By Louie Stout
Michianas gun season has produced a mixed bag of results nice big-bodied bucks with good racks, but the numbers appear to be down.
At least thats the report weve received from Michiana meat processors who say business with gun hunters has been down after a productive bow season in October.
Of course, assessing Indianas deer season isnt as reliable as it once was now that the state allows hunters to check in deer online or smart phones. In previous years, Hoosiers were required to take their kills to an official check station. Michigan has a voluntary check-in.
The November gun season typically attracts more deer business for meat processors. Some speculate that fewer hunters were out this fall, either due to weather or a perception that there are fewer deer.
Opening weekend was horrible, said Steve Gill at DC Meats in Osceola. I bet we only took in 20 deer.
Gill said that the number of deer processed for the hunting season through Nov. 28 was down nearly 200 compared to 2010 and down 26 compared to the same period last year.
And I would say most of those the drop this year came during the gun season, he remarked. Our numbers through the bow season were higher than normal.
Jim Aldrich of Jaworskis Meats said deer processing has been slow at his South Bend business as well.
I think the wind and weather had a lot to do with it, he noted. But the percentage of bucks being harvested are up, and some good ones, too.
One of those bucks was a 12 pointer with split brow tines and a lot of antler mass. It field dressed at 200 pounds.
Gill agrees about the quality; the deer hes handled had big healthy bodies with nice antlers.
In Michigan, Crane Pond Game Area wildlife biologist Ken Kesson said his Jones, Mich. office checked in 63 deer the first day but the success fell way off after that.
I think the kill is down a bit throughout the region, but I also think there are fewer hunters going out, Kesson said.
The biologist said he checked some nice bucks, including a 14 point that will probably score over 200 and make the record book.
It was a 4½ year old buck shot around the Marcellus area, he added.