Why is this?
10-02-2007, 08:33 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 13,082
Why is this?
I was talking w/ my buddy buckeyebuckhntr earlier this evening, and posed this question. I'm not exaggerating, either, this is the truth.
I know my buck/doe ratio is out of whack, but it's not this darn bad. I HAVE to be doing something right, scent control and such, but why do you suppose I see...........again, this is literal....
30 does to 1 buck??? Is it the spots I choose to sit? Is it bad wind, scent control? Or are they simply not there??
Any thoughts?
I know my buck/doe ratio is out of whack, but it's not this darn bad. I HAVE to be doing something right, scent control and such, but why do you suppose I see...........again, this is literal....
30 does to 1 buck??? Is it the spots I choose to sit? Is it bad wind, scent control? Or are they simply not there??
Any thoughts?
10-02-2007, 08:39 PM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Stanley, Wisconsin
Posts: 227
RE: Why is this?
If you are seeing that many does than you need to start intensely harvesting does. Personally if I was hunting an area with that many does I would basically forget about shooting a buck(unless it was a monster) and start harvesting as many does as I could. Just make sure not to shoot the nubbins
10-02-2007, 08:48 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 13,082
RE: Why is this?
I agree that does need to be shot, but this is a problem more than that. It doesn't matter what property I'm on, or in what county. This is just a widespread thing I have, a pattern, if you will. I am pretty convinced there's a piece of the puzzle I'm leaving out, I'm just not sure what it is.....
10-02-2007, 08:53 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: HENDERSON KY USA
Posts: 6,634
RE: Why is this?
ORIGINAL: bigcountry
In heavily popularted doe areas, alot of guys like to hunt field edges, and open oak flats. I always go in the thicket or the edge. I usually see twice the bucks as my hunting friends.
In heavily popularted doe areas, alot of guys like to hunt field edges, and open oak flats. I always go in the thicket or the edge. I usually see twice the bucks as my hunting friends.
Hunt the buck signs,not the doe trails.
Get in thethicketswhere they hide.
10-02-2007, 08:54 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 6,006
RE: Why is this?
What do you concentrate on when hanging stands?
Do you look for doe concentrations (the whole "hunt the does and the bucks will follow" theory) or do you target sites that you believe will lead mainlyto buck encounters?
Do you look for doe concentrations (the whole "hunt the does and the bucks will follow" theory) or do you target sites that you believe will lead mainlyto buck encounters?
10-02-2007, 08:59 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 4,487
RE: Why is this?
Don, I think most places around here, that is the way the herd is made up. Unless someone has been doing some serious doe thinning.
It used to be that way where I hunt in IL too. Then 5 or so years ago a bunch of us in the neighborhood decide to shoot every doe that offered a shot. And only shoot mature bucks.We now are starting to see the results. There are a good number of shooter bucks running around there. And some real hogs get killed in the area every year now. And it seems the rut activity has picked up recently also. More bucks are seen chasing does and moving in daylight.
But it takes an effort from a group of guys. It would be hard for just one to make much of an impact. But it might be a good start.
It used to be that way where I hunt in IL too. Then 5 or so years ago a bunch of us in the neighborhood decide to shoot every doe that offered a shot. And only shoot mature bucks.We now are starting to see the results. There are a good number of shooter bucks running around there. And some real hogs get killed in the area every year now. And it seems the rut activity has picked up recently also. More bucks are seen chasing does and moving in daylight.
But it takes an effort from a group of guys. It would be hard for just one to make much of an impact. But it might be a good start.
10-02-2007, 08:59 PM
#9
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Wisconsin and Canada
Posts: 2,415
RE: Why is this?
Your problem may not be as bad as you think. Maybe you just aren't seeing the bucks at this time of year.
3 years ago I thought we were starting to have the same problem up here, and it didn't make sense. For about 2 weeks in early/mid October I hunted nearly all day every day. Many of those days I would see 15 does to every buck. I thought, how can this be when I KNOW the buck to doe ratio is nearly 1:2.....It was all in the time of year. Once the end of October rolled around I was seeing 10-15 deer a day and about 40% of them were bucks.
Just my situation and observations.
3 years ago I thought we were starting to have the same problem up here, and it didn't make sense. For about 2 weeks in early/mid October I hunted nearly all day every day. Many of those days I would see 15 does to every buck. I thought, how can this be when I KNOW the buck to doe ratio is nearly 1:2.....It was all in the time of year. Once the end of October rolled around I was seeing 10-15 deer a day and about 40% of them were bucks.
Just my situation and observations.
10-02-2007, 09:04 PM
#10
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: Why is this?
Though I know my herd is ou of whack.....and I'm working on that.....I also know that what Dan (Canada Dan) describes is what occurs here, too. I didn't see bucks last year until just when Dan describes....then I saw about the same ratio he does.