Buck to doe ratio
04-27-2004, 02:53 PM
#2
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: LOUISVILLE, SLEEPER TROPHY STATE
Posts: 195
RE: Buck to doe ratio
OTHER THAN HAVING A BIOLOGIST COME OUT THE BEST WAY IS TO BE ON THE GROUND EYEBALLING THE DEER FOR A WHILE. MY BUDDY LIVES ON THE PROPERTY I HUNT SO HE GETS TO SEE WHAT THE DEER ARE DOING ALL THE TIME AND CAN SEE WHAT THE RATIO IS APPROXIMATELY.
04-27-2004, 05:57 PM
#3
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 638
RE: Buck to doe ratio
Down here we use alot of different methods in order to find out the sex ratio.
During the "off" months, we drive around the ranch doing a spot light survey. This involves 3 people, one is driving & recording the game spotted, the other 2 are each sitting back to back in the bed of the truck shining the spotlight looking and telling the driver to stop once they see an animal.
Another method that we use is trail cameras, but these tend to only take pictures of the same deer that visit the area.
The best method that we do, is a helicopter survey. We fly over the ranch a couple of times each year and take pictures of all the nice bucks we see, and count all the deer that we see. All bucks that we see are recorded and broken down into age classes. All does that we see are counted and so are the fawns. But in years that we get alot of rain, like in 2003 and 2004 so far, the brush gets very thick so it can be hard to see alot of the deer. Alot of the deer will also lay down when they hear the helicopter over head, and will refuse to run. Some times we will have to go into the brush with the helicopter above us, and force the deer to get up.
There is no such thing as a 100% correct way of finding the sex ratio. If you come within 10% of the actual number of deer, then go ahead and pat yourself on the back because you did one hell of a good job.
Every day that you are hunting, you should see a pretty even number of does and bucks. IF you see 10 does and not a single buck, then you know that your population is some what out of whack. But each day your in the woods make sure you count all the deer that you see, and break them down into different catagories, this will help you find the buck:doe ratio in the area that you hunt.
During the "off" months, we drive around the ranch doing a spot light survey. This involves 3 people, one is driving & recording the game spotted, the other 2 are each sitting back to back in the bed of the truck shining the spotlight looking and telling the driver to stop once they see an animal.
Another method that we use is trail cameras, but these tend to only take pictures of the same deer that visit the area.
The best method that we do, is a helicopter survey. We fly over the ranch a couple of times each year and take pictures of all the nice bucks we see, and count all the deer that we see. All bucks that we see are recorded and broken down into age classes. All does that we see are counted and so are the fawns. But in years that we get alot of rain, like in 2003 and 2004 so far, the brush gets very thick so it can be hard to see alot of the deer. Alot of the deer will also lay down when they hear the helicopter over head, and will refuse to run. Some times we will have to go into the brush with the helicopter above us, and force the deer to get up.
There is no such thing as a 100% correct way of finding the sex ratio. If you come within 10% of the actual number of deer, then go ahead and pat yourself on the back because you did one hell of a good job.
Every day that you are hunting, you should see a pretty even number of does and bucks. IF you see 10 does and not a single buck, then you know that your population is some what out of whack. But each day your in the woods make sure you count all the deer that you see, and break them down into different catagories, this will help you find the buck:doe ratio in the area that you hunt.
04-28-2004, 05:06 AM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lehigh County PA USA
Posts: 12,157
RE: Buck to doe ratio
I have no idea exactly how our deer biologists estimate it other than to guess that they use volunteers and possibly helicopters to make counts periodically throughout the year. Then they probably take an average for any given area.
Myself? As most others probably do I count when both spotlighting and scouting.
Myself? As most others probably do I count when both spotlighting and scouting.
04-28-2004, 06:34 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Memphis TN USA
Posts: 3,445
RE: Buck to doe ratio
I am no expert but common sense tells me this much:
You would need to count in late summer when the deer are coming to the fields. More deer will show themseves during daylight hours this way and the bucks are developing antlers so it should be easy to tell the sex. Next, disregard any fawn or yearling (just don't count them at all) because there is no way to tell what sex they are. Just count what you are sure of! Then you will have to do night surverys in the same manner. Again, I would think late summer would be the time for best results.
You would need to count in late summer when the deer are coming to the fields. More deer will show themseves during daylight hours this way and the bucks are developing antlers so it should be easy to tell the sex. Next, disregard any fawn or yearling (just don't count them at all) because there is no way to tell what sex they are. Just count what you are sure of! Then you will have to do night surverys in the same manner. Again, I would think late summer would be the time for best results.
04-28-2004, 03:12 PM
#6
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 638
RE: Buck to doe ratio
[quote]ORIGINAL: silentassassin
Next, disregard any fawn or yearling (just don't count them at all) because there is no way to tell what sex they are. Just count what you are sure of!
Actually you are suppose to count yearlings as well. When you do a deer survey there are 3 basic groups that you put each deer into. The first one is the "buck group" the second is the "doe group" and the the third is the "unidentified group" which is what all the yearlings go under.
In a healthy deer herd, the yearlings make up a large percentage of the total number of deer. So if you leave out this large number of deer, then your not giving your self an accurate overall number of deer or buck:doe numbers.
Next, disregard any fawn or yearling (just don't count them at all) because there is no way to tell what sex they are. Just count what you are sure of!
Actually you are suppose to count yearlings as well. When you do a deer survey there are 3 basic groups that you put each deer into. The first one is the "buck group" the second is the "doe group" and the the third is the "unidentified group" which is what all the yearlings go under.
In a healthy deer herd, the yearlings make up a large percentage of the total number of deer. So if you leave out this large number of deer, then your not giving your self an accurate overall number of deer or buck:doe numbers.
04-28-2004, 05:00 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Memphis TN USA
Posts: 3,445
RE: Buck to doe ratio
Well what good is an unidentified group going to do in determining ratio? In most cases they are counted because there is usually a corresponding population survery. In a studio of buck doe ratio the information would be absolutely useless.
04-28-2004, 08:49 PM
#9
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 638
RE: Buck to doe ratio
"The information would be absoluty useless"
Well actually it wouldnt be, because you are suppose to do what JoshKeller said. You take the total number of fawns, put halve in the buck group, and half in the doe group. These numbers wont always be right, but over a period of time they will balance out.
Well actually it wouldnt be, because you are suppose to do what JoshKeller said. You take the total number of fawns, put halve in the buck group, and half in the doe group. These numbers wont always be right, but over a period of time they will balance out.