do you manage hunt?

[brettgerhart]

I think we have made a complete circle! I have been on both ends and have just recently switched from the dark side! I am going to be more of a selective hunter.... in that I will shoot more doe and leave the small bucks go. You have won me over!! All I know is that I want meat in the freezer! Made a delicious stew last night! Need more steaks though!

[msabo]

I agree with shooting the does and let the small bucks go! In the past three years I have only shot does on the properties that I hunt. I have been waiting for a wallhanger for awhile now and still have not given in the the temptation of shooting a small buck! Believe me I have been tempted to shoot...but I keep telling myself to wait. Two years ago my brother in-law which is also my best friend shot two big bucks (132" & 137")back to back one in Maryland and the other in PA two days apart. This could cause a lot of guys to break down and shoot a little one.

And the only reason I have not broken down and shot any of the small bucks is due to the encounters that I have had with some true Monster's. Either the situation did not pose a clean shot or I screwed up!
But this is Bow-hunting and this why I love this sport ...it is not easy!

I guess it is easier for me to hold out knowing what type of buck are my area. I the last 4years 3 mature bucks have been taken on this property that I know of. Each of these buck where 8 points and measured over 20" inside spread, one of which was a big piebald. One buck was shot by my boss and the two where taken by the guy who hunt the farm right behind us.

So, I guess I can say I try to manage my hunting properties. But, I can see how someone can get every frustrated and say the hell with it I'm shooting anything. And I believe that it is OK. Its not against the law so there is nothing anyone can do about it!

[Hardcorehunter]

You can't eat the antlers.









But they make GREAT soup. LOL!

[snortwheez]

3 year's ago is the 1'st time that I told myself that I was gonna let the doe's walk and only take a buck. It payed off but mind you it was only a small 3 point . Last year I decided aslong as it has atleast a basket rack then ill take it and eneded up harvesting a small 75 inch 8. Now this was the year I was gonna truly chase after a trophy and it payed off with a brute 11 point and I think i'm hooked on trophy hunting. If they ever hand out extra antlerless tag's for my area I will deffinately be picking 1 up but only use that tag in 1 of my area's that has a high concentration of doe's

[nybuckstalker]

The only way to get everybody to comply is to implement an antler restriction. Pennsylvania has one and some parts of New York. At first, some hunter’s were not happy but I think they are starting to see the results. With the deer density around here, I doubt Maryland would adopt one though.

[bowbender]

this is for the OHIOBOWHUNTER

who ever told you that a 3-4 point buck thats is 18 in is a mature deer is wrong. i would with no question past on that deer. just think how big a YOUNG deer like that will be next year.

[bowbender]

this is why i manage hunt. this is my 2nd buck this year. shot today dec 16 with the muzzleloader. this is the smaller one of the two i shot this year

[bowbender]

[snortwheez]

A mature buck would be 4 1/2 to 7 1/2 yr's after that if he make's it through all the hunter's he will start losing. Rack will start to lay down and he will start to lose tine length. I have a bud that shot an 8 point 2 year's ago with the bow that scored 126 but he also has the shed's from 2 yr's previous and 3 yr's before that and the deer lost 12 5/8 inch's. We figure this deer was 10 1/2 to 11 1/2 yr's. Whitetailed deer can reach 17 to 18 yr's of age in the wild. Just saying that if you see a 115 to 125 class does'nt alway's mean it's a young deer

[bowbender]

don't know where you are from but the "average" life span of a deer is 10 years,with out hunters and road deaths, and 2.5 with hunters and road deaths. i am not saying it is not possible but show me a deer that is 17 to 18 years of age deer must been pinned up or nocturnal

you are right but a deer that has past its prime, does not go back to being a 3 or 4 pointer if it was a 8 or 10. also theres 3 and 4 that are mature and need to be taken. sometimes a good way to tell if a deer is older is the size of the face. they say a mature deers face is usually around 7.5 in from his eyes to his nose.

[snortwheez]

Never said they'll drop from an 8 or 10 point down to a 3 or 4 point just lose length in the tine's
. And the 17 to 18 year's I've read in some mag's over the year's that they can reach this age

[cduke69]

When managing your doe population are you better off taking mature does or smaller does?? and what is the effect by taking one over the other.

[BIG FOX]

i think you should take mature deer but remember when you shoot the mature does you are taking out the breeding does for the bucks. the yearling does do not breed until the second or third year i read somewhere. the mature does will usually have between 2 or 3 offspring too. so if your dominant bucks have breed with that doe you are possibly taking out 2 or 3 potential big bucks.....

i don't freaking know though. it usually depends on what i have left in my freezer too.. if i am getting low on deer meat i am more apt to take out any doe that walks out.. the deer limits are so liberal here in MD that i can shoot enough deer for the year. so i am stocked up pretty good now, i need maybe one more nice doe or buck to top off my supplies till next year.. have to see when i can get out and muzzle load another one..

[bowbender]

you are better off taking the mature does. if you take a mature doe you are taking anywhere from 3 to four deer out due to the fact that a mature does has 2 if not 3 fawns a year. Qhen you take out does hit helps the population and your hunting many different ways. it allows for more food for other deer, and if you were a buck, and there were 10 does around you you would not have to go far to find something to breed with, is it will really make the rut better.

Managing whitetails also includes other ways, not just taking does out and mature bucks but also supplying the deer with food plots, giving them beddind area, etc.

[bowbender]

also to all out there mature bucks are always not wall hangers. The mature small bucks need to be taking out more than the wallhangers. For example there is a buck on the property i hunt that only has one side of his rack, but its not from a fight. when i first saw him i said to myself man he really must be battling. but when he got closer i notice the skin was grown over where tthe rack was supose to be. i will give him one more year if he is like that next year he is gone!