This started on another hunting site. There is a big discussion of what changes are needed in Arkansas deer hunting. There's a lot of misinformation being bandied about.

I am trying to amass a 'spreadsheet', if you will, of every state where whitetails are hunted, with the following data:

Estimated Whitetail Population, by year, for last 75 years
# deer hunting licenses sold annually
# deer tags sold
# deer harvested by sex
Length of season by method
Limit by sex annually by method

I admit that I have an ulterior motive for this. I set out to amass this information, thinking that it would prove that regardless of season length, limit, or restrictions, the herd has thrived in every instance, in every state, for a long time. However, I am big enough to admit that if the data proves me wrong, then I'm wrong.

I do realize that in the south, deer were almost eradicated by meat hunters and no restrictions in the 1900-1920 range. I don't advocate that, of course, but my point is that I believe that every state/province has highly varied limits and season lengths, and.........I don't believe there's a whit of difference between the most liberal (probably South Carolina) and the most restrictive (probably Oklahoma ?), in all cases the herd is at, or headed towards, maximum carrying capacity for their respective habitats.

I will assimilate the data, if I can find it. It's turning out to be a chore. I see where Mississippi claims to have more deer than any state other than Texas. I see states that wildly guess what their population is. I see some wild stuff. But I can't find any definitive data.

Any ideas?