Wildlife Biologist Lee Kantar From MDIF&W Explains Sunday Hunting
August 28, 2006
Before you go getting too excited about the title of this blog, let me first explain that Mr. Kantar relates the possible affects having an additional day, Sunday, for hunters to hunt deer. His efforts were done from a scientific perspective which is exactly what I was seeking.
Perhaps I should make a couple clarifications about Sunday hunting first. There has been talk here and there about Maine offering Sundays as another day for hunters to have a chance to hunt. The working man feels that Sundays would give them some more free time to hunt as many work 6 or 7 days a week. For some, Sunday would be an only day they could hunt.
Those opposed to Sunday hunting say they don’t want hunters in the woods on Sundays. It robs them of one day a week during the deer season were they could be outside feeling safe.
Landowners have threatened to close their land to hunting if Sundays were allowed. There are many reasons a lot of people have come up with for and against the proposition.
I should make it clear that of any of the proposals that have been discussed about Sunday hunting, none involve big game hunting, i.e. deer, bear, moose, etc. It has just been about small game – upland birds, rabbit, etc.
I have made my position clear on numerous occasions as to where I have stood on this issue. In short, I am opposed to a Sunday hunt for big game because I fear having an extra day of hunting each week would in the long run end up shortening the season.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife does a pretty good job in maintaining our deer herd. One of the biggest tools they use in managing deer population is the issuing of Any-Deer permits. These fluctuate according to need. In other words, if hunter harvest increased because of 3 or 4 Sundays in November to hunt, fewer Any-Deer permits would be issued the following year. If that didn’t correct any upsurge in harvest numbers, a shortening of the season would be in order.
In my studies and travels around the country, I have come across several wildlife biologists who have said that in states that have a Sunday hunt, the extra day(s) had little or no effect on management goals for game populations.
This got me to thinking and so I sent an email to the MDIF&W and asked them if Maine had a position on this and if so what is it. I was elated to receive an email from Lee Kantar, a wildlife biologist from the department, who took the time to explain as best he could. As you will see from his response, there are too many unknowns to be able to be very definitive about this issue from a scientific perspective. Here is his response.
Dear Mr. Remington,
I currently work as the Deer Specialist for IFW, let me try to respond to the question you raised in your recent email regarding Sunday hunting and increased harvest.
One of the biggest influences on deer harvest is hunter effort-the number of days each hunter chooses to hunt. It appears over the last 2 decades that the total number of deer hunters has decreased while individual effort has increased. Part of this is due to the opportunity to hunt over a long season and ability to choose different hunting methods. An increase in hunter effort can result in additional harvest. Our management system is designed to make annual adjustments to our allowable harvest on does through the any deer permit system. Our system incorporates a strategic plan and management system that sets population density levels. This system has been highly effective in reducing or stabilizing deer densities in areas where densities have been too high and limits antlerless harvest where densities are too low. Each year we look at our harvest biological data and the performance of individual Wildlife Management Districts and make adjustments to the any deer permit numbers based on our density objective for the district. Our ability to achieve desired doe harvest levels has been fairly good and thus far our inability to increase deer densities in parts of the state has been due to factors other than hunting mortality (i.e., deer wintering areas). If a district experienced an overharvest of does in a given year, the result would be a reduction in any-deer permits the following year.
If Sunday hunting was allowed it would most likely increase overall hunting effort because it may be easier for an individual to hunt on weekends than during the work week. Would it also increase the number of deer harvested? Would it increase the number of deer harvested such that we would need to shorten the season (or change season structure in some other way)? What the harvest data has shown is that we experience a high harvest on opening day (60% more than the average Saturday during firearms in 2005), followed by relative steady harvests each week with a spike during the last week of firearms. Our firearm season is responsible for the bulk of the deer harvest (88% in 05’) and hunter participation and success with an associated increased harvest would likely show itself here. The next question would be what percent of successful Sunday hunters are the same hunters who would have hunted during the week and harvested a deer? Would a Sunday hunt affect participation and harvest rates during the week? This part of the equation we cannot predict, what is important is how the overall harvest looks like by district and in composition.
In addition to this, hunter success plays an important role in harvest fluctuations. Environmental conditions such as heavy rain or snowfall can be an important factor in harvest numbers. We have seen that our firearm success rate depends much on the number of Any-Deer permits that are issued. Any-Deer permittees because that can harvest a doe or fawn tend to have a higher success rate then buck only hunters. And buck-only hunters success hinges partially on the abundance of deer in that district. The last time we gauged hunter success rates the difference between Any-Deer permit holders and Buck-only hunters appeared to be 28-40% success versus 6-16%. While Sunday hunting means additional hunting days, environmental conditions and hunter effort impacts harvest numbers in ways that we cannot predict but can manage accordingly in the following year’s permit levels.
Additionally we have differences in participation in northern and southern Maine and Sunday hunting may have the potential to increase hunting participation from non-residents up north and residents in the south and central districts. Again low deer densities in the north and big woods country still allow for good buck escapement and may result only in negligible increases in harvest. South and central districts may experience increased harvest on the weekend with an associated decrease during the weekdays, since bag limits would not change. In the end given all the different factors, we would analyze the harvest data in relation to the management system goals and objectives that are in place and make adjustments as necessary. Having two weekend days to hunt does not necessarily guarantee increased hunter success, so while participation may increase, harvest and increased vulnerability would need to be closely watched to determine the magnitude of this additional opportunity.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to send me an email or give me a call.
Regards,
LeeLee Kantar
Wildlife Biologist-Mammal Group
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
650 State St.
Bangor, Maine 04401-5654
207-941-4477
lee.kantar@maine.gov
If you surmise as I did, my assumptions were not totally unfounded nor does it appear that 3 or 4 Sundays in November would have such an affect that is would cause the shortening of the overall season. It could happen but given the information shared with us by Mr. Kantar, it’s not real likely. This of course is my conclusion not his.
It appears that issues such as weather would have a greater affect than adding a few days. If this is true, I need to recant some of my previous statements as to why we shouldn’t have Sunday hunting. This doesn’t now mean I am for a Sunday hunt only that this argument appears to be moot.
Tom Remington
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Why not allow it for the small game season since not very many people participate?
The laws preventing sunday hunting are archaic and shoudl be removed. Also, if the deer season was shortened as it apppears it would need to be, most people would get to do twice as much hunting since most resident hunters hunt on the weekend and work during the week. So if the season was cut in half, it would amount to the same length because of increased opportunity.
I agree with the small game hunt to start. Although I am still not a big supporter of Sunday hunting, I think that the fears of land closures, etc. are unfounded and once Sunday hunting had a chance to run its course, it would essentially go unnoticed as it is in all the other states that allow it.
Maine is one of only I think 9 states that have some kind of ban on Sunday hunting. It is working well in all the other states. I don’t think Maine is that unique.
However, that being said, I am in the process of trying to gather more information to share with readers about the facts surrounding what Sunday hunting would mean.
I live in Wisc. and it would be very hard to find time to hunt due to the job I have just give me Sundays off. It is true many deer are shot on Sundays. I hope to hunt in Maine soon my brother just move there.
Scott, come on up to Maine. I live up in Bangor. Where is your brother moving to? Anywhere near here?
[...] I began this debate the other day with a post about how Sunday hunting may affect the length of the season. I gave you a copy of an email I received from Lee Kantar, wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. You can read that post here. [...]
I am really suprised that no one has even talked with your nieghbors in NH Fish and Wildlife?? Not only has Sunday hunting been allowed their for decades and does not hurt the deer numbers, but the State has higher revenues from non-resident hunters coming from Mass and Maine to NH just to hunt on Sunday. If ME would allow Sunday hunting. Local economies would benefit also. Business 101 in my book.
Dave,
You need to read my last post about the Sunday hunt issue and economics http://mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/?p=950
Then go read the article. I am not disputing what you are saying but there is more to the equation than just Sunday hunting.
New Hampshire does have the highest percentage on non-resident hunters of anywhere in the U.S. at 33% but Maine runs 25% and Vermont 26%.
States like New York, that has Sunday hunting, border on Mass, Ct. Pa., New Jersey and Ontario all with non Sunday hunting but they sell very few non resident hunting licenses. Only 11% percent of the total are non-resident hunting licenses.
It not as clear as one might think. There are a lot of factors that have to be taken into consideration.
Just because a state offers Sunday hunting is a guarantee more non-resident licenses will be sold. Hunters have to want to go there to hunt as well.
Hi Tom,
I did not see this article you linked before I posted. Looks like a lot of research went into it and is well thought out. I still stand by my comments from my own experience and observations though. I was raised in Mass and now live in NH on the ME border. My fellow hunters that I have had the pleasure of knowing from Maine and a few from Mass, all come to NH for Sunday Hunts. Growing up in Mass myself. My Dad, older brothers and I would always drive up from the City to get our NH licence just so we could hunt Sundays as most hunters work a six day week.
I know our local economies benefit, Mom and pop shops look forward to Sundays from out of State hunters, bed and breakfast to local gas stations. These are my personal observations from being in the business world and talking with other business owners. I think your article points out the fact for non resident NH license holders, that a lot of Mass and Maine hunters do make the journey here to NH for Sunday Hunting.
Hey, Dave.
No arguments here. Without sounding as though I was focusing on Just Me, NH, and Vt. , from the facts and figures it certainly shows that you are correct in your observations. What isn’t clear to me or from anything I have been able to look at, is there has to be more to people going to NH to hunt Sundays than just they have Sunday hunting. This is the point of my article.
It is certainly accurate when you say, hunters from the city etc. flock to NH for hunting including Sundays but why specifically?
There are other places that have Sunday hunting – NY and VT yet numbers there don’t really reflect it.
What is interesting is if you factor in population densities of the human race, you would think there would be fewer hunters in the northern New England region who hunt and there wouldn’t be such a big disparity in numbers.
I think there are many factors that play into this equation of which I have touched on only a few.
The bottom line though is that hunters are an extremely integral part of the local economies in all states. Hurray for us!
Hi Tom
I can come up with a few points to consider why NH has a high attractive non-resident licence count. Eastern Mass has a very high human population and has very limited available deer woods. From Boston, you can drive 90 minutes north and be in some good Whitetail country. Lets also take into account, NH has no State Sales Tax. ME does, and one reason I do not shop at Kittery Trading Post. I can get the same gear anywhere in NH tax free. I assume some non-residents look at this fact.
Now the biggest point to take into consideration, is with the NH season bag limit of four deer a year (two archery, one rifle, one doe in WMU M) vs one deer per season in ME.
Not to mention also the archery season starts much early than any other State in New England. The NH deer heard is still growing even with this liberal season if you read the annual havest report on the NHFG website.
This makes NH very attractive to hunters and is one reason I moved here back in 1984 . I do hunt Maine and love hunting in Maine. I pay extra for my licence as I should, but the one thing that turns me off more than anything about Maine is I can’t hunt on opening day for being a non-resident. But that is for another discussion on another day.
I wish the blog had a edit button…sorry for the typos in the post above. Tom, take a look at NY and VT season limits as those may come into play why those non-resident licence sales are lower than NH. I do not hunt those States. Also, take into consideration NY has cases of CWD . NH requires you can bring back ONLY deboned meat, antlers, upper canine teeth and/or hides or capes with no part of the head attached. Antlers attached to skull caps or canine teeth must have all soft tissue removed.
I knew if I could keep this conversation going we could come up with more reasons than what are presented in surveys of economic impact.
Not having the time right now to research all the things you have just spoken about, I am hoping more readers will weigh in with the whys and why nots of where they choose to hunt.
Excellent information and great input. Thanks
[...] I have been working on a few stories of late about the highly debated topic of Sunday hunting. At Maine Hunting Today website, I have a story about the economics of Sunday hunting as well as a story about how adding extra days of hunting may affect harvest numbers. [...]
[...] I conferred with a wildlife biologist from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife about the official position on this from a scientific standpoint. You can read my post and the response I got from him here. [...]
[...] over at Black Bear Blog wrote a great article covering Sunday hunting. In this article you will find Tom’s opinion as well as Lee Kantar, a Maine [...]
Tom,
After reading this and your other article “How much is a hunter worth?”, there appears to be an obvious “trend” that you have failed to mention (for the most part). That trend is that hunting is not allowed on Sunday in areas that that tend to be more liberal and less supportive of hunting in all its forms and times. This is true not only of the northeastern US, but also of Canada. My intention is certainly not to start any debate about politics, but didn’t you also notice that trend?
There are state and provincial departments which support the idea of Sunday hunting but are unable to get it passed into law, suggesting that politics, not science is reason for the Sunday hunting ban. Most the Sunday hunting bans originated because of religion, but those bans that persist today do so largely because of a general fear of and opposition to hunting. If the experts (the managers and biologists) support hunting on Sunday, then why should nonexperts be allowed to stop it?
Thanks for your interest and efforts on discussing this issue!
TMR
TMR – I can agree to your observation of the liberal connection to some degree. In general terms, I think you are right. It is easy to say that it is mostly the left who oppose hunting of any kind, to what degree that plays from state to state, I don’t know nor do I know of anyone who would have such facts.
Of course the decision(s) to allow or ban Sunday hunting are mostly politically and religiously driven and science has almost nothing to do with it.
In this particular article my focus and comments were based on the state of Maine. Maine is a state that for the most part doesn’t have a problem with too many deer. In fact much of the geographical area of Maine suffers from fewer deer than the fish and game would like.
In cases like this, science has to have precedence in determining the number of hunting days etc. That still doesn’t mean there can be no Sunday hunting. It means that the length of season might have to be adjusted.
In states that have too many deer and are trying to be creative to find ways to get harvest up and hunters in the woods, poses a different problem.
Make no mistake about it though, those opposed to hunting will use whatever means possible to achieve that. If that means fighting to keep Sunday hunting banned, then so be it.
I do believe is many of the southern states that ban Sunday hunting, i.e. VA, WVA, SC, NC, those states have a strong opposition for religious reasons.
When I looked into the issue more closely in some of these states, I was surprised to see that that opposition to Sunday hunting wasn’t coming from anti-hunters but from hunters with a strong religious background (religious referring to those who believe in keeping the Sabbath holy.)
In short, I agree that generally speaking, your observation that Sunday hunting bans reflect more liberal states, but I don’t believe that is THE determining factor…..yet.
What if your religion takes place in the woods? I don’t know how alot of the people back east and down south think but in the west our holy places are the mountain,lakes and streams. Not hunting on Sundays seems crazy to us in the west but we can’t really say much because it does not involve us directly. If the people of those states do not want to hunt because of religious reasons then they should not hunt but it’s not fair to the ones that don’t share their beliefs.