MD state land
10-11-2012, 08:06 AM
#11
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: MD
Posts: 281
Same in MoCo. Severly overpopolated and not many hunters or places to hunt. Lots on the side of the road starting about a week ago.
10-15-2012, 12:48 PM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,126
I live in Montgomery county, and the reason in my opinion there are so many big bucks as well as deer in general is these two main reasons (not the only factors, but the two biggest ones in my opinion.)
1. Very few people hunt in moco, and those who do have a very restricted area in which they can. The majority of moco is now built up and not only unsafe to hunt, but pretty much impossible. Also, areas that have managed hunts, those hunters are pretty much told to take only does, because otherwise the population will just keep going up.
2. The quality of habitat has in many cases actually been enhanced for deer in moco, even though much of the original forest cover is gone. Azaleas and high grade corn now replace many areas of forest, which in turn actually allows the deer to become healthier. Downside to this, it causes many deer to bunch up, and spread disease.
You rarely see deer hit by cars in western maryland. I see it all the time still in moco. I still get 20+ deer herds in the winter in my backyard. I find every year 10 12 14 even the occasional 18 point deer that died from old age during the spring or winter. You don't find that in western maryland, because the few deer that survive to be that age live in very rugged areas, and know how to stay hidden. They are out there, and I have seen them. However, you won't find them on the scale you see in the more populated agricultural areas. It also depends on the genetics. Two subspecies of deer were used to repopulate maryland, one was the much bigger northern subspecies, the other was a more southern and average size. Deer who get real big racks probably have more of the northern subspecies genetics than the southern ones. Deer in moco have a much smaller range, for as you mentioned the easy availability of does, as well as the fact that the quality of habitat is better. You don't see the crazy mast cycles for the most part in moco that you do in other areas of the state, it is either average or extremely good. The fact too that there are an abundance of gardens and lawns doesn't hurt either.
1. Very few people hunt in moco, and those who do have a very restricted area in which they can. The majority of moco is now built up and not only unsafe to hunt, but pretty much impossible. Also, areas that have managed hunts, those hunters are pretty much told to take only does, because otherwise the population will just keep going up.
2. The quality of habitat has in many cases actually been enhanced for deer in moco, even though much of the original forest cover is gone. Azaleas and high grade corn now replace many areas of forest, which in turn actually allows the deer to become healthier. Downside to this, it causes many deer to bunch up, and spread disease.
You rarely see deer hit by cars in western maryland. I see it all the time still in moco. I still get 20+ deer herds in the winter in my backyard. I find every year 10 12 14 even the occasional 18 point deer that died from old age during the spring or winter. You don't find that in western maryland, because the few deer that survive to be that age live in very rugged areas, and know how to stay hidden. They are out there, and I have seen them. However, you won't find them on the scale you see in the more populated agricultural areas. It also depends on the genetics. Two subspecies of deer were used to repopulate maryland, one was the much bigger northern subspecies, the other was a more southern and average size. Deer who get real big racks probably have more of the northern subspecies genetics than the southern ones. Deer in moco have a much smaller range, for as you mentioned the easy availability of does, as well as the fact that the quality of habitat is better. You don't see the crazy mast cycles for the most part in moco that you do in other areas of the state, it is either average or extremely good. The fact too that there are an abundance of gardens and lawns doesn't hurt either.
Now, over the last few years in the gaithersburg area where I hunt, we rarely see any shooter bucks. I equate that to the overpopulation of does. There are just too many of them for the bucks to have to really roam to mate. I know they are holed up in remote areas along 270 and whatnot, and will not stray very far during the rut. Kind of sucks.
I"ve tried everything, scents, calls, you name it. I also used to hunt near the Rockville quarry before they built it all up with McMansions. The bucks there were HUGE!! I've never seen bigger bucks while hunting then when I hunted there. I miss that place something awful.
The sniper hunts aren't helping the hunters in central MD either. They took a lot last year the lack of deer sightings are proving it.
11-02-2012, 03:10 PM
#14
Spike
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 34
Sean_Paul, that is a very interesting take on the MoCo deer situation and I tend to agree with you. I never knew the history behind the repopulation of deer in the area. Wow! That explains the monsters roaming in MoCo. I have a buddy who lives up against Northwest branch and some of the bucks coming into his backyard over the years are no less the monarchs you see on cover of Field and Stream. No joke. It is also the typical MoCo area that isn't open to hunting, go figure.
Now, over the last few years in the gaithersburg area where I hunt, we rarely see any shooter bucks. I equate that to the overpopulation of does. There are just too many of them for the bucks to have to really roam to mate. I know they are holed up in remote areas along 270 and whatnot, and will not stray very far during the rut. Kind of sucks.
I"ve tried everything, scents, calls, you name it. I also used to hunt near the Rockville quarry before they built it all up with McMansions. The bucks there were HUGE!! I've never seen bigger bucks while hunting then when I hunted there. I miss that place something awful.
The sniper hunts aren't helping the hunters in central MD either. They took a lot last year the lack of deer sightings are proving it.
Now, over the last few years in the gaithersburg area where I hunt, we rarely see any shooter bucks. I equate that to the overpopulation of does. There are just too many of them for the bucks to have to really roam to mate. I know they are holed up in remote areas along 270 and whatnot, and will not stray very far during the rut. Kind of sucks.
I"ve tried everything, scents, calls, you name it. I also used to hunt near the Rockville quarry before they built it all up with McMansions. The bucks there were HUGE!! I've never seen bigger bucks while hunting then when I hunted there. I miss that place something awful.
The sniper hunts aren't helping the hunters in central MD either. They took a lot last year the lack of deer sightings are proving it.
11-04-2012, 03:26 AM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,126
Well, that is interesting. Hunted in MoCo yesterday and saw many bucks cruising and chasing. It was a good sign and a complete reversal in numbers from what I saw earlier in the season.
I would hope they really target the does in these managed hunts. I wonder if they mandate does only, not sure. It would make sense. For example, I believe a sniper event is taking place in Rock Creek park this year or next. Some of the bucks there are huge monsters. Do they kill indiscriminately and shoot them all? I would think so.
I would hope they really target the does in these managed hunts. I wonder if they mandate does only, not sure. It would make sense. For example, I believe a sniper event is taking place in Rock Creek park this year or next. Some of the bucks there are huge monsters. Do they kill indiscriminately and shoot them all? I would think so.
