State Park Deer Herd

[Remington12]

After visiting Lake Barkley State Park, one has got to feel that the 2 day quota hunt can not adequately manage the deer herd. Are the other state parks as overpopulated? Is the state planning to alter its current plan and open greater access?

[mossyhorns]

Since all those state park deer got their procurement cards they've been hard to control.

[Remington12]

What do you mean by procurement cards?

[mossyhorns]

My spelling is probably off, Rem. There has been a big uproar lately about the abuse of debit cards that the Park managers were to use for small instant purchases. You can imagine how that turned out. Seems that almost everyone at the park was carrying a card. Thought maybe they handed them out to the wildlife, too.

[Remington12]

I understand... My wife would say I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes.

But really, is there no plans to even open a bow season in certain areas of our state parks? Am I just seeing Lake Barkley as an exception (overpopulated). They could even allow bow-only turkey season if the noise is an issue.

[theck]

I hunted Dale Hollow State Park in Jan. I only saw a few deer. And, there wasn't that many killed. I looked like to me they needed to stop the draw hunt there or limit the number of hunters.

[Remington12]

Theck,
Did you scout Dale Hollow prior or did you know the area? Sounds like there were too many hunters for the population. Would you bowhunt it if you had the chance otherwise?

[FullDraw]

I was over at Lake Cumberland State Park in Jan. or Feb. a couple years back. Most of the deer I saw there were really small and sick looking. They were everywhere you looked. I did see a couple healthy looking does and three nice bucks, but mostly just sickly looking deer. They for sure need to harvest a lot of those deer. There just seemed to be to many for the land to support. If the state doesn't control the number of deer in these parks, then mother nature will do it her way and take about all of them out.

Antler Ridge Deer Farms
Bledsoe, KY

[Suthrn]

Youd think of all places that state parks would allow hunters to control the populations a bit better than that! I agree with you FD they need to do something soon or mother nature will sure do it in her own and MUCH crueler way.

"If Id known you were gonna be here id worn hunter orange!"

[theck]

REMington12, I wouldn't go back to gun hunt or bow hunt all by myself. I saw a nine pointer killed that had a very small rack and weighted only 90 lb. I think there were too many hunters. But, from what I am told. All of places that you use to be able to hunt got turned into a golf course.