Do the herd a favor.....

[SpurHunter]

<div><font face="Arial" color="#000080" size="4">I am NOT an expert, nor do I hold any degree in Wildlife Biology, but I read everything on this subject I can find.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font><font size="4"> </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080" size="4">OK, so here are my thoughts:</font></div><div><font size="4"> </font></div></font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080" size="4">    I would hope we all know why EHD is killing deer this year? Too many deer for Mother Nature to carry in a given area. I understand that the drought has just made it worse, but not the total cause of it. We also have realized the fears we anticipated back from the spring freeze we had, and reports of very poor mast production are coming in constantly. That being said, I have been pondering why as a group, hunters all over the country, especially here in the south where I am concerned the most, won't shoot enough does. I hear stories everyday this time of year from: My buddies, folks on the forum, talk over-heard in the gun store, feed store, checking stations.....of hunters passing does up on the stand. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font><font size="4"> </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080" size="4">    I am expressly concerned <u>this</u> year as to this continued habit, and to top it off, when I hear the reports about passing up several small deer to get the "biggest" doe. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font><font size="4"> </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080" size="4">    Lets look at some facts. A mature deer of either sex, eats a given amount of nutrition each day, month, year. A young deer, (under 1.5 years) eats <u>far more</u> per pound of live wieght on the hoof, 2 or 3 times the amount per some experts, than their older counter-parts to sustain the nutritional requirements of the first 2 years of life. Game managers all over the country, facing exploding deer populations are begging hunters to take younger does for the table. I understand if you have little opportunity for harvest and decide to take a larger doe to fill your freezer...I am not speaking to those hunters, I am directing this to the hunters that have ample opportunity to harvest all the deer that they, their friends, co-workers and so-on can eat. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font><font size="4"> </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080" size="4">    I believe this year, here in our home state, we have the <u>need </u>to do our part better than we ever have, and take more does. Not only to take more, but we should be harvesting more young deer. With the poor mast crop, deer WILL starve to death this year in the most extremely affected areas. We have the opportunity, and I think the responsibility as hunters to do something about this. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font><font size="4"> </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080" size="4">    Another benefit to proper doe harvest is increased nutrition availability for bucks. Bucks need this to grow larger racks, increase their overall health and in-turn this also increases the activity of the rut. The rutting period is tremendously hard on the males, and many even die from poor or borderline health during this period. While it is a well-know belief that a ratio of 1-to-1 (bucks to does) is ideal, most areas are completely out of sync with this desired ratio. Reports of a ratio nearing 10 or 15 does to 1 buck are rampant on public and private properties across the state, and country. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font><font size="4"> </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080" size="4">    The middle section of TN is now designated as "Unit L". The reason for the L designation....Liberal, not meaning politics, but standing for "liberal harvest". This unit has one of the  most if not THE MOST liberal bag limits in the entire country. You are allowed to take 3 does per day! TWRA added a couple more counties to unit L this year, and will most likely add more in the coming years. Even with the proliferation of EHD this year, these areas will rebound as strong as ever. Even so, another disturbing comment I have heard out of the most effected areas was, "I wont shoot a doe this year, I might hurt the population". This is not sound reasoning at all. Now is the time...right now, this season, to help the situation in those areas to get the population ratios back into some order. Not only for better bucks with proper ratio levels in place, but because of the food shortage that looks to be on the horizon. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font><font size="4"> </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080" size="4">    We are responsible for this explosion by eliminating the natural predators and increasing available food resources with our farming practices. Just clearing areas to grow and harvest hay is a boon to a deer herd over diet consisting of 100% browse. Deer need a mixed diet of different proteins, grains, and vegetation. Having a wheat field and a pile of corn available will not properly sustain a healthy deer. If that was the case, why do deer not eat 100% corn when it is there for them? Deer WILL leave a pile of corn placed for them, either by feeder or on the stalk to seek out other forms of food. Every deer I have inspected over the years, contained a varied mixture of grass, acorns, leaves, corn, soybeans, berries, and even twigs. They need this variety and gain different nutrients from all of them, it is in their DNA to seek out such a wide variety of foods.  </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080"></font><font size="4"> </font></div><div><font face="Arial" color="#000080" size="4">    To allow surplus deer to pass you by this year is irresponsible. We owe it to ourselves as hunters to manage the herd, and we owe it to the deer as well. Keep this in mind when in the stand, if you decide to pass the does, I will not hold you responsible for the poor herd, I would hope you hold yourself responsible. Heck, if you believe there is no "prowess" involved in shooting a doe, take a child or inexperienced hunter with you, and let them enjoy the experience, THAT is a challenge....just try it for yourself!</font></div>

 

[cooperjd]

Amen brother Spur!

I have talked to some hunters before, and a lot of times its older hunters that hunted when the populations weren't very high, so taking a doe was never even thought of. and they just don't change with the times.

many of them also won't take a doe because 'you could be killing an unborn buck'. that is ridiculous, and even if it made almost a little sense, most of your young bucks will leave your home area after 1.5yrs, to seek out an area where they can become the dominant buck. it is also nature's way of spreading out the gene pool. 1.5 year old bucks have been tagged and tracked, and some even go as far as 20 miles from their home turf before 'settling down'

the reason i think many folks wont' shoot does is that they just don't wanna fool with them. it's work, dressing them, finding someone who wants them. in my case, i usually wait to shoot does later in the season. in all honesty, i'm after a mature buck only until after thanksgiving, and i don't want to make my presence felt any more than it has to be in the area i'm hunting. towards Christmas, however, let the lead fly!

if you need ideas on what to do with does if you dont' need the meat... visit local or rural churches and see if any members of the congregation would like a deer. see if there is a hunters feeding the hungry program in your area and donate to that. ask around, i can't tell you how many of my friends in college i brought a deer to, 50 bucks processing fee for a big box of wonderful meat is a fantastic deal for a college student. ask around at work, we usually give away several deer a year to my folks co-workers and friends as well.

your herd will benefit greatly from a reduction in the doe herd if the area is overpopulated. and if you like to go after big antlers like me, you will see more bucks and more bucks of older age class if there are fewer does in the area, because they actually have to leave the thickets and chase them. Dad and I have been managing our lease by letting young bucks walk for several years now, but we never really knew to shoot does until 1999, after a trip to texas deer hunting. those guys begged us to take our does, 3 for every buck taken. they said if we hunters didn't shoot the does, the guides will. Dad and I came home with a new strategy, and started thinning out the doe population. it was nothing for us to go see 20 does in a day, and maybe 1 or 2 small bucks. in texas, during the rut, i saw more bucks in a day than does. rarely have i ever done that in TN. since 2001, i have taken 9 eight points and 2 big 6 point bucks. Dad has taken several 7 and 8 pointers, and two 11 point bucks. our local deer processor takes in around 1200 deer a year, and tells us that we are two of the most consistent hunters he sees bringing in quality deer every year. we dont' kill huge deer, 125" 8 pt is my biggest, but we get nice decent TN whitetails because of our thinning out of the does and letting the little guys grow up. this stuff works.

it does not make you less of a hunter to take a doe. i also hear people wont' shoot does because she may have a younger one with her. ok, some people may disagree with me on this one.. but to me, if the little one doesn't have spots, it will make it on its own or join up with another group. the mother is about to ween the young deer anyway to get ready to breed, so take the shot.

Dad and I have taken as many as 4 does at one time (2 each) on the same afternoon. when a big group of does walks out during rifle season (dad had doubled during bow season) i usually pick the biggest and shoot, watch the herd and pick the next biggest if they stay in the field, just keep shooting. it is legal to take all 3 at once per day, you just have to put your tag on the first one you shot (unless they recently changed the law)

I did not know spur that the young deer eat so much more than the older deer, may have to start thinning out the younger ones and not try to wait on the biggest doe, unless i'm trying to fill a freezer and someone requested the biggest deer possible.
sorry for the long long post.

 

[TennesseeTalker]

I'll take a doe when someone just gets a hankerin' for the kill. Just tell me where to pick it up at. I also have several friends at work who would probably take one.

TT

 

[mkilgo]

I agree, the last two bucks I have take have both been eight points. And I have seen and pasted lots of smaller ones. The last two were taken in the last four years, so some years I don't even take a buck. But every year I try to take at least one doe, and really the more the better. I am limited on my chances because I bowhunt most of the year, even in rifle season. So put them down guys. Oh yea, and I promise meat from a doe is twice as good to eat as meat from a buck, they are just too strong for me.