Depredation permit in Johnston County

JBGrizzley

Eight Pointer
My uncle is considering getting one after dealing with heavy crop damage in several places over the past couple years. Whats the in’s and out’s of this process? Can you process the deer for the meat? If not can it be donated to the hunters for the hungry? Or does it just have to be left alone after shot? If thats the case can it be moved some for coyote bait?
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
With a permit yes you can process it, hunters for the hungry usually doesn't take meat that time of year.
 

nchunter78

Six Pointer
Yes, you can process it or take it to a processor. The permit number is used at the processor. Depending on the time of year, you just need to plan accordingly.
 

nchunter78

Six Pointer
If you are close to Orange County, depending upon the temps, Orange County Outdoors Ministry can help get the deer professionally processed if you are looking to donate venison.
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
He can have you or someone else named on the permit and that will allow you to hunt them as well.
 
My uncle is considering getting one after dealing with heavy crop damage in several places over the past couple years. Whats the in’s and out’s of this process? Can you process the deer for the meat? If not can it be donated to the hunters for the hungry? Or does it just have to be left alone after shot? If thats the case can it be moved some for coyote bait?

My brother keeps a depredation permit for his crops. I don't think they are really that hard to get hold of. Deer hunting in Johnston County has been getting harder for a lot of the guys who want to hunt them. There are no public lands in Johnston, hunting clubs are leasing up almost all of the land, and landowners that won't let people hunt are causing a lot of issues in this county. Its almost impossible to find a place to hunt in Johnston County from my experience. I think the expanding coyote and bear populations will make an impact on the deer in the coming years though.
 

41magnum

Twelve Pointer
We get one every 4 or 5 yrs, usually when soybeans are in the fields...and they haven't been thinned enough by our hunters.
Once the game warden comes to visit and sees over $50 damage he issues the permit to the land manager/farmer that leases/ or owner.
In our case its the farmer that leases to grow crops. THEN, we both decide whose gonna do the deed.
Antlerless ONLY.
Usually , we have 5 or 6 names, and EACH gets a copy of the permit so if they are transporting and get pulled/accident, they show its DEP harvest.
I mail in a postcard with the # taken when the permit expires, which is just before bow season starts.
Easy peasy!
The first month we use bows, then in August we use rifles, but NEVER spotlights at night, even though it says OK on the permit, since I don't want to attract THAT kind of attention.
We try, best we can to shoot does without fawns., so let them come out into the field a ways to make that call.
 

Sp8

Ten Pointer
if its depredation what difference does it make?
My dad had the permit back in the mid 90's it didn't matter to him. Did what he needed to do and only used the permit for 2 years once a change was noticed. My dad was/is not a hunter only a farmer.
 

shotgunner

Ten Pointer
I was on depredation permit backing in the 90's. That is why I can actually say "I have killed them about any way you possible can!" It is not hunting and was done strictly to protect crops. One night the farmer was wanting to let certain deer go, bucks, so they could be killed during the hunting season. That was my last night. If you are trying to protect crops, whether the deer has horns or not should never enter the conversation.
 

RJ1

Ten Pointer
I was on depredation permit backing in the 90's. That is why I can actually say "I have killed them about any way you possible can!" It is not hunting and was done strictly to protect crops. One night the farmer was wanting to let certain deer go, bucks, so they could be killed during the hunting season. That was my last night. If you are trying to protect crops, whether the deer has horns or not should never enter the conversation.

Actually it does, if you kill a buck you have only taken out one deer, if you take a doe you have taken out 5 deer over the next two years. Basic herd reduction tactic.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
If the farmer would let meat hunters hunt the land it would not be much of a problem or at least better than he is now.
But for a trophy hunter that does not take out the smaller deer or any deer that gives them a shot you end up with more deer than needed on the farm.
 

Tunanut

Ten Pointer
I hunt on a depredation permit as soon as the beans go in the ground. If I let a deer walk, I won't be on the permit again. Mostly crossbow evening hunting and process everything on the farm. Permits always have an expiration date and have to be renewed with a WRO. Not a big deal, but an officer has to come out to issue the permit.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
If the farmer would let meat hunters hunt the land it would not be much of a problem or at least better than he is now.
But for a trophy hunter that does not take out the smaller deer or any deer that gives them a shot you end up with more deer than needed on the farm.
that statement is too general to make sense. How big a farm is, herd dynamics, neighboring hunters, deer travel all come into play.
farmers can take care of any surplus they need to by removing the deer or the hunters who don't fit their plans.
I seldom hear of trophy hunters getting run off a lease so it must not be a big deal.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
that statement is too general to make sense. How big a farm is, herd dynamics, neighboring hunters, deer travel all come into play.
farmers can take care of any surplus they need to by removing the deer or the hunters who don't fit their plans.
I seldom hear of trophy hunters getting run off a lease so it must not be a big deal.
Define trophy hunter? And what you think one is?
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
There is the problem.
You define a trophy hunter as after horns only and not shoot a deer with intent of using meat.
no that is you spinning so it helps your narrative. I didn't say no intent to use the meat. let me spell that out. The meat is not wasted but not the driving reason they hunt.
you do not care not a bit for their horn size. You have said that about 1,000 times.
Many deer hunters (forget the trophy tag) don't hunt for the same reasons as you.
Last time I looked it was legal to not shoot a deer. No law against passing fawns, does, button bucks, or any other deer.

As to depredation it is asinine to point to "trophy hunters" as being a problem to farmers.
When they become a problem the landowners and farmers will handle the herd or the hunters.
Permits or new hunters that have their goals in line.
But again just don't see hunters getting run off expensive leases cause they aint killing enough. OMMV.
 

ditchbank

Banned
I do know you can’t bait them to kill them. They have to be doing their own thing in dep. permits. I was involved in one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

CutNRun

Ten Pointer
Contributor
I was on several depredation hunts in Harnett County in 2005 to 2007. I shot does in the head with a .22 magnum in afternoons as they entered crop fields. We took out 25-32 in the years I was involved. We processed several, but also donated some through a processor. Each had to be checked in through the permit number. We never reached the maximum number allowed on the permit (50) and it definitely helped the farmer's yield and balance the herd.

Jim
 

shotgunner

Ten Pointer
Actually it does, if you kill a buck you have only taken out one deer, if you take a doe you have taken out 5 deer over the next two years. Basic herd reduction tactic.

When you pull up to a field and there are 8 bucks out their eating away and you fail to fire the gun, you should have your permit taken away. A depredation permit is not meant to balance the buck/doe ration. Whatever is in the field should die.
 

RJ1

Ten Pointer
When you pull up to a field and there are 8 bucks out their eating away and you fail to fire the gun, you should have your permit taken away. A depredation permit is not meant to balance the buck/doe ration. Whatever is in the field should die.


And if it was my mission for the day and I rolled up to one of my fields with 8 bucks in it I would shoot every one of them that would stand still long enough for me to, however the object of a depredation permit should be the long term management of the herd on a property despite popular belief most farmers don't like shooting dumb animals. If I roll up to one of my fields and there are 4 bucks and 1 doe I'm taking the doe first because in the long term I have taken out more deer by killing the doe if you consider that most does will have twins hence in the following years I would have to take less deer out.
 

shotgunner

Ten Pointer
I agree totally. I have not been on a depredation permit since then. Too many folks want to let bucks go so they can shoot them during hunting season. I have no problem with someone shooting the doe first. But if those bucks stand there, and trust me sometimes they will, and they are not shot then the depredation permit should be revoked and the farmer should not get another one. Because those 4 bucks are doing more damage that night than that one doe. A depredation permit it to protect crops. It is not for trophy or buck management.
 

g3trappernc

Twelve Pointer
I agree totally. I have not been on a depredation permit since then. Too many folks want to let bucks go so they can shoot them during hunting season. I have no problem with someone shooting the doe first. But if those bucks stand there, and trust me sometimes they will, and they are not shot then the depredation permit should be revoked and the farmer should not get another one. Because those 4 bucks are doing more damage that night than that one doe. A depredation permit it to protect crops. It is not for trophy or buck management.

And how many does will those 4 bucks breed during the rut? If it is depredation, it is depredation. Kill what is causing the damage. Buck, doe, large, small. Brown is down in those situations. But I agree that a farmer that is complaining about crop loss, but wants you to save the bucks should have the permit revoked.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
The local permit boys here have a different take than you shotgunner.
Your logic is flawless but these guys shoot the does and babies and leave the bucks.
That's per the landowner and farmer agreement. land is leased for deer and they don't want to pay to hunt deer (bucks) that were gunned down in august.
landowner wants hunters and farmers happy.
 

shotgunner

Ten Pointer
I am not attacking anyone on here. I simply have seen to many depredation permits abused. I saw a guy that would never get one until September. Then he only shot the bucks, especially the big ones. I felt the farmer I was helping was just as guilty. If they are destroying crops then sex, age or nothing else should matter. I also feel they do more damage when the beans are young. If you are waiting until September to start shooting a lot of the damage is done.
 
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