Hunting Wife
Well-known member
Most folks put too much stock in what got killed. Harvest data can be important but more important for planning season structure and permit/tag numbers is what is left on the ground post season. This is why post season survey flights are so important.
This is highly dependent on the species and the habitat. For some species (certain predators, avian species and furbearers in particular) harvest data are extremely important because those animals are very difficult to “count” by other means. Aerial surveys also are far from perfect, and should be used in conjunction with harvest and other vital rates data to be most effective in setting seasons and limits. If I were Queen for a day, all harvest reporting would be mandatory.