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RE: Letting Does Walk

When in doubt go with what your landowner says is ok with him, you can never go wrong that way.

RE: Letting Does Walk

DING DING

NCHawkeye nailed it

MI88

RE: Letting Does Walk

Where I hunt they have a doe season but I for one dont shoot them. I dont see any one elseshooting them either. To us here the does are our decoys. The more does we have the more the big bucks have to come and check out to bred.

I can say this past fall I see more bucks than does as well as high as 3:1.We can have bad winters. If a does is taken usually the fawn doesnt make it on its own so hence less deer. The yotes and wolves take there share so why take a doe.

I did a count this fall on fawns as well and they were 2:1 in fav. of the bucks. I used a herd that was using my plot of 40+ deer.

Bottom line I let the does walk

RE: Letting Does Walk

Somebody here must know... if a buck has access to an adequate food supply, how does a high doe:buck ratio adversely affect the size of his rack? [align=right]
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RE: Letting Does Walk

Having more does does not effect the size of a bucks rack. Genetics does. Food supply with the proper protiens aids in the bucks growth of his rack.

A buck with a tough winter with the lack of food, must build his body up first come spring. So there is where a good food source counts such as a plot. My plots have a winter food supply that helps keep their bodies in better condition thus better rack growth come spring and summer.

RE: Letting Does Walk

Quote:

ORIGINAL: spikeman

Having more does does not effect the size of a bucks rack. Genetics does. Food supply with the proper protiens aids in the bucks growth of his rack.

A buck with a tough winter with the lack of food, must build his body up first come spring. So there is where a good food source counts such as a plot. My plots have a winter food supply that helps keep their bodies in better condition thus better rack growth come spring and summer.

That's what I've always understood. Food, genetics and age. But correct me if I'm wrong. Aren't some saying that the doe:buck ratio does indeed affect the size of a bucks rack?

RE: Letting Does Walk

I dont believe that is correct at all. It takes norishment with good food to make anything bigger. Where Iam the deer grow big (Alberta) It takes good food source to do that, not how many does there are.

Another thing that has been noticed over the years is the weather??? A wet summer,or drought. That predicts the food supply...hence antler size

My opinion

RE: Letting Does Walk

They are saying that IF the population is too high, then that could affect the size of the bucks.

Let's say the carrying capacity of your land is 20 deer. With a balanced buck to doe ratio of 1:1 you would have 10 bucks and 10 does. The odds of some of those bucks reaching maturity is pretty good. That is typically the goal QDM, to allow bucks to reach maturity and to stay within the carrying capacity of the land.

If you don't shoot does, let's say your buck to do ratio is 4:1. That leaves you with 4 bucks and 16 does. The odds of one of those bucks reaching maturity is much less than the previos scenario.

Of course if you don't control the population at all your deer are going to over populate and the result is going to be malnourished undersized deer, both bucks and does.

With a carrying capacity of 20 deer, I would rather have 10 bucks and 10 does than 4 bucks and 16 does. The way that happens is by shooting some does.

RE: Letting Does Walk

This guy thinks like many of the old timers I know. Shoot a young buck but never shoot any Does. That comes from years ago when our Deer heard was just about wiped out by over killing, then it's passed on generation after generation. NO DOES!!!Every land owner has the right to decide what too shoot and what not to. We must respect their thoughts on this issue, even though we don't agree.

RE: Letting Does Walk

Quote:

ORIGINAL: npaden

They are saying that IF the population is too high, then that could affect the size of the bucks.

Let's say the carrying capacity of your land is 20 deer. With a balanced buck to doe ratio of 1:1 you would have 10 bucks and 10 does. The odds of some of those bucks reaching maturity is pretty good. That is typically the goal QDM, to allow bucks to reach maturity and to stay within the carrying capacity of the land.

If you don't shoot does, let's say your buck to do ratio is 4:1. That leaves you with 4 bucks and 16 does. The odds of one of those bucks reaching maturity is much less than the previos scenario.

Of course if you don't control the population at all your deer are going to over populate and the result is going to be malnourished undersized deer, both bucks and does.

With a carrying capacity of 20 deer, I would rather have 10 bucks and 10 does than 4 bucks and 16 does. The way that happens is by shooting some does.

O.K., so doe:buck ratio doesn't affect the size ofbucks racks assuming the total population is in check. So beyond shooting does to keep the population in check, I'm hearingits desireable to shoot does to keepthe the doe:buck ratio low becausewe'd rather have for example 10 bucks and 10 does than 4 bucks and 16 does. Makes sense.