Where did all the whitetails go

[Everett]

Forgot to ask... how are the mule deer doing in your area? Have they improved??

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Mule deer are doing great showing up areas were they have been absent for years.

[Wild one]

exactly. These deer are much much more adaptable than mule deer, even our liberal seasons won’t slow them down a smidgeon. You will see all the mule deer vanish before you need to start worrying about the white tail populations declining, they are just smarter than your average hunter and that frustrates a lot of people into thinking they aren’t there.

You will see mule deer vanish from piss poor management of mule deer, MD habitat, and lack of predator control in B.C.. It won’t be do to WT deer but they make a great excuse. B.C.s WT populations are piss poor compared to many places outside of B.C. where both species exist.

But I do agree most BC hunters still have not come close to adapting to WT deer and still hunt them like MD or road hunt glassing clear cuts. In the last 10years a portion of B.C. hunters have started to adapt but not even close to areas where WT is common to been the main target

WT are not invincible like some in BC like to think and actually had to be reintroduced to many states to rebuild populations in the past do to over hunting. Lots of myths about WT in BC and with research it’s not hard to see the BS

Not a direct shot at you RyoTHC but when it comes to WT in BC I find some of the BS I hear hard to swallow. I am far from clueless about this species either lol

[LBM]

No I haven’t but the main reason why the East Koots ‘had’ a two whitetail doe limit was to reduce their numbers. While some hunters may long for the days of seeing a hundred whitetail does before lunch, it wasn’t good for the habitat.... or mule deer.
’Apparent competition’ with mule deer was an issue.

That population reduction was met and the whitey doe limit was reduced to one.

If the whitetails did take a hit last winter, stay on them. You won’t keep them down for long but it will benefit the mule deer.

Maybe re-read that mulw deer thread that I bumped not long ago. So much good info in there from knowledgeable people that are no longer with us.

My whitetail season here lasted a total of 45 mins...but I don’t put a lot of weight in my personal observations.

SSS

That was one of the reasons on the doe season that they put out along with it was for hunter recruitment or the one it was to starve out wolves and cats, lots of stuff throwing out there too try and justify it.
It did back fire some what on some ways and may cause issues in others since the wolves and cats had to move on to something else to eat, such as sheep and since they seem to be way more important
to some then deer they can justify killing off more predators.

[Pauly]

That was one of the reasons on the doe season that they put out along with it was for hunter recruitment or the one it was to starve out wolves and cats, lots of stuff throwing out there too try and justify it.
It did back fire some what on some ways and may cause issues in others since the wolves and cats had to move on to something else to eat, such as sheep and since they seem to be way more important
to some then deer they can justify killing off more predators.

No shortage of whitetail around my area our group filled all our tags but one and never mind lost opportunities. The two deer season hasn’t made a dent I hunt my area hard and have shot a pile of whitetail and yet every year their seems to be more. Nothing like mule deer hunting once I figured it out holly crap did I find the whitetail. One cagey animal. They love to bed along roads in the thick stuff and watch traffic drive by. Kamloops has always been mule deer country and I’d like to keep it like that so I’m all for hunting them hard. However; I’m not sure that’s slowing them down.

[Redthies]

They're all moving to Region 2 where there is no season. Smart buggers.

My weimaraner chased two WTs off the lower half of our acreage a km from Peace Arch this spring. There are no whitetail in region 2 though...

[HarryToolips]

Out of everyone who has replied to this thread, who has harvested a WT doe this season? I may still but I'm saving that for my recurve...I'm guessing that it's only a few of us, I don't think that overall, a lot are harvested, contrary to what some believe..

I think that overall,in my area they're numbers are down a bit, but I don't think that's due to hunting, I think it's more due to habitat loss (development on winter range), and maybe a bit of increased predation...that being said, I have still seen quite a few this year..

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Out of everyone who has replied to this thread, who has harvested a WT doe this season? I may still but I'm saving that for my recurve...I'm guessing that it's only a few of us, I don't think that overall, a lot are harvested, contrary to what some believe..

I think that overall,in my area they're numbers are down a bit, but I don't think that's due to hunting, I think it's more due to habitat loss (development on winter range), and maybe a bit of increased predation...that being said, I have still seen quite a few this year..

I shot my first ever whitetail doe in the GOS( have only killed one other in the late archery season).
I don’t normally hunt much in October but the deer seemed to be active in mid to late Oct. I think they stayed at lower elevation where I hunt in November because of our moist summer and fall.

SSS

[Norwestalta]

At the beginning of the season I thought there was no deer. Last couple days they seemed to be like vermin. Every where there was deer. If the ones I seen make through the next month I think we'll have some pretty nice bucks next fall. The surprising thing is that there was no sign of any kind in the bush.

[HighCountryBC]

Out of everyone who has replied to this thread, who has harvested a WT doe this season? I may still but I'm saving that for my recurve...I'm guessing that it's only a few of us, I don't think that overall, a lot are harvested, contrary to what some believe..

I think that overall,in my area they're numbers are down a bit, but I don't think that's due to hunting, I think it's more due to habitat loss (development on winter range), and maybe a bit of increased predation...that being said, I have still seen quite a few this year..

You'd be correct. It's one of the most under-utilized seasons provincially. There's a reason they stop counting them on inventory flights when they tally a few hundred in under 30 minutes of flying.

[RyoTHC]

Out of everyone who has replied to this thread, who has harvested a WT doe this season? I may still but I'm saving that for my recurve...I'm guessing that it's only a few of us, I don't think that overall, a lot are harvested, contrary to what some believe..

I think that overall,in my area they're numbers are down a bit, but I don't think that's due to hunting, I think it's more due to habitat loss (development on winter range), and maybe a bit of increased predation...that being said, I have still seen quite a few this year..

myself and everyone in my hunting party. White tail doe is our first big game target each year, then we move to MD bucks then WT bucks. There is no hesitation from any of us to drop that second doe as well if we are limited in time and we will continue to do so. I hunted zone 3 and 8 this season and I’m talking 50+ hunting days, not just your frustrated weekend warrior and guess what, I saw MORE white tail than mule deer over the entirety of the season. Zone 8 and 3 included.

it makes me laugh so so so hard when I see anyone on this forum complaining about not finding WT or the populations. I have ran into HUNDREDS of WT within a 2 hour drive of my house this season. They are EVERYWHERE if you can actually figure them out and aren’t too lazy to put in the effort.

I hole heartedly believe even half the people on here that “claim” they are getting out of the truck and spending the time to hunt WT are not. They half ass it get frustrated and quit. Also, how many of you guys can tell the difference between MD and WT sign? They act very differently and it’s distinctive more often than not.