Go Back  HuntingNet.com Forums > Archery Forums > Bowhunting
 Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck >

Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck

Bowhunting Talk about the passion that is bowhunting. Share in the stories, pictures, tips, tactics and learn how to be a better bowhunter.

Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck

Old 09-05-2008, 03:32 PM
  #11  
Nontypical Buck
 
SouthernStrut56's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Alabama
Posts: 1,068
Default 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.
SouthernStrut56 is offline  
Old 09-05-2008, 03:38 PM
  #12  
Nontypical Buck
 
SouthDakotaHunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,324
Default 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)...
SouthDakotaHunter is offline  
Old 09-05-2008, 03:39 PM
  #13  
 
steelslinger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 105
Default 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.
steelslinger is offline  
Old 09-05-2008, 03:51 PM
  #14  
Nontypical Buck
 
jmbuckhunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 4,487
Default 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.
jmbuckhunter is offline  
Old 09-05-2008, 03:52 PM
  #15  
Giant Nontypical
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
Default 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..."
nchawkeye is offline  
Old 09-05-2008, 04:05 PM
  #16  
 
Finch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Roanoke, Va
Posts: 3,562
Default RE: Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck

ORIGINAL: PreacherTony

ORIGINAL: Germ

ORIGINAL: PreacherTony

The idea is less doe, less attraction for the local buck population ....... thoughts??
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
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]
LOL!!!
Finch is offline  
Old 09-05-2008, 04:47 PM
  #17  
Giant Nontypical
 
mauser06's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PA
Posts: 9,085
Default 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..)
mauser06 is offline  
Old 09-05-2008, 05:10 PM
  #18  
Nontypical Buck
 
demoIL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Monroe County, IL
Posts: 1,188
Default 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...
demoIL is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
txjourneyman
Bowhunting
23
01-05-2009 10:17 PM
Redskin_Archer
Bowhunting
11
10-02-2008 12:54 PM
Zdeerslayer
Bowhunting
12
12-20-2007 12:20 AM
Jellio
Bowhunting
61
09-21-2007 03:05 PM
GMMAT
Bowhunting
3
11-09-2005 07:38 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off


Quick Reply: Does Shooting Doe BEFORE the rut Lesson Your Chance at a Buck


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.