Catch-22......Deer Management-wise....
10-04-2007, 04:27 AM
#1
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
Catch-22......Deer Management-wise....
Here's my delimma.....
According to my wildlife Bio.......I need to take 8 does out of the herd, this season....as a start to managing the herd, here. To be able to do this.....I need to be in the woods. To be in the woods.....I am going to pressure the herd, some.
This being only my second serious bowhunting season.....I'm in the "more" prime areas of my available hunting land, more. "I" think the deer are going to adapt to the pressure. I think they're going to utilize these good areas less and less.....the more I intrude. Thus my delimma.
If I don't go in there.....I can't take out what I need to. If I do go in there.....I risk pushing them elsewhere. I'm realizing what a task my pre-set goal is, now. It's a chess game. Every move could decide the final outcome. Every play is important. Carelessness in a hunt could set up my "opponent" for a winning play........many moves down the line.
I think I'm on "defense", now.....and that's not the way to play the "game". Playing it "right" is fun. Playing it the way I have, so far, is taking a chance that my opponent will slip up and give me easy moves......which I'm finding is not the "norm".
My point? Sometimes NOT hunting is the right "move". Sometimes leaving the Bishop where he is ......and sacrificing a pawn is the right move. Sometimes walking away from the board and re-assessing your overall strategy is the right NON-move. Hunting smart takes more discipline than hunting "hard". You can't kill 'em from the couch, but you can't kill 'em if you pushed them out of your area, either.
Fine line......
According to my wildlife Bio.......I need to take 8 does out of the herd, this season....as a start to managing the herd, here. To be able to do this.....I need to be in the woods. To be in the woods.....I am going to pressure the herd, some.
This being only my second serious bowhunting season.....I'm in the "more" prime areas of my available hunting land, more. "I" think the deer are going to adapt to the pressure. I think they're going to utilize these good areas less and less.....the more I intrude. Thus my delimma.
If I don't go in there.....I can't take out what I need to. If I do go in there.....I risk pushing them elsewhere. I'm realizing what a task my pre-set goal is, now. It's a chess game. Every move could decide the final outcome. Every play is important. Carelessness in a hunt could set up my "opponent" for a winning play........many moves down the line.
I think I'm on "defense", now.....and that's not the way to play the "game". Playing it "right" is fun. Playing it the way I have, so far, is taking a chance that my opponent will slip up and give me easy moves......which I'm finding is not the "norm".
My point? Sometimes NOT hunting is the right "move". Sometimes leaving the Bishop where he is ......and sacrificing a pawn is the right move. Sometimes walking away from the board and re-assessing your overall strategy is the right NON-move. Hunting smart takes more discipline than hunting "hard". You can't kill 'em from the couch, but you can't kill 'em if you pushed them out of your area, either.
Fine line......
10-04-2007, 05:12 AM
#3
Bartender
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 6,634
RE: Catch-22......Deer Management-wise....
CHECK MATE!
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
Here's my delimma.....
According to my wildlife Bio.......I need to take 8 does out of the herd, this season....as a start to managing the herd, here. To be able to do this.....I need to be in the woods. To be in the woods.....I am going to pressure the herd, some.
This being only my second serious bowhunting season.....I'm in the "more" prime areas of my available hunting land, more. "I" think the deer are going to adapt to the pressure. I think they're going to utilize these good areas less and less.....the more I intrude. Thus my delimma.
If I don't go in there.....I can't take out what I need to. If I do go in there.....I risk pushing them elsewhere. I'm realizing what a task my pre-set goal is, now. It's a chess game. Every move could decide the final outcome. Every play is important. Carelessness in a hunt could set up my "opponent" for a winning play........many moves down the line.
I think I'm on "defense", now.....and that's not the way to play the "game". Playing it "right" is fun. Playing it the way I have, so far, is taking a chance that my opponent will slip up and give me easy moves......which I'm finding is not the "norm".
My point? Sometimes NOT hunting is the right "move". Sometimes leaving the Bishop where he is ......and sacrificing a pawn is the right move. Sometimes walking away from the board and re-assessing your overall strategy is the right NON-move. Hunting smart takes more discipline than hunting "hard". You can't kill 'em from the couch, but you can't kill 'em if you pushed them out of your area, either.
Fine line......
Here's my delimma.....
According to my wildlife Bio.......I need to take 8 does out of the herd, this season....as a start to managing the herd, here. To be able to do this.....I need to be in the woods. To be in the woods.....I am going to pressure the herd, some.
This being only my second serious bowhunting season.....I'm in the "more" prime areas of my available hunting land, more. "I" think the deer are going to adapt to the pressure. I think they're going to utilize these good areas less and less.....the more I intrude. Thus my delimma.
If I don't go in there.....I can't take out what I need to. If I do go in there.....I risk pushing them elsewhere. I'm realizing what a task my pre-set goal is, now. It's a chess game. Every move could decide the final outcome. Every play is important. Carelessness in a hunt could set up my "opponent" for a winning play........many moves down the line.
I think I'm on "defense", now.....and that's not the way to play the "game". Playing it "right" is fun. Playing it the way I have, so far, is taking a chance that my opponent will slip up and give me easy moves......which I'm finding is not the "norm".
My point? Sometimes NOT hunting is the right "move". Sometimes leaving the Bishop where he is ......and sacrificing a pawn is the right move. Sometimes walking away from the board and re-assessing your overall strategy is the right NON-move. Hunting smart takes more discipline than hunting "hard". You can't kill 'em from the couch, but you can't kill 'em if you pushed them out of your area, either.
Fine line......
10-04-2007, 06:03 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1,469
RE: Catch-22......Deer Management-wise....
The season is very long, it doesnt need to all be done in a month. Take your time, hunt when the conditions are in your favor and if you dont end up taking out 8 does, its not the end of the world. I know that you guys are allowed to bait there, and i know you and i agree that its easier to shoot a doe that isnt over bait, but in your situation, maybe you might want to bait in a nonprime area to try to get one that way. Just a thought.
10-04-2007, 08:06 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Missouri
Posts: 3,763
RE: Catch-22......Deer Management-wise....
ORIGINAL: njbuck22
The season is very long, it doesnt need to all be done in a month. Take your time, hunt when the conditions are in your favor and if you dont end up taking out 8 does, its not the end of the world. I know that you guys are allowed to bait there, and i know you and i agree that its easier to shoot a doe that isnt over bait, but in your situation, maybe you might want to bait in a nonprime area to try to get one that way. Just a thought.
The season is very long, it doesnt need to all be done in a month. Take your time, hunt when the conditions are in your favor and if you dont end up taking out 8 does, its not the end of the world. I know that you guys are allowed to bait there, and i know you and i agree that its easier to shoot a doe that isnt over bait, but in your situation, maybe you might want to bait in a nonprime area to try to get one that way. Just a thought.
If thats isnt an option i would concentrate on the big concentration of does and take them there. Hopefully the bucks are using a different area and it wont affect them much. Durring the rut the will be where the does are regardless.
