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11-30-2002 | 06:53 PM

#95

RICHIE3

Joined: Feb 2003

Posts: 548

Likes: 0

From: saint joseph missouri USA

RE: Trophy Hunting?

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quotequote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

Exactly! The states with low doe harvests are being forced into antler restrictions to increase the doe harvest. My question to you was , what about the states who have a good doe harvest , ie Wi has two doe only seasons in addition to bow and gun season. We get a good doe harvest , so do you condemn the "experienced hunter" who shoots young bucks in this scenario?<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>Well..I guess I will help you answer some of my questions, since you are not.
#1.Why are there antler restrictions?--It is due to a low doe harvest.
#2.Why is there a low doe harvest?--Either of two things---one is the lack of hunting pressure per huntable acreage in the state, or there are too many bucks being harvested, and the buck to doe ratio is way out of balance.
#3.If too many buck are not getting taken(according to you), why is it that some states(like Missouri and Iowa)changing to "Any Sex" tags instead of "Bucks only" tags?--This is the states way of implementing a lower level of QDM by not restricting holders of "bucks only" tags to resort to taking smaller bucks. In earlier times, having "buck only" tags led many hunters to use their tags on the first available legal buck that presented a shot opportunity.
#4.Why don't the states just allow for more doe tags per hunter?--This is what is taking place now to try to control a situation that is fast getting out of hand. Here in Missouri, the archery season starts Oct.1 and runs to mid January. You are allowed 2 tags of either sex, but cannot take more than 1 buck before the November firearms season. You are also able to buy an additional 5 "antlerless only" tags. The rifle season lasts 11 days with a special "unfilled tag" season in December. The November rifle season allows 1 buck with an "any deer" tag, and three additional antlerless deer with "bonus" tags. This tally does not include any does taken on reserve hunts, refuge hunts, ect., that the Missouri Coservation department holds special draws on federal and state land normally closed to hunting.
#5.Why do they have special hunts on these areas?--It is due to the fact that they can already detect that the over abundance of does/lack of bucks, or an "unbalanced ratio" of the general herd in these areas, is causing a depletion of the herds health, quality, and ability to reproduce healthy offspring. The lack of bucks in this area will promote inbreeding between a doe and her female offspring.
#6. How does this relate to places in the state that are open to the hunting of both bucks and does?--It sets up the same scenario, for lack of better words, of an unbalanced ratio in the states herd. If you get too many does in a state, you have to do something to even the ration between the two. This is done by the taking of more does, and the taking of less bucks.
#7.How do states make this happen?--It can be done in several ways, all of which have the same results. Some states issue more tags for does, to try to lean the hunter towards taking more does, instead of making it a law by point restrictions. Others force point restrictions in their state to curb the taking of small bucks, so as to let the younger bucks have a chance to grow to maturity, thus equalling out the herd after a certain amount of time. Some have special "doe only" hunts to help this situation out in a more timely manner before herds get too out of balance. Missouri is one of these states that have recently acknowledged a mistake of having a "doe only" hunt in the early to mid portion of the month of January. This resulted in the taking of too many bucks that had dropped their antlers already, and were mistaken for does. This is also stated in the "2002 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Information" guide.
#8.How can we keep a state from imposing restrictions on the size of a buck that we take?--It is called Quality Deer Management, or QDM. This is the practice of a self regulating hunting individual or community, to promote the balance and health of their local herd. It can be practiced on all levels of participation. A couple of the main objectives in doing this are, food plots special to a deers needs, the harvesting of mature female deer, [i]and the selective harvest of young, immature bucks.[i] The end result is a better, healthier, more balanced herd in the area, with most states agreeing to this philosophy more and more everyday.

My answer to the question you presented to me about questioning or condemning someone who takes a small young buck in a state that has really good doe harvests every year is this. You better believe that I would question it, as long as he/she was an experienced hunter!!!!

What you fail to realize is that QDM can work both ways, even though it is unlikely any state will get to that point. If there are too many bucks in an area, and the buck to doe ratio is heavily leaned towards the bucks, then the exact opposite would be needed. It would be then, and only then, necessary to shoot several smaller bucks to even the ratio back to a managable level.
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>And my warning to those states who are forcing doe harvests by imposing antler restrictions would be , watch the number of deer sightings get less and less. They (Alt) can give you all the QDM or TBM crap they want. Their only goal is to drastically reduce the entire deer herd numbers by harvesting more does.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote> And the reason there are more does is this, too many bucks being taken out of the herd. If your statement was true, they would just issue more tags for any sex of deer, period!!! But, this is not the case now, is it?? They want does taken out of the herd only because of one reason, not enough bucks!!!

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>I dont even know how to respond to that reply. You have certainly ruined your knowlege of the farming community credibility with that statement. Have you ever seen first hand what alot of deer can do to a soybean field? Corn fields dont get quite the damage as a bean field but still enough to pinch your pocket book if it's your bread and butter.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote> Yes, I know exactly what a deer herd can do to a bean field!!! The reason this is, is due to the fact that all the while I was growing up, my backyard was a bean field!!! And it is not near as severe as most farmers make it out to be on the paper handed to the government. What the subsidies do not cover, crop insurance does. I know the game well. So, go ahead and print out my responses about this point, and have them give me a call, E-mail, or whatever. You will not get them to waste their time, because they know what I know!! But, God I love them all for what they do!!!! if it wasn't for them, their would be no country as we know it!!

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>And just so you dont think I'm talking in circles. The farm country (my area) has the over population problems. The national forests (where a guy is justified in shooting the first buck he sees) are in northern Wisconsin. It's a mix of not as big of deer population and vast (mile and miles) forest.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>Like I said earlier. There are two main reasons why states impose point restrctions---one is what we are arguing now, the other is the lack of hunters needed in a certain area who are able to keep the doe to buck ratio in check.
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>I dont have any questions for you , but feel free to number your questions and we'll be glad to answer them again.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>Well....I would be just satisfied if you answered them period, which you have failed to do.

P.S.----Thanks a million, Big Country!!!!!