i always read to thin down the does to grow bigger bucks but i have also been told that the more does you got the more bucks will be there during the rut and where i hunt we have a ton of does and see just some small bucks and we only shoot the big bucks which we have only seen just a few times and that was just 1 so could someone please tell me the situation and what you would do.thanks

Everything I read and hear says to " shoot does and then shoot some more does." Seems to be the best situation is to get the b/d ration as close to a 2 to 1 ratio, but in many places, that is nearly impossible. I will try to do my part this year, I' ve got 3 doe only tags and an any deer tag, that will only go on a 140" plus, or another doe. This topic is open for discussion, and will be for many years to come.

In 99% of the US the best thing you can do for your deer heard is " Shoot Some Does" !!!!

what does it do for the heard i' m sorry i' m complicated i just would really like to understand this

Less does means more competition for breeding between the bucks. This should result in the bigger, stronger, genetically superior bucks getting the majority of the action............leading to better offspring.

That looks real good on paper but the truth is that most states deer herds are so out of whack that they would have to have a few years straight of doe only seasons to have any kind of impact on the herd as a whole.

Remember you are talking about millions of deer dropping 1-2 fawns every year so statistically speaking that is a pretty tough hill to climb. Especially when a lot of hunters are just out for a nice buck and let does walk by all day.


Me??...........if it walks by my tree and I have an empty tag in my pocket then it' s going in my freezer.....Where they all look alike

Any given area can only support a certain number of deer(carrying capacity). When the population exeeds the carrying capacity, overbrowsing ocurrs. There is just not enough nutritous foods to support the herd. By thinning the doe numbers, there will be more nutritous food for less deer. The better nutrition a buck gets, the bigger rack he will grow. Also, less doe puts the breeding balance near the ideal ratio(2 to 1)......I hope this helps.

does need to be taken out to many around here in my neck of my woods going to harvest another doe when my chance arrives.

go deep hunt hard.

Lowers the population.

Evens the buck/doe ratio

The lower population & more even Buck/Doe Ratio - combine to provide a better herd structure - with a rut that is NOT prolonged. Results in earlier bred does, higher fawn recruitment (more survive because they are born earlier).

go to the QDMA Website - there is a good article on Why.

Good Question.

Bucks and does compete for nutrition...does will actual push bucks off a property...too many does means too much competition for nutrition. Bucks will leave seeking what they need to grow antlers and if they don' t get the right nutrition in the important developement stage, their antlers will be sacrificed for the health of their bodies...too many does mean smaller bucks....

AND....if your does are not getting the nutrition they need, smaller births will result, malnutritioned fawns, smaller birth weights, later developement and success rate.

Late births means late developement...too many does to breed, no competition for mature bucks, many does will be bred by young bucks....creating a long breeding cycle and bucks killing themselves to keep up.

There is nothing good about having an overpopulation of does unless you simply want to see volumes of deer, shoot volumes of does and never see anything buck smallish bucks....

Simply put, all major big buck dominating states, counties and leases pracitce sound quality deer management and that means shooting does to equal the buck to doe ratio...it' s simple math.

It makes sense that thinning the doe population would help grow bigger bucks. But at the same time it' d take a conscious effort from many hunters to make a dent in the doe population.