Originally Posted by
jessejmc1979
The number of does has nothing to do with whether a buck gets big or not. I don't know where everybody gets this theory from but bucks become big by not being shot when they are small!!! That is the only way. You can push the agenda of buck to doe ratio all day but they don't get big hanging from the meat pole. And what about the person that doesn't care about shooting a trophy buck (I am one of them). Deer hunting used to be about the fun of hunting and if you shot a buck (any buck) you were proud and felt like a big shot. Now with everybody pushing the agenda of huge trophy bucks only down your throat you get looked down on for shooting a small buck. The dnr has wiped out our herd and defending them by saying it has caused the number of trophy bucks shot in Wisconsin is ridiculous.
Very well put. I have only lived in WI for 18 years but long enough to see deer hunting change. Even 18 years ago and until now, Wi is regularly rank in top 10-5 best places to hunt for a trophy whitetail in the US. When I knew I moving here, saying I was excited would be an understatement.
Not being a trophy hunter managing a deer heard for monster bucks means nothing to me but I always knew when I was in the WI woods, the chance was there. Yes, if you force hunters to shoot does and create regs that makes hunters pass on bucks you will no doubt see larger bucks. The problem seems to me though, this would be short term. kill a doe and you remove 2-3 deer for the following season. Force a hunter to Earn-A-Buck and many buck fawns get killed. Do this for ten years (since CWD) and your herd gets reduced big time.
Like some one else said, we had large racked bucks when the herd was big too. You just had to
HUNT for them.