TXhighrack

Wow, thats a clever way of thinking...............

doughboysigep

I say, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Doe management is key to herd management. Say you were to which to taking no doe. Your area begins to get overpopulated; food/nutrition becomes less available; lees nutrition = smaller racks; etc. Like several others said, the deer are going to be moving in and out of your property regardless of what you do. If the permits are there to havest doe, harvest them. There will be plenty more to take their place, because doe make doe, too.

14mercs

If you plant food plots you'll increase the number of does times ten. Buck = sex Doe = food. If you have food, water and bedding areas, (provided they feel light hunting pressure) you'll always have both sexes. Mommas want their kids to eat good too so no matter what the time of year a doe is always keying on food.

Unless your property and your neighbors is separated by a high fence what keeps the does from going on both places? You both share the same deer herd so thinning the does will make the bucks search harder on both properties. I would say 5 -6 does for 300 acres probably isn't enough for that size of timber. When you start talking into the 20's harvested than it gets to be a cause effect. Once again, provided your timber is 300 acres and all by itself without touching any other tracts of land. Shoot, shoot and shoot some more!

Double Creek

This has been a great post. I clearly understand your concern. I have always been a firm believer in blasting the does down at a rate of 3-4 does for every buck. So for example I was once in a club that hunted 17,000 acres and we would kill about 300 does a year and about 50 bucks. The land could handle that amount of harvest, it was extremely good hunting ground. Next, I hunted a 5,000 acres island and we would kill around 100 does and about 20-25 bucks. This also seemed to help out.

Now, I own and hunt 470 acres and I find myself in the same position as you. I KNOW I have a preferred buck bedding area. I have the food, the water, the cover. But if I don't have the does, they will leave. I've been struggling with the amount of does to take off the property. This year, we took 5 does and 1 buck. I don't think we hurt the herd at all, but I also don't see a need to increase the kill quota for next season. IMO, it all depends on what you are seeing on the stand and what your food plots look like. If you are seeing 6-7 does every time you hunt, you've probably got way to many.

I feel your pain, it's a tough decision.

adams

My views are if you land has good habitat it will hold deer. Bucks and does are oblivious to property lines so if you are killing 5-6 does per year on your property there are other deer still looking for good habitat and they will soon disperce to fill the void of the does you've shot. IMO you've got quite a task ahead if you're the only one thinning does but also IMO you are helping the herd and I do not believe you are hurting yourself. By thinning the herd you're lessening the impact to the habitat you have to hunt and that will ultimately improve overall herd health and should also attract deer. It's kind of a circle effect.

When bucks are rutting it really dosen't matter how many does youu have on your property. What matters is how many does you have in esterous. If a buck is cruising and dosn't find a doe in heat it will continue to cruise until it finds one. By increasing the buck/doe ratio you also make the bucks more responcive to calling and ratteling.

I say stick with it and incourage others to also help out thinning does. The animals will be healthier and it should make hunting better on your property over the long haul.

XTREMEOCTANE04

I would go to neighboring properities and manage hunt there b/c you would have more doe on you family farm thus causing more bucks to come over to your place and in the long run raising you buck to doe ratio...

14mercs

I hunt an area that is bordered on three sides by a Illinois Waterfowl Habitat Hunting Area. It is only hunted by waterfowlers through late November. The does are safe in the Wildlife are and in trouble once they hit my timber. Although they are probably well aware of this difference they still key on the corn fields that surround my timber. At 3:00 every afternoon here the does and yearlings come from the sanctuary. Although they are pressure free in the Wildlife area they will forget safety and chance it in the corn fields.

This is why I stick to the though of hunting food sources early and late and hunting downwind of bedding areas during the rut periods. I think the problem of hunting pressure is solved by offering irresistable opportunities at quality food. Overall, the bucks will become more aggressive to grunting and rattling and will travel just as much.

ewolf

I would shoot the smell out of them. Especially late in the season when they are with button bucks. Button Buck don't stay were they are born (for the most part). They leave due to their mother harrassing them. This is to prevent inbredding. So if you kill these mothers, the button bucks are more likely to stay. If you shoot 5 does on your property, more does will come in from the neighbors property. The more does you have the worst the rut is.

thenuge15

As someone stated earlier the does probably travel back and forth between propertys anyway. If you minimize the does on your land it won't hurt because does from other properties will come back on. Its not like you have 10 does and if you shoot 5 you'll only have 5 left on your property. If anything does from other properties might be more likely to come over now that theres not as many. I agree with adams, if you have good habitat then it will hold deer no matter what.

mobow

I thought it was to prevent a mature buck from killing him....