JUST MY THOUGHTS....
FIRSTLY, I DO ALL MY HUNTING IN WV. I HAVE BEEN READING ALL THESE POSTS. THIS IS MY PERSON EXPERIENCE AT DEER MGT. THE NUMBER ONE FACTOR ABOVE ALL ELSE THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN HELP A DEER HERD, IS FOOD. I KNOW A FARMER IN POOR ANTLER AREA OF WV, THAT HAS RAISED A BUCK (NON-DNR APPROVED OF COURSE) AND HAS ONLY FEED IT THE BEST OF FOOD SOURCES. AND AFTER 3 YEARS...IT'S A 180INCH BEAST. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE HASN'T BEEN A DEER ANY WHERE NEAR THAT SIZE IN THAT COUNTY. AND YES 4-5 YR OLD DEER ARE KILLED IN THE AREA EVERY YEAR. IF A DEER LIKE THAT HAS SUCH GREAT GENES, WHY AREN'T OTHER OLD DEER IN THE AREA THAT BIG...BECAUSE OF FOOD.(P.S. DON'T ASK I'M NOT TELLING WHERE IT IS AND YES HE PLANS TO RELEASE IT, MAYBE NEXT YEAR SECONDLY, LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR I FED ALL WINTER AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENED...ALOT BIGGER DEER. DOES AND BUCKS. I KNOW I HAVE TOO MANY IN THE HERD, BUT THEY ARE ALL ALOT BIGGER NOW. HOW MUCH MANAGEMENT CAN ONE PERSON REALLY DUE TO HELP THIER FARM IN DEER HERD SIZE? NUMBER ONE... WV LIMITS DOE AND BUCK #'S. THERE IS NO UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF DOES. LAST SEASON I COUNTED 9 BUCKS AND 23 DOES ON OPENING DAY! YES I SHOT THE BIGGEST OF THE BUNCH. I THINK AN IMPORTANT FACTOR NO ONE HAS REALLY TALKED ANOUT IS THE MONEY INVOLVED IN EXTRA TAGS. WV LICENSE WITH ALL TAGS IS HUGE. I THINK I SPENT 120 LAST YEAR WITHOUT GETTING ALL THAT I COULD HAVE. WHO CAN AFFORD DEER MGT AT THOSE PRICES. I SPEND ALMOST $1000 A YEAR FEEDING TWO FARMS THROUGH THE WINTER. LETS SAY I STOP FEEDING AND BUY MORE TAGS WITH THAT MONEY. I DOUBT THAT THE ANTLER SIZE IS GOING TO INCREASE. IN FACT I BET IT WOULD DECREASE. HUNTING HAS TURNED INTO A BIG MONEY MICHINE! I HAVE READ ARTICLES FROM KROLL AND FIND HIM VERY INTERESTING. BUT MY BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH RESEARCH IS THAT, THE PEOPLE WHO FUND THESE OPERATIONS ARE ALSO THE ONES MAKING THE $ FROM IT. STATS CAN BE MADE TO GO EITHER WAY, DEPENDING ON THE ANSWER YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ANY ONE ANGRY WITH MY EXPERIENCE, I GET NO RESEARCH MONEY FROM ANYONE,SO NO I'M NOT A BIOLOGIST.LASTLY.. I ALSO HUNT A FARM IN MASON WV. WHICH DOES WELL IN ANTLER SIZE EVERY YEAR. IT HAS A OVER POPULATED DOE HERD. BUT THE BUCKS ARE BIG. THE FARM I HUNT, I SEE NICE DEER EVER SEASON. EVEN THOUGH IT'S AN OVER HUNTED COUNTY...MY GUESS...ALOT OF FARMS + FOOD CROPS = BIGGER BUCKS.