Hunter Survey Participation Vital for Deer Management

40,000 Deer hunters will receive online surveys inquiring about the 2013-2014 season

Forty thousand of the approximately 120,000 hunters who hunted deer in Kansas this past season will be contacted by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) via an online survey. The survey, which is conducted every year, asks deer hunters to provide information regarding harvest success, dates and seasons hunted, days spent in the field, locations hunted, and choice of equipment during the 2013-2014 seasons. Hunter participation in the survey is crucial because biologists use the information to make deer management recommendations. Hunters who are randomly-selected to take this survey are strongly encouraged to complete the survey in its entirety as soon as possible.

“Some people reply back and tell us they killed a doe or got a 10 point buck and think that is all we really need. That is not the case,” said KDWPT big game biologist, Lloyd Fox. Fox explained that KDWPT monitors multiple aspects of the hunt in order to gain a clearer picture of the men and women who hunt deer and the impact of hunting on the resource.

Fox added that preliminary data received from surveys completed thus far show little to no changes from the 2012-2013 season as hunters have been reporting similar harvest success rates compared to last year, but biologists are still eager to receive any and all outstanding surveys in order to obtain the best information possible.

If you receive a 2013-2014 deer survey, please take the time to fill out it. A little time spent at the computer can go a long way in the field next season.