i let the little ones walk and let the big ones drop! i hunt on small private tracts. i care not what my neighbors shoot it's there business. me personally i can't shoot a small one, but i will take out the doe's.

Edited by - beretta390 on 01/23/2002 20:17:00

I shoot any mature deer....sometimes let the little guys pass.

Here in Northern Maine only bucks can be taken.Doe permits aren't issued except for one area and only 350 permits are given.Our heard has taken a big hit from last years late season snow and coyotes.QDM is but a dream here,we take some really nice deer but if every one held out for the big guys I fear that our gene pool would really suffer.nmaineron

Q.D.M. really works! My best friend and I have been practicing it for about 8 years now. We hunt our farms that are due east and west of each other, but with about a half mile in between. A couple of the other locals also practice this, but a far larger portion of them do not. Anyway, we have both noticed the last 2 or 3 years that the big buck sightings are getting more and more each year. He ended up taking a huge 160 class 8 point with several kickers this past season with a gun. And between him and all of us that practice Q.D.M., we still know of several big deer that made it past the season, ( I believe that the art of hunting doesn't stop because the season does) to continue to grow and spread quality genes to younger generations of deer. I do agree that first time hunters (youth) should be able to take the shot of their choosing. AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET A KID STARTED IN THE OUTDOOR WORLD, WETHER IT BE YOURS OR SOMEONE ELSES!

Well, I aint buying it.

In my area, Arkansas, people want to shoot deer. they want to be successful, they want meat. In the past two year (since the three point rule) does have filled that slot - providing meat and success. Also, a LOT of bigger bucks have been coming in, which I attribut to #1 - them being allowed to grow a year extra and #2 - more people in the woods hunting for them (because they didn't fill their tags with a young buck)

What we now have is 40-60% declines in deer population/harvest. the blind AG&FC says "oh, the deer are there, ya'll aint seeing them" - bull. A co-worker hunts 5,000 private leased acres, second gun hunt he hunted every day and saw two deer TOTAL. Thats southern Arkansas too - where the deer are abundant.

On a statewide level, I don't think it QDM 3 point rules can work and still allow the harvest of the bulk of the does. When I hunt, I want to see deer. Our deer hurt is hurting right now, and I think QDM, while improving the age structure of buck, is hurting our overall herd.

I think Arkansas should close all doe hunting in 2002 - radical move but I am telling ya'll, a statewide 3 point rule and a bunch of doe tags will equal a declining deer herd - its happened here.

QDM is the big antler hunters dream. That's all it is. Designed to grow big antlers for those that that's their thing. It really has nothing to do in most cases with the "Health of the herd". If that was the concern of QDM they would and should be pushing for "Does Only" in a lot of places. QDM was started by the big Texas ranches that wanted to beable to charge people $10,000 for shooting a deer. Now they're getting it. Without QDM there have and will always be the big guys who survive and become the boss of the local herd. The QDM craze was fostered for one purpose only.... BIG HEADGEAR. You want to practice it that's fine. If they legislate it that's fine. If all our herds were 1 to 1 ratios and BIG BUCKs we all will end up with Texas sized pricetags. QDM in all these high priced... big money markets puts the herd size way above the natural carrying capacity of the land with feeding and food plots. Which also seem to grow the towers overlooking them. They get these outrageous prices because of the unnaturally large numbers and ease of taking. They're close as you can get to cattle herds. You want it fine, but don't tell me it's for the health of the herd. The herd could care less if it's bred by a 2 year old or a 5 year old. AND, I never saw a 5 year old buck that tasted better than a 2 year old. Besides that... my old heart can't drag 250 pounds.

davidmil...if every state had bucks like South Texas, Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa etc...then there would no longer be "high pricetags" because the supply would come full swing to meeting the demand. Folks wouldn't pay god awful amounts of money to travel hundreds of miles to get an opportunity at a monster buck because they would have one in their own back yard!!! It's econ 101. As far as the health of the herd...if more bucks are allowed to reach maturity, and the doe numbers are in relative proportion, then as nature dictates, only the strongest, healthiest, and most dominate bucks in an area will breed the MAJORITY of does, thus passing on his superior genes. When every buck in the woods gets in on the act of breeding then common sense tells you that more and more opportunities for subordinate and poor genetics being passed on increases. So I cannot see any argument against the fact that QDM does not help in improving the health and strength of a herd. And if your heart can't drag out a 250lb deer then call a friend and they can help.

I'm not sure what the answers are ( I have my opinion) but I can say something needs to be done. In MI things are really screwed up. I try to hunt hard and smart but lately it seems that all you see are does and young bucks. Am I in favor of "deer ranches" no, Am I in favor of better age structeres, stronger rutting, harvesting more doe - yes. Does this mean, QDM or a better job in the DNR - I'm not sure but something really needs to change.

Actually, QDM is not trophy hunting. The only guys who say that it is have not actually looked into QDM. Older bucks are a healthy bi-product of QDM. QDM wants to promote a healthy herd, with education, and the facts, not a bunch of democratic feel-good legislation. QDM also seeks to keep carrying capacities that are balance with the surrounding habitat. If you have browse-lines in your area-such as the entire state of MI-you're deer herd is too high.

Trophy hunting is entirely different. QDM wants to protect yearlings with a 3 point rule or 15" spread, Trophy hunting wants to protect over 3.5 year olds. Trophy hunting wants to "cull" the odd 2.5-3.5 year olds, QDM does not. Trophy hunting focuses greatly on gentetics, QDM focuses on age and improved habitat. Trophy hunting has black and white harvest stratagies which do not allow for first time and young hunters to "bend" the rules, QDM does not. Trophy hunting rutinely involves high fencing and herd minipulation, QDM supports a natural, native herd before man's selfish interferance. QDM is about education, sound scientific research, biology 101, youth involvement, facts, habitat improvement, and is supported by virtually EVERY top whitetail professional in the country, whether it be research biologist, foresters, game managers, or local biologists...Trophy management is not! And finally, QDM is supported by years of scientific research from arround the country to promote a healthy herd, trophy management is not.

QDM goes against traditional management, which is based primarily on hunter opinion, hunches, and license sales, and supports rules and regulations that only have positive, healthy, impacts on the deer heard, and are backed by proven scientific research.

You can show a 100 people that the sky is blue, but you'll still have 4 or 5 in the crowd who are color-blind.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.

Great post NorthJeff!!!