ORIGINAL: GMMAT
How would you ever keep tabs on your buck:doe ratio, then?
Do you just discount all fawns and use the data you have on the 1.5 yr olds+?
That is exactly what we do. When we discussed everything with a biologist 3 years ago before the logging project, etc......these are the numbers our biologist was interested in. 1.5+ year old does as compared to 1.5 year old bucks. We have done the habitat improvements exactly as he recommended in terms of sanctuary, bedding, and food sources.........now we just have to get that ratio in check.
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
BUT.....you have to admit that the bucks are going to take a beating by hunters moreso than the does. If you're only counting yearling bucks/does.....YOUR ratio is going to reflect a much greater differential than what is the "true" ratio. Does that make sense?
I have a unique situation Jeff. We have 130 acres, the neighbor has 250 acres and won't shoot a deer unless it is a a buck that is over 3.5 years old (he won't even shoot does), and the other neighbor who has roughly 100 acres gave me exclusive hunting rights. 99% of the bedding and food for this herd is in the middle (my property) of this large roughly 500 acre tract........so these deer see very little pressure by anyone that would ever shoot a buck less than 3.5 unless they wander a long ways away. We have averaged 2.5 does killed per year over the last 3 years, and only killed one buck in 3 years off the property. The one trophy hunter neighbor has killed 1 buck in that 3 years as well........but we are still killing a LOT more does than bucks. Hopefully this year we will kill enough does to get things balanced a bit more............I know of roughly 14x 1.5+ y/o does on the property, and about 8x 1.5+ y/o bucks on the property.
I'd like to kill maybe one buck off the place (if we are lucky) this year and 4-5 does.