Buck/Doe Ratios?
11-01-2010, 03:28 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: derby, NC
Posts: 3
Buck/Doe Ratios?
I am a NC all around everyting hunter. I think we have to many does. We are not seeing the bucks we used to and so my brother-in-law went deep in the swamp last year to find the deer. Wading through standing water to get to his spot, shoots a couple of nice bucks back in the swamp. This year same problem, no bucks in any food plots or fields, but plenty of does. You can definitely tell that the swamp bucks have been there their whole life because of hair loss around the bottom of their legs. My brother-in-law went back to the same spot this year and saw over twenty does along with one young buck all in one afternoon hunt. What would be a healthy buck/doe ratio? And how hard will it be to even it out?
11-01-2010, 07:58 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,832
Well to me a healthy buck to for ratio is 1 buck for every 3 does.
But it is more than that. % Of people population, to deer per mile factor in, migration routes, factor in food water sheltor natural predation all factor in and survival rates all factor in.It's easy to say shoot does, leave the button bucks to grow its a crap shoot. I've heard close buck season down altogether.Someplaces it works others it doesn't.Where I live it's 4 points on at least one antler and bigger for most of the season with a general season in between. The thing with this though is the young ones are tame. Yeah they hear shots but have never been tracked chased shot at. So they stand there and are putty in your hands when the general season comes.
Honestly if you want a good population don't shoot the breeders. Kill the really old bucks, leave the young bucks and breeders.If you go this route everybody has to be in agreement along with it. That means if you see a small or medium legal size antler buck pass on it.
If you see a big buck that has busted tines pass on it, it's a breeder.
Find the bucks that are in recession and kill those.Shoot the dry does and young does if legal. They just take up space and food.Ranchers
do it with male cattle you have to do it with female deer to get a good pop going.It's just a start in 5 or 6 years you will see a difference. Than do your culling on bucks and healthy does if you
want trophies.
But it is more than that. % Of people population, to deer per mile factor in, migration routes, factor in food water sheltor natural predation all factor in and survival rates all factor in.It's easy to say shoot does, leave the button bucks to grow its a crap shoot. I've heard close buck season down altogether.Someplaces it works others it doesn't.Where I live it's 4 points on at least one antler and bigger for most of the season with a general season in between. The thing with this though is the young ones are tame. Yeah they hear shots but have never been tracked chased shot at. So they stand there and are putty in your hands when the general season comes.
Honestly if you want a good population don't shoot the breeders. Kill the really old bucks, leave the young bucks and breeders.If you go this route everybody has to be in agreement along with it. That means if you see a small or medium legal size antler buck pass on it.
If you see a big buck that has busted tines pass on it, it's a breeder.
Find the bucks that are in recession and kill those.Shoot the dry does and young does if legal. They just take up space and food.Ranchers
do it with male cattle you have to do it with female deer to get a good pop going.It's just a start in 5 or 6 years you will see a difference. Than do your culling on bucks and healthy does if you
want trophies.
Last edited by Jeff Ovington; 11-01-2010 at 08:02 PM.
