Looking at everybody who has responded and their location will give a clue as to why you see some of what I consider to be large numbers of deer taken in a lifetime.
Most of the respondents are from the East, Midwest, South. Amazing to hear that some have "unlimited" take for does or even limits that are greater than 1
I would say that in the Western states, and I'm speaking of NM, the limit is 1 mature buck. And that's considering if you are even lucky enough to be drawn for a tag in the lottery system we have. We just don't have the deer numbers that you see in the east and south. I'm always amazed at the number of deer I see as road kill in those areas.
Unless you are very lucky in our draw, own some or have access to private land, or have a boatload of cash to buy a mule deer tag on private land, the number killed will be less than 1 per year as my guess. That's what it is for me.
Hell, I've been on deer hunts where no one even sees a buck to shoot in a short 3 to 5 day season...another issue.
This certainly hugely effects the numbers for sure! Obviously.
YOu are not like us, I see legal shooter bucks almost every day out of my kitchen window. But I don't have big beautiful mountains to gaze at either...
we have pretty big limits in TX, especially after management came along. But never the numbers of other states that basically have one deer a day or so as a limit.
But then again, one big mule deer buck might give as much meat as 2 or more of ours. Maybe even 3-4 small does. And one elk.. well.. or one moose..
In the end its amazing, what numbers a hardcore hunter puts up.. Counting deer only I was over 100 with a bow only, when I decided keeping track was stupid. That wasn't counting pigs and javelina...
