ORIGINAL: wolfen68
ORIGINAL: atlasman
Let me be PERFECTLY clear from the start. This IN NO WAY is meant to diminish the efforts of Mr H..........it's just a really good example.
Does anyone have even the slightest doubt that Michael Hunsucker and his group will drop numerous big mature bucks this year?
Now take a look back at what they smacked last year............and the trail cam thread from this year and tell us if you still think location does not matter when hunting big bucks.
Also, it has been said many times that increasing the number of larger bucks in an area does not make it any easier to hunt or kill them.
Really???..............still think that???
There is no doubt that location matters. Especially when you consider that there are, and will continue to be until legislation is passed, folks like you that refuse to explore the benefits of QDM.
The simple fact is that you speak to that which you do not know. You have never spent a season hunting in a location that harbors a quality deer herd so you cannot offer any valid argument. The assumptions you make post after post infuriate me and are so frickin' ridiculous. It is sad that it will require laws to be passed for browner downers to come arounder.
Maybe the QDM guys should actually read the QDMA site because yes there are benefits from QDM but no it is not for everyone....
Is QDM Right for You?
Quality deer management is not a panacea and many things should be considered before implementing QDM practices on your hunting land. If you answer yes to the following questions, QDM may be right for you. · Do you have enough acreage to manage your deer population without being severely affected by hunting pressure on adjacent properties? If not, will your neighbors join you and possibly others in forming a QDM cooperative? · Is the habitat on your hunting property adequate to produce and maintain a healthy deer herd? If not, do you and your hunting companions have the funds, equipment, and commitment to manage and improve the habitat? · Do the deer-hunting regulations in your state allow enough flexibility to manage your herd? Does your state wildlife agency encourage and assist landowners with management and allow adequate doe harvests? · Are you and your hunting companions prepared to commit to a long-term (often five or more years) management program? · Do you and your hunting companions understand the financial, time, and energy commitments and have realistic expectations regarding a QDM program?
When considering QDM, realistic expectations must be stressed. Management goals should be set with the potential of the local herd in mind. As a quality herd becomes established, it is important not to let expectations exceed the capabilities of the herd or habitat. Significant changes to deer herds and deer habitats do not happen overnight and often take several years to become obvious."
and
Is QDM for all Hunters?
"Not necessarily. But a growing number of hunters have progressed to a stage in their hunting that reflects a change in values and a desire for a "different" hunting experience. Involvement in QDM is simply an alternative to traditional deer management. Originally, only large properties (1,000 acres or more) were involved in QDM, but smaller properties are now participating through the formation of QDM cooperatives comprised of several smaller properties with similar objectives."
QDM is not practical on most pieces of land that the average joe hunts. If you have prime land, cooperation, and several years of resources and time to invest then have at it. But most of us don't, and even though I may kill does and plant food plots that is not aQDM program, those are some QDM strategies but that is it.
Laws on antler restrictionsare notaQDM program,it is a law that allows a buck to get older before getting killed, by what a year or two? So as far as QDM goes you may (after years) get a better mixed agestructure(which is only one aspect of QDM),but you alsomay end up with more button bucks getting killed as your doe/antlerless harvests go up. It is an enormous guessing game and there is no clear cut right/wrong I'm not sure why both camps keep beating this thing, agree to disagree, do what works for you and you enjoy, why is that philosophy so hard to understand.
Location matters, so what. Michael H is obviously no slouch in the deer woods and would kill big deer regardless of where he hunted.