Indiana Bucks vs. The Rest of the Midwest

It is well known that states like Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Kansas sit atop the Midwest as far as trophy whitetail hunting is concerned. Indiana, though, has always seemed to be just a step below all of those states. That's not to say that Indiana doesn't have great bucks. There are some true monsters killed in Indiana every year. The numbers and average sizes just don't seem to match up with most other Midwestern states.

So what's the problem?

The first problem, as I see it, is the population. The deer population numbers in most of Indiana's counties have at least 25 deer per square mile. On the other hand, most counties in the other Midwestern states listed above fall below the 15 deer per square mile mark.

With the high population comes a couple of different issues. The first is insufficient amounts of food. It takes more corn, wheat, acorns, etc. to feed 25 deer than it does 15. With less food, the deer have less nutrients to grow record book antlers. The second is a poor buck/doe ratio. This doesn't make bucks any smaller, but it does make them harder to hunt. When does are in abundance, the bucks don't need to move during the day as much to find a hot doe.

The second thing that I believe is a problem is a lack of patience from Indiana hunters. As I talk to hunters in Illinois and Iowa, I find that they are more willing to hold off on a good looking two or three year old buck. Obviously the know that there are bigger bucks around. If all Indiana hunters would hold off like this, maybe Indiana hunters could enjoy the same luxury.

The last issue is the timing and length of the firearm seasons. Indiana currently has a 15 day season that generally starts in the second or third weekend of November. That's 15 days of firearms during the rut. Then there is a late muzzleloader in which it does not seem a lot of damage is done.

What can be done?

The "One Buck Rule" that has been in effect for several years now in Indiana has been a great step in the right direction for trophy whitetails. However, I think there are still a few measures that legislation should consider.

The easiest issue is probably the population (especially the doe population). There are a couple of things that could be done here. First, doe permit fees could be lowered encouraging more people to by and fill doe permits. Second, it may be beneficial to put in a temporary law (2-5 years) that forces hunters to take a doe before shooting a buck.

The size of bucks shot is a tougher issue to tackle. Some states have imposed antler restrictions. That may be a positive course of action. The proposed "doe first" rule may also help a bit.

The greatest help, though, may come with some firearm season reform. The Indiana DNR proposed some changes to the firearm seasons in July. Most noteably, they proposed moving opening day of shotgun season to the last Saturday before Thanksgiving and shortening the season to 8 days. They had similar proposals for the muzzleloader season. They also proposed 3 days of antlerless only firearms in October and 6 in late December. All of those proposals would go a long way in putting Indiana in the same category as Illinois and Ohio.

So what do you think should be done? Leave your comments below. (You do NOT need an account to comment.)