THOMSON - When Georgia expanded the limit on whitetails to an even dozen just two years ago, the idea was to thin a deer herd whose population was spiraling out of control.
But last week, more than 120 hunters gathered in McDuffie County to voice opinions about the state's hunting regulations - and a lot of them think 12 deer is way too many.
"We can't stand the 12-deer limit," said Billy Elmore, who asked the Wildlife Resources Division to reconsider its liberal bag limit - and drop a proposal that could further expand the limit to 15 deer per season.
The meeting was one of several held across the state to enable the division to solicit comments and suggestions about hunting seasons and regulations.
And they got an earful.
"Our deer herd can't sustain the limit we have now," said Melvin Edwards. "When you have 25 people hunting 640 acres, they don't need to be killing 12 deer each."
Ray Clements of Louisville, Ga., agreed.
"I've seen the population drop drastically," he said. "We're losing our lease members, and it's not because they're not killing deer. It's because they're not even seeing deer."
Dewey Carey told biologists the deer population has been thinned to the lowest levels he's seen in 20 years on land he hunts in Columbia County. Too few deer, he said, might make it more difficult to interest young people into becoming hunters.
But it wasn't just the bag limits on deer that sportsmen wanted to talk about.
"I'd like to see you close buck season for two years and just let them shoot does," said Frank Turner of Tignall, Ga., who supports a broadening trend toward quality deer management.
Carl Johnson of Thomson asked authorities to reconsider the ban on scopes for muzzleloaders. Allowing such optics, he said, would enable the ethical hunter to make a more precise, humane killing shot. Scopes also would allow older hunters to enjoy that segment of the season.
Andrew Morse, who hunts in Columbia and McDuffie counties, said the current rule requiring that one of the two bucks each hunter can harvest each year must have four points on one side should be expanded to both bucks - with an authorized exception for child hunters.
Richard Hudson drew applause for his comments on feral hogs.
"I support anything that will help in the continuation of hog eradication," he said. "I'd also support allowing deer processors to process hogs."
Brian Newman, representing a contingent from the Briar Creek Sportsman's Club near Augusta, proposed legalizing the use of baiting deer with corn. "We'd also like to see the deer season start on Aug. 15 - just like it does in South Carolina."
Billy Roberts of Martinez offered a different view. "I'm opposed to baiting," he said. "And I think five deer and two bucks is plenty for any hunter."
Other suggestions included leaving more gates unlocked to enhance access in wildlife management areas, more funding for more game wardens and better access to public lands for small game hunters.
Carroll Allen, Georgia's assistant chief of game management, said state authorities are in the final stages of completing a new deer management plan that will guide hunting and other programs for the next decade.
"At this point it's a draft," he said after presenting a summary of the plan to those at the hearing. "Nothing's engraved in stone."
The new plan - unlike the old plan - has a lot of input from non-hunting sources that include representatives from agriculture, transportation, the insurance industry, universities and politicians.
"In the past, this was all managed internally - by our biologists," he said. "Deer are very, very important in this state."
The division will continue to accept comments on the rules and regulations for the next few weeks, Allen said. Comments can be mailed to: DNR WRD Carroll Allen, 2070 U.S. Hwy. 278 SE, Social Circle, Ga., 30025.
Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119 or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.
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