsolete.
I have been an exempt for over ten years. I wonder how many millions of dollars the uncounted exempts have cost Florida in matching federal funds over the years? Freeloading exempts are a big drain on the system 

Yeah, I find it highly unlikely that 68% of FL hunters are VERY satisfied with our deer hunting. This state does not place enough importance and effort into hunting to make it "satisfying" for the average man, unless today's average man only knows of the lackluster opportunities we have today.

"Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics"

If you dont know look it up.

I agree that this data should be on the FWC website. But way if most are not going to believe it?

I still do not believe 68% were MERELY "satisfied", as you say. I am also particularly skeptical of any poll coming out of fwc...

Good people, from top to bottom have left FWC for reasons, and not just for money.

I feel hunting is not a high priority on fwcs agenda. Political masturbation IS.

Polls are easily designed to create a desired outcome. Such as- "Would you be in favor of being able to harvest 4 ducks of any species if the daily bag was reduced to 4? Don't laugh. That was a question in a waterfowl survey years ago, among other leading questions.... there are plenty of leading questions like that in any poll. I don't trust them much.

You can go ahead and believe what you want, while the rest of us all sit here and watch the habitat decline, the rules and red tape expand, and the access to hunt dwindle away because of the politics that are entrenched in our state game management agency... those are the facts. You can die on your sword defending the anonymous polls, while I watch what is really happening in the world with my own eyes. Don't take any of this the wrong way. It's not an attack on you. It's the simple truth to what is happening.

One last thing... the reporting system is a great concept, but don't think for a minute that it isn't be being abused to some (maybe a large) degree. As others have said, that info should be available with the touch of a button. It is not. How come? Frankly, there is no excuse.

There is an old saying at the poker table- "if after the first couple hands you haven't identified the patsy, you're it!"

Deer harvest numbers are looked at by deer managers as trend data, so you just can't jump from one survey to another. The deer harvest numbers reported by the telephone survey is much higher than what is being check under the deer reporting system. FWC will have to run the telephone survey for some time. They also can gather other info from a telephone survey.

As I said I agree that this data should be on their website. But until more hunters complain about it to Cory or even the commissioners, it seems to be a low priority.

If your talking about me as an apologist for the FWC your why of base. I may have more of an open mind than some on here, but as you I believe many things need changing within the FWC and public land hunting. As with most government agencies if things like this are not getting done, it usually comes down to manpower or money not being allocated to get the job done.

Sadly, this sounds like the most reasonable explanation thus far.

Before the online permit system changed a couple of years ago you could search by WMA, region, season, date range, and maybe more. It was great to be able to see how many deer were killed during on ABC WMA during the last week of October. You could identify trends in harvest numbers to make a determination regarding pressure or rut timing. Now, I can't find any way to access this info.