RE: If you KNOW, then why don't you?
 

Personally, I think AR is more productive in the Southern states that have extremely high bag limits and 4 month deer seasons. For instance, in Mississippi you can kill 3 bucks and 5 does. In Alabama you can kill a deer a day everyday of the season. Most of the other states follow these same liberal bag limits.

RE: If you KNOW, then why don't you?
 

Double Creek, do many hunters take that many deer in the south? I take 2 or 3 at the most here in NY though I can leagally take more. I can't imagine anyone wanting 8 or 10 in a season. Even if you had a pretty big family would you use that much meat? I don't have anything against it, I'm just curious.

RE: If you KNOW, then why don't you?
 

Double creek hit the nail on the head.

In areas where they refuse to limit the amount of buck tags, or are too liberal in the amount given, they would be better suited to add AR.

However AR is not a good choice if QDM is an option. Basically AR is a band-aid, or a way of FORCING QDM on unwilling hunters. Though its not TRUE QDM.

To answer the comments about certain states; States like Maine can consistantly produce larger bucks because of the fact that the land is so vast, and the hunting pressure is nill compared to the land. Besides, Maine is not really a top producer when it comes to big bucks. That state is a bad example.

The Midwest on the other hand is a good example! Its also no secret that the Midwest is a more fertile land, consisting of better nutrients than most other regions. A 2.5 year old buck from the Midwest is normally quite a bit larger than a 2.5yr old buck from another region. This causes two things to happen. Hunters are more apt to come across a larger buck, thereby changing the attitude of most hunters, causing them to pass the younger bucks, knowing there are bigger bucks out there. Also the young bucks that are harvested, are already bigger to begin with.

I cant even begin to imagine how gigantic the bucks could become if all the hunters out in the Midwest region passed younger bucks, harvested their share of does, and culled any truly inferior bucks, known to be older than 4.5-5.5.

Bigger bucks arent exclusive to those areas though. The recipe just more easily exists in those areas. In areas such as NJ, NY, PA etc. Hunter density is much higher, and the nutrients to grow 300" monsters isnt there. However, if you look through the record books, 200" monsters are possible. They just need age on them to get there. To let them reach this potential, we all have to pass the younger bucks. A buck is not considered mature until it is 3.5 years old. However its skeletal, and muscular potential wont be reached until its 5th year. Furthermore a buck wont reach maximum antler potential till its 6th year. QDM isnt about waiting till a buck is 6.5 to harvest it. That would be TDM. QDM requires hunters to pass 1.5 year old bucks, the same bucks which have the highest vehicle mortality rate. Thus allowing more 1.5 year old bucks to survive to 2.5. They will be one year "smarter", and more apt to survive to 3.5. This trend continues on, allowing more bucks to reach their maximum potential. Thereby balancing the herd.

There is no cost to practice QDM, simply use your better judgement when harvesting deer. Harvest the recommended number of does and the correct number and approximate age of bucks.

Though some claim it will be much easier to harvest large bucks, the challenge will still be there, these deer arent going to lose their survival skills just because there are more of them. However the probability of seeing them will rise. Also tactics such as calling and scents will work more readily, because the ratio of bucks to does will be more in balance. This should increase the enjoyment level for all hunters.

Whether you focus on enjoying the outdoors, large antlers, or eating venison, you will benefit from QDM. There's something in it for EVERYONE!!!

RE: If you KNOW, then why don't you?
 

Everything I've read indicates that the mortality rate of adult male deer increases with age, it doesn't lower. The odds of a 4 1/2 year old getting to 5 1/2 is lower than a 2 1/2 year old getting to 3 1/2. As the get very old their chances of getting older drop off even faster.

RE: If you KNOW, then why don't you?
 

http://www.il-st-acad-sci.org/transactions/PDF/8907.pdf#search='buck%20mortality%20rates'
http://wildlife.tamu.edu/publications/A053.PDF#search='buck%20mortality%20rates'

Here are a couple more pretty good studies. Actually the 1st one indicates that adult male vulnerability to harvest goes down with age but note also that this is not a result but rather an input to the modeling.

A word of caution to IL-Cornfed - These studies contain talk of pre and post season doe:buck ratios as well as talk of several different types of ratios like adult and perceived so you probably won't enjoy them.

RE: If you KNOW, then why don't you?
 

Mattiac,
Glad you think that Maine is a bad example and that we don't have big bucks. Please tell that to all those Massachusettes hunters that come flocking up here every November.

So those bucks that tip the scales at 250 and bigger,..........they aren't big?? I see several every year at the tagging station, jjust in my little town.

RE: If you KNOW, then why don't you?
 

One question I would like to ask all of you Q.D.M. people.
Do you own land, lease land , hunt anothers private land or do you hunt public land?
And how many acres do you have?

RE: If you KNOW, then why don't you?
 

1. 21 years old

2. 7 years

3. yes

4. 9 years

5. For QDM

6. Yes

7. No

8. Being able to hunt alot!

9. Both

10. Hardcore.

Yes, I like big antlers, but it seems that way too many guys think that is all that QDM is about! QDM is about balanceing the buck to doe ratio, establishing a good age bracket, creating good habitat and forage for deer, ect....

Some people take pride in GIVING BACK! I feel that it is my obligation to give back to the deer herd considering I take from that same deer herd each and every year! I take pride in the fact that I help the deer herd wether by planting food plots, creating a good habitat, or doing my part to balance the numbers. Sure, larger racks come from this, but they are just an added bonus! I get the real joy from seeing healthier deer and a better habitat which also helps all other animals in the woods!

I love hearing the comments about people planting food plots. "Its un-natural" "Nothing like shooting pet deer off of a the golf course" blah blah blah.... Funny thing is that people watch these hunting shows and fall into a trap thinking that the food plots on t.v. are what happens when someone plants a food plot on their property! Sorry to burst your bubble, but a food plot won't bring in hundreds of deer during mid-day! It is just another "crop" field that the deer typically visit late in the evening or after dark. It doesn't pop 150" racks onto those bucks, it does help them get the nutrition that they need to LIVE! It makes it easier on the deer during the winter, ect.

I am not going to shove QDM down everybody's throats, but I will try to educate as many people as I can about what QDM is really about!

RE: If you KNOW, then why don't you?
 

Unfortunately Buck Magnet I agree with you. That is one reason I said erlier that I am not against QDM "per say" but in practice I am. Too many think of it as no more than a ticket to a better chance of getting a trophy buck and they have jumped on that band wagon. They will pay lip service to the "giving back" part that you talked about (btw that's a great attitude for such a young fellow) but when it comes to actually doing anything about it they are not to be found. You can spot them a mile away. They will try to talk about deer management but it is clear they haven't read anything about it, the don't understand even simple management concepts and are only paroting what the have heard. It seems to me that in practice QDM winds up manifesting itself primarily in the form of AR which of course by itself is not QDM. If everyone had your attitude I'd be more inclined to support QDM but I fear that isn't the majority in the QDM movement.

RE: If you KNOW, then why don't you?
 

Sylvan, those are EXACTLY the reasons I would rather put my faith in the F&G biologists to know their job and set the seasons/limit CORRECTLY. I do not have those answers, the data to get those answers or the education to make sense of the data. F&G biologists DO. They should set the season, then we as stuards of the herd, do what is required by the biologists for the HEALTH OF THE OVERALL DEER HERD. The overall health should come first, that is what QDM is about, somehow it gets mutated into monster bucks.