Controlling the Wildlife Harvest

Have you ever wondered why restrictions are placed on certain hunting seasons or species? Why was an antlerless deer season introduced? Why do some wildlife management zones have a "bucks only" season for white-tailed deer?

The answers to these questions are fairly simple. If wildlife managers want the population to increase, you will often be able to harvest adult males only. This allows all the females to produce young animals. The population should increase.

If the population is too high, you might be able to harvest one or more "antlerless" deer. This type of season reduces the number of females and the number of young born. The population should decrease.

Different seasons and hunting restrictions are designed to keep populations in balance with the available habitat.

When you realize why seasons or bag limits are set, you begin to understand the role that hunters and regulated harvest play in managing wildlife populations. Regulations are set to control wildlife populations through the yearly harvest. Hunters are game managers!

Wildlife belongs to you to be used wisely and conserved for future generations.

advanced ecological concepts