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Originally Posted by Smalls
Yes, there are parts of the state that cannot support the deer limit that is set. It's called carrying capacity. Some habitats do not have the same CC as others. I've had this discussion before, and the guy made a point that I still don't agree with. He said that if area A doesn't hold as many deer as Area B, you won't kill as many deer there. So, whether that area has a 6 deer limit or not, it doesn't make a difference.
I call bologne on that. If you have 2 hunters on a property, and you've only got 10 deer frequenting that property, you could theoretically kill all those deer off, assuming the sex ratios are right.
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Sure, one can always make a case that the management of a given species needs to be managed at a smaller geographical level. Louisiana currently has 10 different deer zones with varying regulations in each. It might be better for the herd or the hunters to have 20 zones or 100 zones, but the data and science required to quantify what is happening in the herd on that fine a scale is prohibitively expensive, and enforcement when the regulations are changing in 20 or 100 zones also becomes problematic. We certainly don't want 50 different zones and the legal requirement to apply for and pay for tags in each of four or five different firearms seasons that Colorado has.
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Originally Posted by Smalls
Even if you do not kill them all off, you could drop that population to a certain level that keeps it from coming back. That is why some species have gone extinct.
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Whitetail deer are in no danger of becoming extinct in Louisiana.
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Originally Posted by Smalls
Also, if you continually kill young animals, eventually, you are going to skew the population to older individuals, and eventually you will not have a population.
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Certainly a possibility in some species, but not really a valid risk for whitetail deer in Louisiana. The sky is not falling.
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Originally Posted by Smalls
That is all theory and principle, but its not out of the realm of possibility. So yes, to answer your question, in some areas state regulations may not be sufficient. But then again, look at Texas. They establish different limits for different parts of the state, and it is because of differences in the deer herd and habitat.
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And there are 10 different deer zones in Louisiana. The state does not just consider possible benefits, but also associated costs and challenges of smaller geographic divisions.
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Originally Posted by Smalls
And it really isn't any one's place to tell someone else what they can or cannot do on their property anyway.
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For once we agree. But many states are susceptible to pressure from QDM and big buck types and have imposed antler restrictions and other regulations whereby the state essential is doing this to many property owners.
There may be parts of the state where additional landowner restrictions are reasonable, but there are many areas where the current regulations by the state are sufficient. In these areas "brown is down" is sufficient management without additional rules.