RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

What state are you from just wondering?
As you state (parts of my state) but what state?

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Some areas mite need to but here in up state NY NO NO NO NO.
Food & other things have done population control for us.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

I am for a does only season but it has gotten out of hand here in MO. They have had a does only rifle season in Dec. for several years now but this year they stepped it up and put one in the middle of Oct. and I didn't care for that since I am a bowhunter primarily and that they place it right before the beginning phases of the rut start happening. I was seeing some really nice bucks from my some of my stand sites and just hadn't connected yet. Well after the Oct. doe season was over I never saw any of them again. Fortunately I had family land to fall back on that hadn't been hunted. So if you are a bowhunter and are in favor of it and are thinking of supporting your state in it I'd first find out when they plan to have it and if it would effect you as a bowhunter or not.

And for MO hunters I mean how many more seasons do we need anyway. The tags are already unlimited at 7 dollars a piece and they are unlimited for nonresidents as well. Between all the different seasons in which you can take as many does as you would like bowhunting,rifle,muzzleloader,and does only hunt in Dec. I think that is more than enough opportunity to harvest a persons share of does without another season in Oct. do it in.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

I never mentioned herd health. I did however mention increasing the age structure of the buck pouplation.


I am referring to a whole year, not just a 1 or 2 week season.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

I would support it.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Im surprised the Pa hunters havent spooken up . Last year they had a week of doe only muzzel loader right in the middle of archery season , bad timing IMO , would have been great the week after bow , but I dont know what they are thinking . Would not be surprised to see the same thing next year .

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Bowfanatic,

I agree with you, I shot 2 does last year 0 bucks and we are in an EAB again this year. Sucks [:@]

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Yes I would. Our doe/buck ratio is so out of whack right now it's not even funny. We generally shoot one doe before we take a buck anyway. With three tags, it usually ends up 1 buck/2 does in our camp.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

We have the same thing here in Wisconsin. The DNR calls it the early T-Zone, the last weekend in Oct.(Thurs-Sun) The timing could not be worse, with the rut just around the corner. [:@]

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

I agree with this..... NOT IN NY....

We already give extra doe tags for areas that need fixing...

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

definately i think this would be a great idea were still over run with deer here in PA

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

yes, with a ten-point limit on bucks, in case the big boy walked by

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

I'll support any season that let's me put sausage in the freezer:D

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

always used to be that way in pa and i loved it. saw lots of deer everyday, bucks during the two weeks of doe and doe's in the 3 days of buck season. :eek:

now that it is buck/doe if i am lucky i will see 1 deer a day during rifle season.

if i had it my way this is how it would be setup:
-1 week of bow bucks only
-5 weeks of bow bucks/doe's
-two week break and then a week of junior/ senior doe hunt
-during the jr., sr. week you could also use muzzeloaders for doe's
-3-4 week break then two days with rifles of buck only followed by 4 days doe only.
-then 2 weeks of buck/doe with a rife
- finnally a 3-5 week break and then 3 weeks of late muzzeloader + bow for buck/doe

and the tag system would be
-1 achery only buck tag
- 1 doe tag and 1 rifle only buck tag. after filling your doe tag you send it in and get you recive a second and finally doe tag tag

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

oh and i just thought i should mention. before the buck/doe season's here in PA we would normally take 4-5 bucks and 8-11 does. now that it is buck/doe and 3 doe tags we kill about 4-6 bucks a year and 10-20 does

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

I would have no problem with that!!! Heck, I usually end the season with a doe only anyway!!! I will be hard to convince the older generations though, they like to get their buck in my parts no matter what size or age.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

We have a doe only season the last 15 days of archery. But, i think because of the weather and stuff most people dont go. And we have doe only rifle seasons in december. I dont know if u could get away with a strict doe only season for a year though.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

[This has been posted before but I thought it might be appropriate for this discussion]

With regard to doe:buck ratios.....

The term doe to buck ratio is thrown around a lot but it’s a number that needs to be qualified in order to be understood. There are actually 3 distinctly different doe:buck ratios that are of significance. They are total, mature and perceived. Total is the ratio of all females to males, mature is all sexually mature females to sexually mature males and perceived which is what most hunters generally mean when they use the term. The perceived ratio is not a doe:buck ratio at all but rather the ratio of antlered to non-antlered deer. These 3 ratios are quite different and are most meaningful only in their proper context. For example if your talking about breeding, the mature ratio is of more significance than perceived and inversely if you are talking about hunter satisfaction, the perceived is more meaningful.

Another EXTREMELY important qualification in regard to understanding the doe:buck ratio term is WHEN in the yearly cycle it is being applied. A 4:1 ratio just before hunting season opens can easily become 15 or 20 to 1 by the end of the season so it can be quite misleading to use a mid or late season perceived ratio as THE doe to buck ratio. Especially during hunting season and especially in heavily hunted areas the doe:buck ratios can change a lot and they can change fast.

You will often hear hunters talk about the doe:buck ratio being 9 or 10 to 1 in there area but to put in perspective how misleading this statement can be, consider this. If in a population of whitetail deer we make the following assumptions. These assumptions will tend to make the doe:buck ratio as high as possible:

- NO females die until they are 5 ½ years old
- ALL 1 ½ year old males are killed during hunting season
- All mature females give birth to 1 buck and 1 doe fawn that survive to 1 1/2 and 5 1/2 respectively

then the following is a mathematical certainty for the beginning of hunting season:

- Total doe:buck = 1.61
- Total mature doe:buck = 2.57
- Total perceived doe:buck = 5.71

Because this scenario will tend to make these ratios as high as possible we can say that in any realistic scenario, the total doe:buck ratio can not exceed 1.61 at the beginning of the season.

Please think about all this when you use the term doe:buck ratio.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Doe hunts have been a proven tool for good management of deer herds in many states were the herds are helthy and thrive. Some of the old timers think its wrong to shoot does.They are sadly mislead in there thinking. Healthy herds in other states,have big incomes with out of state hunters,as well.Most states fish and game dept,or conservation departments have complete control over this management tool. Some states were there F&G depts do not have control,show this because of the states lacking deer herds,and because of that lack of hunters interest. In the state of confusioin were i live the F&G must submit a application for any deer hunting to the local caounty boards of superviosors for there approval.As of date there are 58 counties in this state. Some conties that really need a doe hunt harvest,isn,t passed because the supervisors want to be re-elected and the pressure put on them buy non-hunters and all these bleeding heart groups. So the bottom line is that only the state,and hunters suffer. vangunsmith

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

I also agree not in NY - we have whacked the hell out of does for years, and it caught up to us last year. Harvest is down 35% in 2 years - both does and bucks. Some areas are likely to be nearly buck only next year, like the old days.

Don't overdo a good thing!

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Fastfire, I'm from souther lower Michigan. Lot's O'Deer:D

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

yes, and antler restrictions the next...

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

I think this would be a great idea. We have been shooting alot of does, and just can't seem to catch up. The DNR has upped the number of deer allowed per hunter from two to five for the last two years(one buck/doe and four antlerless) in some areas of the state. Just not enough hunters willing to shoot does. Where I hunt there are big deer but, they are few and far between. Alot of 1.5-2.5 year old bucks being shot. A year of doe only would be great in alot of area of the state.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

i would because there are many more does then bucks and a doe can be just as big as a buck and have the same amount of meat

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Hello all !!!!!!!!!
I've been lurking here for a long time and this is the best read I've ever had It made me sign up. I would def. suport a doe only season DEPENDING ON THE AREAS IT WERE TO BE APPLIED TO
(I've hunted in states where I have seen 30 deer a day for a 2 week hunt and then come back home (Mass.) and sat all season and only see 5 or 6 deer nevermind bucks. In my home state SHURE I WOULD IF WE NEEDED IT. I sat on a farm one night (WITH ALL THE CORRECT CD TAGS ) and shot 5 does in 1 evening. I love does(no prob shooting them ) and to be honest I just feel we as hunters need to apply pressure where its needed in the areas we hunt to improve our own experiences in the woods. The prob is when we say to ourselves "Im just going to shoot does in my area this year or just 8 or better with 15 inside unless we all do the same I feel my good intentions will be wasted on someone else who doesnt feel the same way I do and goes and harvests an animal I let walk. I just do my best

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

No

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

I'd rather see it for 2 or 3 years as a minimum. Numbers of does killed can always be controlled by bag limits. Most states have multiple doe tags today. Yup, 2 or 3 years country wide would be nice. Then you wouldn't find state B overrun by state A residences when they closed they're buck season.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Yes, I would definitely support a doe only season. Personally I would like to see an earn-a-buck program instituted in this state. I know Wisconsin hunters did not like it thier first year but I think these things need to be given a chance to see how they work. Remember give it time to make it right.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Yeah I would if I had the time. We have one every year in Iowa after the regular gun seasons close and I want to go just never have the time.

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Yes

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

I shoot does because I need to eat, but I would not support a doe only season. I would not want that because I would not want to have to pass on every buck I would get an oppertunity at. I think everybody can agree with me because if a monster came by nobody would want to pass him up. I know I wouldn't!

RE: Would you support a doe only season...
 

Support? I think we all would because we wouldn't have a choice if the Man said we had to.