Best thing all hunting season!!!

[churly]

No its not a buck. I have been hunting land owned by "cousins" of the family for years and in recent years have had to lease a portion of the land to maintain my hunting rights. As the years go by, My families land has been cut up into smaller tracts and sold bit by bit. In other words, the land I can hunt is decreasing. I was able to find out that a man in Utah owns the 425 acres next to us. Its the place where all my deer come from and where they go when we spook them. last night I just recieved the 5-year lease agreement back from the land-owner! I am so stoked! This land is similar to what I have now with the addition of about 50 plantable acres. This has more than doubled our huntable grounds and I feel like we will be able to "manage" our heard even better. I have a good idea how to plant plots, etc. but what I am unsure about is what is a good managment rule for bucks. My previous rule has been "you shoot it, you mount it". As I am adding new members to the lease, I wonder what you guys think is the best rule to put in place to protect my small bucks? I want to protect the 1.5 year olds especially, but dont want to take away from anyone's hunting experience.

 

[buzz]

If it's brown...its down! Just kidding. Justin.

 

[SpurHunter]

I like your rule Justin, but I am am HUGE believer in extensive doe management. 99% of places now do not take enough, and its a big factor in forage and rut activity.

 

[Buoy-Master]

Justin...PM me details on this lease. Teddy and I want to find some ground next year. Plus, my daughter is really excited about deer hunting next season.

 

[AThornton]

Justin, I would go with a "4 on one side" rule and also include a rule that allows the management of "cull" bucks. If you have trail cam pics of a few certain bucks that are mature and are never going to be something special, they need to be removed from the herd. Toughest thing with this is getting everyone on the same page so they aren't just shooting 6 pointers and claiming them to be culls.

Now I know Tn deer are different from the deer I hunt in Ga and Indiana, but at my club in Hancock Co Ga we have a 120" minimum rule. It is a trophy club and has been intensely managed for 12 years now, so I know it will be different than the land you are speaking of. But it would be a good idea to consider a minimum score as a good rule of thumb. Basically the same thing as your "shoot it and mount it" rule. Maybe go with a 110" minimum or something like that and impose fines for deer that do not meet the specs. We have a progressive fine in place that gets larger as the deer get smaller. It is hard to fine someone for a deer that they are proud of, but when the club's goals are to grow deer with X amount of inches or X years of age, it has to be done.

You may not be trying to establish a "trophy" style club, but I understand what you mean about protecting your young bucks and letting them mature. The best thing I think you can do is be selective as to who you allow on the lease and make sure they all have the same mindset as you concerning what the goals are for the club. Let young hunters shoot what they want for their 1st or 2nd deer, but then only allow them to shoot something that is bigger than their last.

Feel free to holler at me sometime and discuss some things concerning this. I have a degree in Wildlife Mgmt and would be more than happy to talk with you about it.

Congrats on securing the lease bud! Hopefully it will be a blessing for you over the years!

 

[churly]

BBass - 12/30/2009 12:51 PM

Justin...PM me details on this lease. Teddy and I want to find some ground next year. Plus, my daughter is really excited about deer hunting next season.

Billy, I am the lease-LOL! I'll get with you.

thanks for the replies guys!

 

[churly]

buzz - 12/30/2009 12:41 PM

If it's brown...its down! Just kidding. Justin.

HAHAHAHAH! You know I dont play that way!

 

[reliable]

I would go with a one buck rule, 8 pt minimum, and only after a doe is harvested. This makes a hunter very choosy, and think twice before pulling a trigger, or letting carbon fly...

 

[Jmax]

Kids, if it is forked they can shoot it.

Adults, either a 3 point rule on one side or a 4 point rule on one side.

If you were to have a lot of kids you might have to relook at the kids forked rule.

Jmax

 

[fluke]

8point 3year old 125" or better is what Im used to with the next one being 140" or better.Dont like those rules but you learn how to age an score pretty well.I think you should take a doe before you can kill a buck is a good idea.

 

[fish4thepeck]

I like looking at the deer's body instead of the horns. A 4 1/2 year old deer will start to get that sway look in his back. I takes 5 years to 6 for deer to reach their full potential. I know by being in on some leases that everybody has a different view on what a trophy is and making 8 pts a rule is a pretty simple way to handle things. Alot of 8 pointers get shot that are no older than the 4 pointers. These 8 pointers are the ones that are going to become your gooduns. I think the important thing is to first decide what kind of deer you want to kill then get everybody on the same page then stick to it. I would really reccomend getting a good idea on your doe population before I went to wacking them too much. I have been hunting these critters for a long time and ideas and theroies have come and gone. Hunting pressure changes things, development changes things, then the biggest factor of all is Nature. One thing you said caught my attention is that the deer you see come and go to the place you have leased. If nobody will be hunting it now it sure sounds like a good place to let them grow up.

 

[AThornton]

Exactly Peck.

 

[antman1331]

Good deal bud... I say three years or older... If the hunter does a little homework on his own he can learn how to age a dear in just a few mins... i"m also a big fan of mandatory doe harvest... And lastly, if the hunter puts in the time over the full year, not just show up for opening day, he's gonna care more for his herd than to shoot a buck that he should let walk... cull the ugly bucks...

 

[Kirk]

I was on a lease in Stewart County for two years that had strict buck regulations. The criteria was 3.5 years or older, 16 inch spread or 3 inch basal circumference and must be 8 point or larger. Those regs sound reasonable until you sit in a stand for two solid years and never see a buck that meets those criteria. 16 inch spread and 8 points is a big buck. 8 points and 3.5 years old is usually a big buck. Get one that meets all of these prerequisites and has a basal circumference of 3 inches and you will probably have a B&C record book buck. Lance Elam killed a monster 5.5 year old that was honestly the biggest buck I have ever seen and was in the 165 range.

I saw a lot of bucks that would be considered mountable but were not club legal. I opted out of the lease this year because not many bucks were being killed that were legal. However, the ones that were killed were monsters. You have to have the time to hunt and to scout to kill deer like that.

I like the lease I am on now a lot better because the rules are livable. 4 points (on one side) or 15 inch spread or 3.5 years or older. Not a combination of the three, but any of the three. That gives a hunter a few choices.

 

[ratherBfishin]

I say you go by age. It is hard to go by score or points. EX. You may have a 6 point that is never going to be anything but a 6 point if you have a 4 point on one side rule. You will never harvest the deer , and you really do not want him reproducing. It is hard to go by how many inches also ... because you may have a deer that is 130 inches at 2.5-3.5 but if you let him walk till he has reached his full poteintal then you you get the maximum benefit . Once you learn how to tell a deers age by body it will be better than just looking at the rack. Sometimes it is hard to see a bucks rack . Usually bucks do not stop and let you look at there horns and judge for score and how many points. But usually you can get a good look at his body.Just be realistic for the property and do not set outrageous goals for the property. What ever your goal. It is good to get members that share same goals as you . It will save alot of headaches . Congrats on getting the lease. and thats my 2 cents emoBang

 

[churly]

I feel very comfortable in my ability to age our bucks, its the guys that hunt with us. I want to protect my young bucks but I dont want to ruin anyone's hunting experience. We still haven't agreed on a buck rule.....

 

[AThornton]

churly - 1/11/2010 10:27 AM

I feel very comfortable in my ability to age our bucks, its the guys that hunt with us. I want to protect my young bucks but I dont want to ruin anyone's hunting experience. We still haven't agreed on a buck rule.....

Bingo. That's the biggest problem Justin is getting everyone on the same page in regards to how to age on the hoof. It's definitely not something a novice hunter can do. But I agree with you that age is more important than size. If you don't let them get older, then they will never get bigger!