ORIGINAL: rybohunter
Another thing about letting bucks get older is so that they can "come into thier own" and sort out a pecking order and breeding order amongst themselves. At 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 these things are haphazard, as there is not age structure. You have to let them go so they can get older. Does that make you feel better. Forget the whole letting them go to make P&Y, let them go to get older(which just by nature will make them bigger)
If you have a great age class structured herd with bucks able to get 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 years old, then taking a couple younger bucks here and there ain't going to do harm, its when there is a TINY% of older class bucks, and 80% of the bucks taken are 1 1/2 years old then you have a problem.
So if the herd does not have enough older bucks, it's not a healthy herd? Is there a study that proves this. I'm not saying it's not true, I'm just saying I have never heard ofthat before. I believe there are plenty of older bucks in a healthy herd, maybe not as many as some hunters would like, but a healthy herd is a healthy herd none the less.
If only the older bucks "come into their own" and form a pecking order etc....and the herd is not healthy without them....why are you killing them? According to that way of thinking you would think that the older bucks would be "off limits" after all they are the only ones who know how to breed. You can't do that just like you can't just only kill the younger ones either.
I don't believe I read anywhere (becides pro QDM articles) where it was stated that a large number of older bucks was needed to keep the herd healthy.I know I have NEVER heard a pro QDM person say to kill a 1 1/2 year old buck,unless of course they didn't think it would grow to be a P&Y, after all their motto is "Let them go so they can grow"
I think if the herd is healthy....it's healthy. It could be healthy with 80% 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 year old bucks or just as healthy with a higher % of older bucks, as long as the doe ratio is ok and the deer are in good contition.
It's the hunters who want bigger bucks so badly they are willing to hide behind QDM to tip the odds in their favor if they happen to live in an area of a lower percentage of older and yes bigger antlered bucks.
Like I said before if that's what you want that's fine but leave QDM out of it and call it what it is QAM