Virginia deer are small.
 

Help me out. I live in central VA. I have never hunted anywhere but Virginia. Mostly here in my area. A few times, in the mountains. I've seen a few big bodied deer but mostly small ones. The "bodied deer I'm talking ab out are less than 200 lbs. I have seen some very respectable racks on deer around here but never anything like the body size I see in pictures from the midwest and northeast. Is it the heat that keeps them small or is it a genetics thing?

Yes, I think on average Virginia deer are smaller than the northern and western deer. I think the further south you go the smaller they get. I shot a doe in Ohio a few years back that was as big as any buck I have gotten in Virginia. Granted I have never gotten a large buck but still, this doe was as big or bigger than any deer I have gotten.

Seen a couple that were horses but are few and far between. Amazing to hear people in the Midwest taking deer that are 250lbs plus.

Yes, there are alot of variables that keep deer smaller in Virginia. Numero uno being nutrition. I would say hound hunting and the lack of QDMA are the second. It doesn't give them time to grow up like they have in the midwest if you have the "if it's brown, it's down" mentality. There's no way we can compete with Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska or Indiana. We do have big antlered deer here but they rarely get a chance to grow to their max potential in these parts unless they are in a protected area like Maymont Park.



VA

I wouldn't say nutrition is bad, although the land isn't as mineral rich as those famous areas in Illinois.

QDM has a lot to do with it. Every hunter can shoot three bucks east of the blue ridge. So when a small buck walks by, there is no reason to pass on it. Unless you own thousands of acres, passing on smaller bucks is not likely to yield bigger bucks because your neighbors are likely to shoot the buck you passed on.

I took a three point last wednesday. I can assure you that if I only had one buck tag, I would have passed.

I do not pass bucks if they are a half decent size. I am a meat hunter and not a trophy hunter and average 1 deer per year. I don't have large tracts of land to manage and most people in VA don't either. So you take what you get because as Stonewall308 said, if you don't someone else will.

Not necessarily true. I used to agree w/ that, but having access to lg. tracts of land means you can benefit from QDM. Won't shoot anything smaller than 120" now, but like I said, that wasn't the case for many years. We harvest 200 lbers. quite often. I shot a nice 11 pointer Sat. on our farm in Manassas, didn't weigh him but I'd say he was up there. We've got some monsters (body size & racks) on a couple places we hunt in Fauquier.

Last year I got a 120 range deer. My first larger rack deer and it yielded about 70 lbs of meat. That was my largest deer by far. There are a few times in the woods that I have seen big deer but mostly the body size of the deer I see just isn't very big. I even have pics of deer that are 10+ points but the body size just doesn't compare to other states...not ever close. Perhaps it is the areas that I hunt. I hunt urban areas near my home and public land.
On public land you seldom let a legal animal walk because opportunities are few and far between. I really think it's the heat and the genetics. The nutrition is here. We have lima beans and corn and beats and peanuts around here so the deer have plenty to eat but I don't know of anyone who has taken a deer large than 170 lbs. And that is rare. I shot a doe tonight and she was about 90 lbs....dressed out to just under 70 lbs. That is about average for does around here. I see some of the ones on TV and it looks like the does are over 200 lbs

I've taken deer the last three years that were 180+ pounds. I will stick with nutrition on this one. There is no way Virginia can compete with the agriculture (i.e. nutrition) of the midwest states. When we start getting the amount of Booners that those states get then I may change my mind. I agree with what's been stated above to some extent. Start giving us one buck tag for the season and the antlers will start to get bigger.

Completely agree. I just wish the rest of Va would take a lesson from some of the NoVa counties. The deer up here are starting to mirror the deer in Maryland more than the rest of Virginia. It's amazing how big deer can get if they aren't spooked out of their minds and ran into another county by dogs. Just sayin. I enjoy deer hunting with dogs but it does affect the herd in a negative way.

VA

I hunt east of the Blue Ridge but west of the "dog line", so running dogs is illegal. For the most part our deer here are small. So, I'm not going to blame running dogs for small deer.

If I had to guess I would say genetics and nutrition contribute to the smaller deer. The winters are relatively mild so they don't need the fat reserves like deer in other parts of the country do.

Virginia's whitetails are a different strain than the deer in the Northern and Western states. If you start seeing deer in Northern Maryland and farther North you will see a bigger deer which is a Northern strain deer. I took an 8pt. yesterday evening and even though he had a respectable set of antlers I bet he wasn't 150lbs.

You think VA deer are small, come down to FL and hunt! 3 years ago I killed a 95 lb. 4 point antelope looking buck at Chaz WMA & it was the biggest deer taken there all week. I'm not saying all FL deer are small - I killed a 180 pound 8 point in BP season this year, but they are rare. I believe genetics & food crops are a big influence on deer size. Just for the record, that 4 point tasted GREAT! My buddy killed a 10 point in Homasassa a few years ago & the basket was the size of a volley-ball. I guess my point is enjoy the hunt & the meat - the B&C record bucks are for the TV shows...

There is a scientific term for this, but I forget what it was. Basically the warmer the climate the smaller the animal will get. Big deer are able to stay warmer in the cold climates while the smaller deer can take the heat better in the hot climates. Aint got a thing to do with dogs running the deer. I dont know what some hunters will do when dog hunting is finally outlawed for good. They wont have nothing to blame everything on. JMHO!

What about florida deer? i think its a matter of what property you hunt we have aplace in florida called greenswamp its 49000 acres and in 1994 there was a buck out of there that was 206 b&c dont belive me? look here http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/...ent-areas.html

im in clermont fl and i hunt citrus and next year green swamp you should add me as a friend so we can talk about stuff i wanna ask some questions

Come down to FL and then tell me how small ya'lls deer are.... Be thankfull for what you got.

I got a general gun and ML permit for citrus this year. Also I hunted goethe Gun but it was a flop.

Virginia deer are tasty........don't care to much 'bout the size....... but seriously, i've seen some big doe's and nice size bucks.......

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. No one can refute the fact that it does affect the herd as a whole in Va. I sure as heck can't tell how big a deer is when it's running at mach speed with dogs hot on their heals. I enjoy hunting with dogs but I will throw a party with all the trimmings when they ban deer hunting with them. It's time to move on and get with the times. But that's just me though.

Problem with that line of thought IMO is, once you ban one form of hunting, then what is next? Would the anti's then target bowhunting as being too cruel?

Genetics, nutrition, and sheer numbers of deer are the main reasons for the smaller size deer in VA. According to the VDGIF, there may be more deer in the state now then there were when Jamestown was settled. I must admit to wondering how they know that little tidbit?

I got it straight from the horse's mouth, a wildlife biologist. The reason why Virginia deer are smaller are nutrition and climate. It's doesnt get cold enough, and in turn, they don't have the need nor the food sources to pack on the pounds. I was wrong about the dogs.

I agree. I don't personally like bowhunting, but I respect it, and know that there are some people that do enjoy it, so I don't want to see it be banned. I'm not so sure why so many people are against people hunting with dogs. If you don't like it, don't do it.

^^^THIS^^^

We have plenty of big deer in VA. The biggest issue is that people settle for small ones. I can go shoot a tiny doe everyday or a scrub buck. But why? Wait it out a bit and make your meat hunt or trophy hunt count.

I hunt family land in Fauquier and we have large healthy deer.

How many pounds do these deer get?

I live in the mountains in VA, our deer are typically not big (rack or body). I've hunted over 30yrs, the largest body deer I've personally ever killed is 130lbs dressed. I'm not saying they don't get bigger....but the avg for a mature buck in this area is about 120lbs dressed. We have practiced QDM on our farm in WV for 12yrs. The numbers of nicer bucks have jumped way up....and we've killed a few pretty nice ones, but the largest body weight was 145 dressed (in 20+ yrs of 10+ guys hunting this farm).

I would say mostly its the strain of deer, in combination with nutrition. Even the deer we kill that are 4.5 or 5.5 don't have the body weight you would think they should. Last year we killed a 5.5 that weighed 115 dressed.

There are areas in VA where the deer get alot bigger - both body and rack, but compared to other states (north or midwest) they are not very big. Compared to more southern states... ours are whoppers. LOL.

I have killed 3 deer this year alone that are over 150lbs. All of them with a bow or crossbow and in or around NoVa. I am able to manage and hunt these area's alone, or with friends that I allow, and the deer are big bodied and antlered. I pass on anything that is not 8pts or better and outside the ears. I also shoot a bunch of does each year. I start with Minerals in April and keep them out until the rules say I can't. This system works for me and we shoot deer with big bodies EVERY year. The buck in the pic was a 10pt that weighed in at 226lbs. :patriot:

That is a great looking buck!

Great buck Mike! Yes, you are right. The NOVA areas can produce some whoppers for sure, both rack and body. Wish I had places down there to hunt....our deer out here are much smaller. Congrats on a great deer!

most mature bucks in the valley where i hunt will weigh 150-180lbs dressed,a few will go as high as 210 dressed. i hunt farm land with plenty of corn and soybeans . deer eat out of farmers feeders half the year on some farms i hunt. unless we get big snows they usaully have plenty to eat. i've killed 3 this year,150,165 and 170lbs dressed.

Since it was brought up.

I do blame running dogs for alot of things. The climate and nutrition may be the key for smaller deer but dog hunting.g has to be a close third.

With running dogs I get

Deer being pushed across swamps
Dogs interfering with my still hunting
Idiots standing in the road or next to it waiting to shoot across it.
4 or 5 shots in a row
Mud slung out in the road
Speeding up and down the road cause Jim bob spotted a deer
The pleasure of listening to non hunters bitch and complain about signs being torn down scared to let there pets out and many other things.

Yet I am a die hard bowhunter and also enjoy taking my Hawkins BP. I come and go and actually enjoy never being seen or heard unless i shot my bp gun. Forced to wear orange cause of regular gun season where shotguns account for 66% of firearm related accidents inthe past 10 yrs in VA.

I don't shot every deer buck or doe. I want a mature deer to harvest and let many deer pass on by. How many dog runners do that? None.. its brown and *boom* *boom* *boom* *boom* think I got it. And might be down. Cleaned many a deer and found buckshot in the ass. Thought the vitals were up front?

I've bow hunted in South Hampton Va. now for over 20yrs. I am the only one who hunts 150acre lot owned by a doctor I do work for. He leases 20 acres out to a soybean farmer and the rest is wooded. But all bordering property is leased out to hunt clubs who run dogs. Nothing against dog hunters per se. What I have a problem with is when they intentionaly let them loose on property they dont lease to move the deer off that property onto theirs. Just yesterday I pulled up to my spot and across the street were 6 dog hunters posted about 50yards off the street in the field. 20 minutes after I got in my stand here comes three dogs all around my stand and one of the trucks across the street was pointed towards me moving his tracking antenna around trying to locacte his dogs on the property I hunt. Its like dog hunters are selfish. They don't care about anyone elses hunt. I just wish Hunters had more RESPECT for each other. I have seen quite a few 200lbs. deer out there though. Shot one last seen with vertical bow in Dec. that dressed out at 185lbs.

Another pic of my Dec. buck.

rongcp,

Nice looking buck there!

IMO deer hunting with dogs should be limited to hunting on private property of 1,000 acres or more.

I killed a buck last year that dressed 160lbs and on the hoof was atleast 200 pounds in Woodbridge area with a crossbow the advantage I have is there is a unhunted state park next to the property and the deer roam but it also works as a disadvantage becuase when the pressure gets on they go into the park and dont come out until after dark kinda stinks

We dont have the big 300lb bodys but we do have the big racks.I see it every year in our club.We have 700acres in central Va and we kill big deer every year.And by big deer i meen one was a big heavy 9 point that was 27 inches wide on the inside this year.True if you let a small buck walk it may get shot but if you pull the trigger it definatly wont make it. If you want meat shoot a big doe they taste better anyways.Talk to your neighbors and tell them your not shootn small bucks and getm on board as we have.Your 50 or 100acres will turn in to a QDMA with the help of your neighbors.

No body has really mentioned it. But another big difference with our Va deer is they are q different sub species of deer then those found say in the northeast or the Midwest. I would have to agree with those who said that their neighbor will shoot any buck that walks by. You got dog clubs and uneducated hunters slaying two year and younger bucks every single day. Not only does this hurt the heard and the buck to Doe ratio, but it lowers ones chances of shooting a big mature whitetail. It's amazing what proper nutrition, genetics, and herd management can accomplish. Just shoot the doe instead of the little buck. In four years you will be amazed at the difference.

Bowtech 82' airborne. 53#. 305 fps. QAD rest. Tru glo sight.

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