We had ours done this week and got some good numbers.

With my small size place, the 2021 season served as my survey too and numbers are good.

We did ours a couple weeks ago. Good numbers, in-line with cameras from a ratio standpoint. Once the seasons ends I’m gonna post a detailed breakdown of our herd and what we are seeing to just get thoughts and hear what other peoples herds are looking like come seasons end.

I'd be real curious Double AC; on my Young county place cameras were showing a low doe to buck pass through ratio, I'd guess 2/3:1. How I like it actually..I prefer seeing some horns over a bunch of does..

Did ours a couple weeks back. Buck numbers took a hit, but not surprised. We noticed a heavy increase in hunting activity around our low fenced property in Baylor county this season. A couple new fence line hunters on the north, a new hunter to the west, and a vacant property now leased on the south.. Even saw my target buck at the processor opening morning and knew then things were going to change. It’s been a nice little honey hole for the last several seasons but we’re most likely moving on. Also believe our fawn survival rate was very low as we’ve noticed a huge surge in coyote population. Prior to this year, it was not uncommon to see 30 deer come through my area, but this season we saw 8-10 on average. Never been skunked but my buddy had quite a few sits with little to no activity. May just be the perfect storm of increased pressure and predator population increasing. We had mostly middle aged deer on camera but for sure not seeing fawn to 1.5 yo age class and almost zero mature bucks post season. We don’t seem to have this problem on the HF ranch. only problem there is a higher feed bill due to the freeze, but we can adjust that..

Yessir. 58 does, 45 fawns, 41 bucks on 2,000 acres. Good fawn crop.

That’s a good count !

Nice! What county?

In Stonewall county we had:

76 Bucks
134 Does
68 Yearlings

That was up from last years count of:

40 Bucks
108 Does
47 Years

I forget what percentage they figure they count vs miss.

That’ great numbers for that area on how much acerage

Looks like you're density will be going from 20.2 to 13.9....nice increase...at this rate you would be increasing your herd a significant amount.

I'm glad so many hunters are making efforts to count to manage their deer herds. However, there are still many that don't and that's ok too...hoping they are not over harvesting. I have seen many times where their are small leases in an area ....each place doesn't over harvest but collectively they do over harvest and don't know that they have a problem until it's too late...seeing only a few deer each year. My experiences are many as the leases I have been able to hunt have this problem. We still were able to harvest a moderate amount. Those leases I were on in those years we may see a few deer all season and we were happy with that. I enjoyed those leases as much as the leases we are on now ..seeing plenty of deer. It wasn't the success but the experiences.

Doing survey this time of the year is not when I want to do one for managing the deer on my place.....I do one early before season or in early season to tell what I have and what I need to take off for numbers. Doing one after the season only verifies what I took off and what is left. Sorta managing for next year before the fawn crop.

I think what I praise mostly is hunters caring about their herd and maybe learning how to care for their management plan for a betterment of their area herd. I have been doing a "census" for many years. I remember when I first started with my cameras..I ran three in one year. The more I worked with my cameras the more I wanted to do. I now ...do an intensive "census" making a labor intensive and costly process. I now can predict future herds including future fawns for years to come. We all have a starting place which is exciting for new hunters making their first surveys. I applaud the new comers into the process. When they get good at doing a survey or census they will be able to tell when they are over harvesting and able to set forth a management plan that can work for them.
Good Luck to all the new camera hounds!

When some count they are hoping to see less deer instead of more. More isnt always better.

Summer/Fall aerial surveys are not an option for landowners with dense woods like we have. Last year we did the survey in August/September as weather prevented us from doing in February and saw a whopping 2 deer on 2000acres because of how dense the woods are. We still did it to check the box for MLD, but late winter is the only good time to see what’s on the land. Camera surveys in combination with a late season aerial (to confirm ratios not numbers as bucks pressure our does from feeders where the cameras are) is a much more reliable measure for our neck of the woods.

I never do aerial survey's either. I choose to do other survey and counts along with feed consumption data to set my harvest numbers. Feed consumption, incidental counts, blind counts and spotlight counts are what I compile my data and numbers from. Have done it this was since the early 90's. Only ranch I flew aerial on was in South Texas and still used feed consumption and trail cameras for a better count. Other places had to much canopy to fly. With year to year counts you see trends and with follow survey methods this time of the year you can see a reduction in your counts by what was removed. Surveying after the season does not allow you time to get rid of the mouths you need to remove. You are managing for next year and already a year behind on harvest numbers. The early Doe/fawn numbers are much more critical than bucks but you need all of it tell what you needs to be removed. You really don't need to know density from a survey if you fawn crop numbers fall into the correct % every year. That fawn crop number tells you all you need to know. Getting that number now is to late IMO.