RE: West Virginia Deer Hunting Hurting!
Jim i agree with you , there is no doubt that the doe population is huge in the jefferson and berkley counties. My freinds farm near sheppardstown thats almost all you ever see. this past summer while scouting we saw more than 44 doe in 20 minutes cross a creek onto his land. He told me on christmas eve that the entire season he has only seen 2 bucks one was a 4 point and one was or used to be a 4 or 3 point ( one side was missing ) he also said that the majority of the doe he has been seeing are alot bigger than those 2 lonley young bucks. All he has harvested this year has been does hoping to manage his 2 buck heard and let them grow up a little. Genetics is another thought that alot of meat hunters do not take into mind, good bucks need to pass on there genes atleast 3 years to continue a good DNA factor in the heards. If the only thing out there breeding are imature scrub bucks its hard to tell yet what there genes will pass. I my self and most of my hunting freinds are meat hunters but we have enough sense to let those baby bucks walk.
Antlers dont make good bologna. I would like one day to take a wall hanger from my own land but until then i will always pass on the spikes ,the 3 and 4 pointers and probaly even the 6 pointers , unless it is an exceptional 6. Ethics and management are the keys.