hardcorehunter

I went on an antlerlesshunt in a state park here in IA2 years ago. The DNR told us to take mature does. They emphasized this. Of course, what does the state of IA know about quality deer mgmt?I have to answer this one: #1 in North America for Boone and Crocket whitetail entries and is responsible for 5 out of the top 10 Pope and Young whitetailentries. IA also boasts 10 of the top 40 whitetails (top 20 typical and top 20 non-typical) ever harvested in North America with a bow and arrow as recorded by Pope and Young. That is a stagggering 25% of the biggest bucks in the world and 6 of them have been harvested since 1993. Not to mention the nontypical world record whitetail of all time was taken in IA. Those stats are hard to argue with. In all honesty, you have a great place to hunt as far as putting meat in the freezer but I would concentrate on getting a couple of new spots to hunt that have mature bucks on the property. Shooting little forkies is going to get old after a while. Would for me anyway.

GMMAT

Don....If you didn't live where you do you'd be shooting "little forkies", too, I guess. When you shoot the largest racked buck in YOUR woods....come back here and talk to me about the "little forkies" I shoot.

Your correlation to the large deer and what the CO told you to shoot is a BIT convoluted. Do you think the number of P&Y/B&C entries has anything to do with soil content (as far as nutrients)? Percentage of grain crops? Percentage of land used for nothing else??? You think your whole state's large deer pop. has everything to do with your entire state being under QDM type programs???

I take what you said as an insult. If you didn't mean it that way.....then explain what I can do to keep from having to shoot all the "little forkies" like the ones I did, this year.

And then tell me what you really know about the herd of deer in NC.

Thanks.

nchawkeye

That's good news about over the counter doe permits...On our farms we try to take 2-3 does for every buck...Last year I killed 3 does and one buck on our farms...The buck was a 3 1/2 year old spike...

I have no problems taking a 1 1/2 year old doe...I don't take this year's crop, I have heard that there is a 60% chance that this years does will drop a buck...We generally leave the B&C does alone...

About 12-15 years ago it wasn't unusual to see 25-40 deer in a field eating, with maybe 5 bucks, usually 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 year olds...Now we are seeing more bucks chase does...and 6-8 does in the fields at a time...We are also killing larger bucks...We hunt for the meat and to control the population so we don't have too much crop damage...

GMMAT

I've heard take the older does.....and I've heard take the younger ones. I've also heard (from good authority) that which grup of does you target.....is DIRECTLY linked to where your herd is AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME. There is no ONE STANDARD ANSWER to meet all herds. I was just wondering who to speak to about this that could offer something other than conjecture.

That was the meaning for the post.

Tuffbroadhead

To be perfectly honest and above board, here is what I would do..

1> get a biologist involved....
2> From his reccomendations start whacking doe, ALOT OF THEM.....
3> When it comes time to thin down the doe in a herd, age does not play into it, not one bit...
4> You will work you butt off to get your numbers down, even with herd dispersement you will still see doe coming in from other propertys around you...and two to three years from now if you REALLY WORK YOUR BUTT OFF harvesting as many doe as you can to get your numbers , say 2-1, or even 1-1 you will have a SUPER place to hunt...

But it takes HARD WORK!!!

kevin1

I'm saying that a flake like Nugent who supports killing animals in pens solely for chest thumping value is hardly qualified to second guess a well educated state wildlife biologist who cares more about the herd in general than about just the boneheads. In short, a poor example of management strategist.

hardcorehunter

Ist off, no insult, just stating a fact.If the deer aren't allowed to mature they will never be nice racked deer regardless of location, soil, food, or nutrients. You keep shooting the biggest deer in the woods and it is a forkie than this is evidentally a trend that a hunter wants to continue.
The main thing that helps IA with big deer is that our DNR has the insight to not allow guns in the woods during the rut. This has to be a HUGE factor as MN is aboveus and MO is below us with the same types of soil and geography but they don't get the big racked bucks like we do. They do have gun seasons in place during the rut, this is aBIG MISTAKE for a state that wants trophy deer. WE also don't allow centerfire rifles to be used during regular gun season and MN and MO do.Although I don't gun hunt deer, most of the gun hunters that I know in the state won't shoot a buck unless it ishas a decent rack or amature one,there are exceptions to this of course. I am only speaking of the gun hunters thatI know of in my area.Even when IA had a buck only gun tagpolicy 10 years ago, my buddies and I wouldn't shoot a buck unless hehad a decent rack or wasmature. Does have always been able to be taken with a bow so meat has never been an issue with passing on small bucks. Many years ago I shot small bucks but that policy changed when I matured as a whitetail hunter and my priorities changed. To each his own. Nothing wrong with small bucks if that is what you are happy with. You have stated that you are the only hunter allowed in this area. You therefore are in control. Let the bucks live, thin some mature does out ,and create your own trophy area, to hell with the rest of the state of NC. Manage your suburban area into big buck land. Since I would assumefood plots are not an option where you hunt, put some feed bunks out with minerals and supplemental feed in these areas away from where you directly hunt so as not to be hunting over or near bait. The cards are in your hands, make it a big buck paradise.

Oneshot7

David i used the meat and nothing went to waste and i ahve the rest of my life to hunt the big boys everything was legal and nothing wen tto waste i left that out it wasnt only for points but food as well

Germ

Dude you do not have to justify why YOU choose to shoot a deer to daveMill or any one here.

Oneshot7

i know germ i just hate it when someone bashes someone that does something legal and nothing goes to waste