Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck
#11
RE: Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck
I'm looking totake out at least3 myselfat my place this year, buddies might take a few more. We have so many does, the bucks don't HAVE to chase or fight, there's at least 2does for every buck, possibly more. Taking out does for me definitely increases my chances of seeing that boss buck come rut. It's common sense. Taking a doe where you plan on buck hunting doesn't matter, even so like Jeff said, how can you avoid it if you're trying to even out the buck:doe ratio? And if you're killing does that aren't in the area you plan on buck hunting, what's the purpose of killing them to try and increase your chances of seeing that buck? Doesn't make sense.
#12
RE: Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck
My favorite stage of the rut is the seeking phase - becuase the bucks arerunning aroundsearching for does....
I think you could certainly make the case that the less does you have, the more the bucks have to search and the more aggressive they will get for the does that are around (making calls more effective also)...
I think you could certainly make the case that the less does you have, the more the bucks have to search and the more aggressive they will get for the does that are around (making calls more effective also)...
#13
RE: Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck
I just can't help but think it is all about your ratio. If i see 8 to 10 does in one sit, I will put the hurt on one of 'em. If i see only a few does, every time I go, I will not shoot a doe in that area. I never worry about running a deer completely out of my area from taking one doe. Surely they deal with more stress than that before they'll bolt.
#14
RE: Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck
A lot can depend on where you shoot the doe and where you have to track her or drag her out of. I wouldn't reccomend a bunch of guys traipsing thru a bucks bedding area looking for a wounded doe. If you were planning on hunting him later, you might have to find a different woods to hunt in.
Shoot the does early around the crop fields. You usually won't find the bucks out in the fields in daylight early in the season. They wait till right before dark.
Shoot the does early around the crop fields. You usually won't find the bucks out in the fields in daylight early in the season. They wait till right before dark.
#15
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
RE: Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck
If you are in an area where you need to reduce the herd by taking does then it is best to take them before the rut...There are several reasons for this...We have done this for over 20 years on 3 different farms and we are seeing bigger, healthier bucks and more bucks cruising during the day looking for does...
I think the guys that say take them late are in the same group that says if you kill your does you are hurting the population...This was true in the 50s and 60s but not true in most of the areas that I know about currently...
"Take them early, take them often..."
I think the guys that say take them late are in the same group that says if you kill your does you are hurting the population...This was true in the 50s and 60s but not true in most of the areas that I know about currently...
"Take them early, take them often..."
#16
RE: Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck
ORIGINAL: PreacherTony
That makes sense to me .... I read the article and I thought, "I'll see what the guys on HNI think" ....
BTW, Please don't EVER say sausage factory again!!![:'(][8D]
ORIGINAL: Germ
I disagree with this one. I would love to take 30% if doe population out in my area before the rut. Love watching those bucks fight over the ones that are left
PT if you are out bar hopping, and you come to a bar packed with ladies, you are going to stay. If you come to bars and they are a sausage fest, you are going to keep hopping until you score Then move on to the next one[:-]
Less does = more buck movement IMO
ORIGINAL: PreacherTony
The idea is less doe, less attraction for the local buck population ....... thoughts??
The idea is less doe, less attraction for the local buck population ....... thoughts??
PT if you are out bar hopping, and you come to a bar packed with ladies, you are going to stay. If you come to bars and they are a sausage fest, you are going to keep hopping until you score Then move on to the next one[:-]
Less does = more buck movement IMO
BTW, Please don't EVER say sausage factory again!!![:'(][8D]
#17
RE: Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck
GMMAT, i dont take does from pretty much ANY of my hunting areas...i used to...but, my herd dynamics are much different than yours....it might not be 1:1 or 2:1....but IMO its about ideal and i know once rifle season kicks in, a couple does in the herd will be taken out by other hunters...
it used to be nothing for us to see 20-50 deer on a normal day of driving in rifle season from 10 or 11 am till dark...now 10 is a pretty danged good day....but, most of the deer we see have antlers now. that is REALLY why i dont take does...
we have permission in an area to doe hunt in the late flintlock season...i took a BB from that herd last year(2 yearlings running togehter i thought they lost mom and were doe yearlings..) that area is like the OLD PA...TONS of deer and not many buck...some buck, but litterally tons of doe...we only got permission to be there in the late season though...and i love hunting with a flintlock so i save that doe tag for there and then...
i understand to take does you gotta hunt them where they area, even if thats the same area your hoping for a buck...and i do have somewhat of an educational history in basic wildlife management and ecology etc from college...so i KNOW does gotta be taken...i leave that to the rifle hunters...i know they took a couple last season so i know i wont be taking any does around home this year...unless im regularly seeing a pile of them...
school i hunt a state game lands which got pounded in previous years...deer herd plumeted...dad and i took a pile ourselves for a couple years....i dont know what its like there in rifle season anymore...if i see a bunch of does up there i wont hesitate to let one fly...i'll just try to be smart about it and either get it done early or try to take one away from the bedding areas...(if i take one there i am using my tag i reserve for flintlock season....but i wont hesitate..i cant play resource manager using hunting as my tool EVERYWHERE id like to because tags are limited in the unit because most areas are where the game commission wants the levels..)
it used to be nothing for us to see 20-50 deer on a normal day of driving in rifle season from 10 or 11 am till dark...now 10 is a pretty danged good day....but, most of the deer we see have antlers now. that is REALLY why i dont take does...
we have permission in an area to doe hunt in the late flintlock season...i took a BB from that herd last year(2 yearlings running togehter i thought they lost mom and were doe yearlings..) that area is like the OLD PA...TONS of deer and not many buck...some buck, but litterally tons of doe...we only got permission to be there in the late season though...and i love hunting with a flintlock so i save that doe tag for there and then...
i understand to take does you gotta hunt them where they area, even if thats the same area your hoping for a buck...and i do have somewhat of an educational history in basic wildlife management and ecology etc from college...so i KNOW does gotta be taken...i leave that to the rifle hunters...i know they took a couple last season so i know i wont be taking any does around home this year...unless im regularly seeing a pile of them...
school i hunt a state game lands which got pounded in previous years...deer herd plumeted...dad and i took a pile ourselves for a couple years....i dont know what its like there in rifle season anymore...if i see a bunch of does up there i wont hesitate to let one fly...i'll just try to be smart about it and either get it done early or try to take one away from the bedding areas...(if i take one there i am using my tag i reserve for flintlock season....but i wont hesitate..i cant play resource manager using hunting as my tool EVERYWHERE id like to because tags are limited in the unit because most areas are where the game commission wants the levels..)
#18
RE: Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck
QDMA Banquet year before this last one Mark Drury was a gues speaker. (I think it was Mark and not Terry but I could be wrong)
Of course his hunting situation is much different than many of ours but he was talking about this. I'm not quoting him but just saying what I took out of his talk and that was that he believes the more does you shoot the better if you want to see your bucks. As already stated the less does the more the bucks have to get up and move around to find them. This was his opinion and I guess there are many that feel the same way..
Personally I don't shoot all that I can but I will take several before the rut usually.. We still have more does than bucks...
Of course his hunting situation is much different than many of ours but he was talking about this. I'm not quoting him but just saying what I took out of his talk and that was that he believes the more does you shoot the better if you want to see your bucks. As already stated the less does the more the bucks have to get up and move around to find them. This was his opinion and I guess there are many that feel the same way..
Personally I don't shoot all that I can but I will take several before the rut usually.. We still have more does than bucks...