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What percentage of hunters manage their deer populations?
Posted on 12/20/14 at 11:11 am
Posted on 12/20/14 at 11:11 am
Guys are always posting "shoot or wait" bucks on here, but I tend to think that the OB attracts a higher percentage of serious hunters. A few days ago, I saw a pic a friend posted on facebook with a buck he shot, and my first thought was "the OB would bitchslap him for shooting that." The only criteria many hunters have is "if it walks, shoot it, then hope it had 4 legs when you find it dead." Does management have more to do with lease size? I would think a guy who owns 25 acres isn't worried about waiting for a buck to grow a couple years because it will just get shot by the guy on the neighboring property. Or is it more an issue of guys who have been hunting for a long time and have their fill of smaller bucks and can afford to wait for trophies? Are there lots of guys in hunting clubs that you really have to work on to keep them from shooting 2 yr. olds?
6
Posted on 12/20/14 at 11:15 am to 911Moto
Unless you have a few thousand acres it's almost impossible to manage a property without help from your neighbors. I just posted pics of a deer i took a couple of days ago, and we have been on a management program going on 10-12 years now. Our neighbors are doing the same, and as a result we do see more big deer.
Posted on 12/20/14 at 11:30 am to 911Moto
At my 40 acres in Desoto National Forest, dog hunters in the area follow "brown is down", so I hunted like that too. We only saw a few deer a year there so if we wanted venison we shot the first legal deer we saw.
At my club in AR, we follow state regs as best we can, but several spikes (oops) get shot every year. Even the club president shot a 4 pt that wasn't legal. Because deer are so plentiful there, I am carefull about the antlers and have been letting some walk. There are only two out of 11 members that hold out for mature deer, and they don't get one some years.
I've never been in a trophy club, and would like to try that type club if I find the right opportunity.
At my club in AR, we follow state regs as best we can, but several spikes (oops) get shot every year. Even the club president shot a 4 pt that wasn't legal. Because deer are so plentiful there, I am carefull about the antlers and have been letting some walk. There are only two out of 11 members that hold out for mature deer, and they don't get one some years.
I've never been in a trophy club, and would like to try that type club if I find the right opportunity.
This post was edited on 12/20/14 at 11:34 am
Posted on 12/20/14 at 11:40 am to 911Moto
I think a lot goes into it. If your hunting a smaller piece of property and don't see hardly any deer then your probably gonna shoot whatever you see. On the other hand if your hurting a larger piece of property and see several deer per hunt then you can be more selective. I hunt for mature bucks as I want them to have the best opportunity to grow their best antlers. I shoot does for my meat. Passed on this guy this am.
Signed The Deer Watcher
Signed The Deer Watcher
This post was edited on 12/20/14 at 11:57 am
Posted on 12/20/14 at 11:45 am to 911Moto
What I want to know is how do you know what does are carrying genes for big racks?
Posted on 12/20/14 at 11:48 am to TigernMS12
I don't believe there's a min acreage req't for deer mgt. every hunter's goal should be to shoot mature deer; and to put meet in the freezer when needed. Hunters shooting young deer with the excuse that the tract they are hunting on is too small to manage are part of the problem. They become "that neighbor".
Posted on 12/20/14 at 11:50 am to Leadhead
Perfect example of "tragedy of the commons"
Posted on 12/20/14 at 11:57 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Bigger ears = bigger racks
Posted on 12/20/14 at 12:01 pm to Leadhead
People's goal should be to enjoy hunting.
Posted on 12/20/14 at 12:10 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
how do you know what does are carrying genes for big racks?
There is genetic testing, people do the same to find out true breeds of dogs and cats
Posted on 12/20/14 at 12:27 pm to aVatiger
So should I be DNA testing and tagging my does?
We need to do everything possible to curtail the spread of inferior rack genes.
We need to do everything possible to curtail the spread of inferior rack genes.
Posted on 12/20/14 at 12:40 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
That would probably be a good start
Posted on 12/20/14 at 12:49 pm to MillerMan
Wonder if I can get a squeeze chute and catch pen on pontoons?
Posted on 12/20/14 at 1:01 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
People's goal should be to enjoy hunting
And shooting mature deer is enjoyable. As is watching young deer. As is just being out in the woods;... Guess I accepted the fact that people who don't enjoy it don't go.
Posted on 12/20/14 at 1:06 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
To some people a spike is a trophy, and if they own the property or hunt public land that allows that they should be able to enjoy their experience. Not everybody has the same goals. To each their own and hopefully a person can enjoy their time in the woods without worrying about what someone else is legally doing.
Posted on 12/20/14 at 1:06 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Outside of a high fence, managing genetics is pissin in the wind.
You can manage for maturity on a large tract or with cooperative neighbors.
you can supplement the diet on any size tract to improve the herd and get better hunting.
I hunt for the enjoyment of being in the wild and pursuing deer in their element. All that management stuff seeks more like ranching to me. I'm not against it and would like to experience hunting like that for a couple seasons. But to me, hunting is about being in the wild and taking what nature's bounty provides, not just harvesting what man's hand can engineer.
You can manage for maturity on a large tract or with cooperative neighbors.
you can supplement the diet on any size tract to improve the herd and get better hunting.
I hunt for the enjoyment of being in the wild and pursuing deer in their element. All that management stuff seeks more like ranching to me. I'm not against it and would like to experience hunting like that for a couple seasons. But to me, hunting is about being in the wild and taking what nature's bounty provides, not just harvesting what man's hand can engineer.
Posted on 12/20/14 at 1:18 pm to Leadhead
I like shooting deer. Mature is not a criteria.
My criteria is do I want to shoot it?
My criteria is do I want to shoot it?
Posted on 12/20/14 at 1:30 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Figured as much
Posted on 12/20/14 at 1:48 pm to Leadhead
It's pretty nice. You should try it.
Posted on 12/20/14 at 2:06 pm to 911Moto
We do. Does must be over 75 lbs and bucks must have 4 on a side and be outside the ears. Sometimes bucks will meet the criteria but if we get them on camera and they are young we make it a point to pass on them. Small bucks and does result in a fine
This post was edited on 12/20/14 at 2:43 pm
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