NorthJeff

Just wanted to see who practices this principle and why.

I don't want to start some huge debate, might happen anyways, it's just as bowhunters we have a unique opportunity to harvest game, or NOT harvest game in a more relaxed atmosphere than the traditional short and hurried gun seasons.

I personally like to pass up 1.5 year olds(yearlings), and some 2.5 year olds. I believe in unlimited harvest for youth and first time hunters.

My personal beliefs for doing so are for reduced yearling stress by producing a better age structure. A less caotic breeding season, run entirely by an older age class of bucks that produces less stress, effort, and unecessary pursuit by inexperience breeders. Increased rutting activity, more scrapes, rubbing, and dominance related activity. Older bucks, with substantially more meat than yearling bucks. Overall less stress on the entire deer herd that results in higher body weight, improved health, increased winter-time defenses, and of course an increase in antler development. A more "natural" balance of nature and a biologically based system of management.

Why do you guys care about it and who does it?
I would have posted this on the QDMA page, but it doesn't appear I'd get many responses and I mostly spend my time here anyways. It's not that gun-hunters don't care, it's just that on average, compared to those who gun-hunt exclusively, bowhunters spend more time in the woods and on their stands, and I believe spend more time studying deer, equipment, and habitat.

Who cares?

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.

wimp

First let me describe my hunting area. Private land that still gets heavy pressure. The posted land is hunted by people, the private, but accessed land is also heavily hunted. No one practices QDM. We see 1 large buck(spread over 16&quot once every couple years.
Up until a couple seasons ago I shot the first buck by. Since then I have held out for at least a racked buck. If I had more nice bucks around I would probably wait for nicer bucks, but for now I shoot anything with a rack. I do have one spot that can produce large racked bucks, and I wouldn't shoot a small one in that area. The problem with that spot is just that there are so few deer I rarely hunt there.

I never really cared much before and felt people should shoot what they want. But after talking to people and learning things, I feel it is better for the herd to have a broader range of age class in the buck population. That is why I am hoping AR goes through and the hunters allow it to work.

davidmil

I let a lot walk on private places I hunt.... some I shoot. It depends on my mood and that of the deer at the time. On public hunting ground I usually whack it if it has some bones.

stealthycat

I'm in Arkansas - 3 point rule on deer here. Millions of public acres of heavily hunted lands. We aint got a choice !

Let me ask this - macro-managing a whole state - will that not lead to high pressure on the larger, mature bucks and lead us to actually harvesting too many of those class animals ? I know a lot of people that are happy shooting a meat deer spike or young buck that are now chasing the same same higher class deer that tens of thousands of other do. Whats your opinion ?

BulletBob456

I have been practicing QDM for about 6 years now. In that time I have learned more about deer behavior than I did in the 14 years prior to that. NorthJeff I couldn't agree more about youth an first time hunters. But we let them know what we are doing and why, they might suprise you with the choices they make on what deer they take for there first one. I did not fill my buck tag this year and thats just fine with me.

BulletBob456

rochelle

I practice QDM on the land I hunt.I try to shoot a doe every chance I get. For one there are way too many of them and I like seeing large bucks! If you dont practice that even on public land you wont get quality bucks! Public land its hard to get people to do that but eventually other hunters will catch on. For first timers and youth anything goes I believe. This year I shot 3 does cause I never got a shot on the type of buck I wanted. I still got to kill deer and have alot of venison for my family. Mabey my chance at a nice buck will be next season.

buckhunter3

I think too many people are getting caught up in what deer should I shoot,which type of hunting is accepted,and how big a buck does it have to be for everyone to accept or reject.I passed up a 4pt. and a small 6pt this year.I saw a big buck one day before them.So I held out for the bigger buck and ended up empty handed.Some would say I was looking at QDM but really I had alot of time to hunt, saw a bigger deer and decided that is what (I) wanted to do.If not for all the time I had to hunt (I) would of taken the 6pt. and would have been proud of it.I guess what I am trying to say is I go hunting to enjoy myself. I set my own goals,and they may even change while I am out there.I don't want somebody to tell me after I harvest a deer if legal, that I shouldn't have shot that deer.If the law changes I will abide by the law even if I may not agree with it.

wolfen68

I'm a die hard "let 'em go so they can grow" proponent. I am fortunate, however, to live in a state with a well mangaged herd. BUT if it were a perfect world, everyone would adopt this philosophy and every state would have improved herds. I won't shoot anything below PY and early in the year I hold out for a 140 or better. I'm for all states implementing size restrictions on bucks to at least 3 points on one side if not more. If a guy wants meat, then harvest a doe, there are plenty of them running around or drive the roads during the rut and pick up road kill. States with poor quality herds would eventually reap the rewards of QDM and the opportunities at a trophy harvest would increase, thus increasing license sales, thus increasing funds for wildlife habitat which in turns creates more refuge for even more higher quality bucks to skulk and it just goes on and on. My question would be "why would you shoot a young buck?"

Wahya

I think it depends entirely on what part of the country you're in and what deer you are hunting. Here in California, we are allowed two bucks, but they have to have a fork, one side or the other or both in the upper 2/3 of the antler at a minimum. Plus our herd populations aren't anywhere near as dense as those prolific whitetails you all hunt and our little blacktails rarely form habits as far as travel. They will sometimes completely change their habits completely from one month to the next. The average bowhunter here is lucky to see one legal deer all season that he can get a shot at. You all are very lucky to be able to see enough animals that you can pick and choose what you want to kill.

NorthJeff

Stealthycat,

Your question about the high pressure on the mature animals. What you'd find in areas of a good age-structure is that it would be much harder to actually shoot a buck if you had to stick to the mature animals only. Those animals react very differntly to pressure than other animals and adapt to pressure much easier.

In my neck of the woods if a buck reaches 3.5 years old he is a true survivor. He has avoided 100's of bait piles, coyotes, wolves, bobcats, bears, maybe a cougar or two, exteme winters, lack of food, and cars. When those animals are in the herd, they bring a level of confidence and relaxation to the rest of the herd that has many physcological and physical benifits. These bucks do most of the breeding in this situation, and therefore pass on many of their great survival traits. It would be amazing, and is amazing in most parts of the country that have well managed herds. Those mature animals are pressured in many ways throughout the entire year, but are an important, irreplacable role in herd society.

I think the only negative things that would take place in a macro-management environment would be decreased buck harvest by those that continue to rely on yearling buck harvest stratagies, less of an appreciation for a minimum P&Y buck because of increased availability, and a reduction in license sales due to the difficulty of some to harvest an older animal.

All the benifits are proven by biology and science, the unknowns are the effects of hunter participation due to increased difficulty in hunting. On one hand you'd see a greater number of superior animals, rubs, scrapes and the like, on the other hand the mature animals are harder to hunt and have exceptionally enhanced survival skills.

I personally like more meat. The 2.5 year old 8-point I shot this year weighed in at about 150#'s and gave me 62#'s of de-boned meat. The 110# yearling 4 point my dad shot 2 years ago(we now have an 8 point rule), gave him 35#'s of de-boned meat. The mature does in our area give you between 50 and 60 pounds of meat. People shoot a spike for meat???

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.