RE: qdm=loss of hunting skills?
Do you live in Barre? I work in Montpelier. Small world isn’t it!
Ok, counter points . . .
As far as the harvest results go, whether it’s 47% or 50% 1.5 year old bucks taken the point is that I feel it is too high a number. They are not mature animals. I know many people don’t care which is why they get shot in the first place. It’s a vicious circle. People shoot the first buck they see because there is a good chance it will be the last buck they see in a season. If everyone passed on 1.5 year old bucks, we would be seeing more bucks, which in turn could result in seeing more mature bucks.
I also realize a very small percent of people take more than 1 buck in a year. Again the point is if you are only allowed one buck a year, when you draw on the spike during bow season you may not release that arrow because you will be all done for the year. You may decide to wait for a larger animal, which in turn could help young bucks mature.
Buck to Doe Ratio – sorry but I still don’t buy it. 1:3 would be awesome for places like Texas, Illinois, and Saskatchewan. It’s not even close in Vermont.
As far as bucks per square mile and deer per square mile, 1.99 and 3.69 aren’t bad for Vermont. I hunt western New York where 5.6 to 8.0 bucks per square mile (not sure what the total deer per square mile is).
Deer yard management. Because we aren’t finding scores of dead deer doesn’t mean the yards don’t need help. If they were improved, deer would fare much better through the critical winter months and begin the spring stronger and healthier. Again, this would result in larger bodies, stronger fawn survival, and larger antlers because the bucks would be spending less time regaining weight.
I understand that you dislike the QDM concept, and I respect your opinion. I do think that there are many in this state that are ready for and want a change. How many people do you know who hunt deer in other states besides Vermont? Could it be because they have a better chance at a mature buck in NH, ME, MA, and NY. Sad but true. I wish F&W would take one WMU and institute an antler restriction and issue a few more antlerless permits. Give it three years and see what an awesome unit it would be.
One other thing, large antlers is a by-product of good deer managemt[8D]
. . . Rob