Before the plots yes, I have seen starved deer on the property, not now though. I have certainly increased the carrying capacity with the plots, and I don't doubt that. I've also created more bedding cover by strategic placement of treetops from our logging project and allowed more light to hit the ground spawning growth within browse range of the deer. I would say this habitat improvement is probably responsible for 50% of the improved results we have seen, and I realize this.

The other thing in my opinion that has contributed to these results is that we have made room in the area for more deer to relocate to this place and fill that new higher carrying capacity, and over the course of 3x years of shooting does and passing bucks.......we have a LOT of resident bucks now. Not just bucks that come through in a small window of the year looking for ladies.......we see them year round now.

I think we are at a point now where we need to start focusing on shooting bucks/does at a 1/1 ratio, but I really honestly think that the harvest of does has helped considerably to get it where it is now.

It's funny, because my main hunting partner Dan did the same thing at his property in central NY that I hunt as much as my place, and has seen the same results as I have. It took him 7 years or so though as compared to my 3, and I believe this is because he didnt' do a logging project like I did..........his plan only involved plots, doe harvest, and passing the smaller bucks. Our ratio and average sightings of 3.5+ year old bucks per hour on stand are very similar now. I believe if he would have done a more comprehensive project of habitat improvement including some logging to open things up a bit, he would have seen these results sooner.

Again, if someone thinks they have good thoughts on why would have seen better results here without shooting the does I'm open to hearing why, but as I see it now it was a key element.