![]() ![]() Therefore, the quality of deer forage in much of Florida is lower than in other states.” “The soils in much of Florida are relatively sandy, and nutrients are leached out of the soil and not available for uptake by plants. Potential Fall 2020 hotspots: “Areas in northern and central Florida tend to contain higher-quality habitat to support deer growth and reproduction,” Morea says. Overall outlook: Cory Morea, deer management program coordinator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, says the statewide deer population remains stable, although there might be fluctuations at local levels. ![]() That said, it’s often quite warm, and the mosquitoes can be bothersome, so coming prepared for those conditions in the early season is key.” 1 - so that first week of the season provides hunters with the chance to take a buck in velvet, which for many people is a unique opportunity. Quick tip: “Delaware’s archery season opens earlier than those in most states - Sept. On the southern end of Delaware, in Sussex County, you will find a rural area with interspersed agriculture fields and forested habitats.” However, this is also Delaware’s most developed county, so access can be limiting. The deer density is greatest in Delaware’s northernmost county, New Castle. “Depending upon the type of hunt a person wants, I would recommend a different region of Delaware. Potential Fall 2020 hotspots: “While Delaware is a small state, our harvest density (harvest by land area) is one of the highest in the nation,” says Ness. The state’s harvest structure - a limit of two antlered deer, one of which must have an outside antler spread of at least 15 inches - lets hunters shoot a buck but doesn’t place too much pressure on younger deer, resulting in an adequate number of older bucks. To meet harvest objectives, Delaware offers one of the country’s longest archery seasons - five months - with gun seasons spread throughout that time. ![]() Overall outlook: Eric Ness, deer biologist with the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, says the state’s deer population is currently higher than management goals. Season dates/bag limits: portal.ct.gov Great late-season tracking snow helped George Hamilton tag this New England buck. “If acorns are absent, hunt alternative food sources like green fields.” Quick tip: “Hunt forested areas with abundant acorns,” Kilpatrick says. Potential Fall 2020 hotspots: Generally, deer management zones 2, 3 and 4a (north-central Connecticut) have the lowest populations, and zones 1, 5, 11 and 12 (the northwestern, northeastern, and southwestern and shoreline portions of the state, respectively) have higher populations, Kilpatrick says. Older age-class bucks can be found statewide, but hunters have better odds of shooting a mature buck in southwestern Connecticut. Overall outlook: Howard Kilpatrick, deer program biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says deer populations are relatively stable in most regions of the state. For example, with the snowpack this year, conditions will be much different this fall compared to last fall when statewide we were suffering drought conditions.” “Conditions in Colorado can vary year to year, and hunters will always want to be sure they are prepared for the current year. Quick tip: “One major aspect of having a successful hunt in Colorado is planning ahead,” says Gabrielski. Most of the land on the Eastern Plains is private, however, which can make access to good whitetail hunting tough. Whitetail habitat and populations are best on the eastern plains, especially the river beds and bottoms of the South Platte River corridor and Arkansas River corridor. Potential Fall 2020 hotspots: Gabrielski says most of the western part of the state has fantastic mule deer habitat that produces great hunting opportunities. Colorado continues to be one of the premier mule deer hunting destinations in the West.” The total buck rifle license recommendations from 2019 to 2020 are essentially the same for the state: 55,400. ![]() We are still showing buck-to-doe ratios above the statewide objective. “Mature bucks remain abundant across the western region, offering excellent hunting opportunities this fall. Overall outlook: “The deer populations in central Colorado are doing very well, and the deer populations in eastern Colorado are stable,” says Bradley Gabrielski, Colorado Parks and Wildlife communications center wildlife coordinator. ![]()
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