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Proper buck to doe ratio?

Old 10-30-2003, 11:22 AM
  #1  
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Location: Minnesota
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Default Proper buck to doe ratio?

I swear the buck to doe ratio in my area is about 10 does to every antlered buck. Possibly even worse.

What should it be, what is it in your area and how do you get in down?

We do not shoot any little bucks, or even buck fawns, but we can' t stop the neighbors.
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Old 10-30-2003, 11:27 AM
  #2  
Nontypical Buck
 
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Default RE: Proper buck to doe ratio?

It is all messed up there are alot more does than bucks. Have seen 2 bucks and about 20 or so does. What causes this anyone one know?
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Old 10-30-2003, 11:47 AM
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Default RE: Proper buck to doe ratio?

I hunt in central Wisconsin just north (thank god) of the cwd-herd reduction
zone. I agree with what the dnr is doing with that but, I think that their overdoing it a bit. What they should be doing is getting rid of game farms but thats a whole
different subject.

Our situation sounds the same as yours. I can see ten does in a night before finally
seing one antlered buck and most nights I see only does! I along with my hunting
partners absolutely refuse to shoot anything under 110 inches. Problem is that the neighbors don' t do it that way. What do you do? Shooting does is part of the management process and each of us try to take at least one each year. The thing
of it is this year the dnr didn' t issue any antlerless tags for our area, so we can' t even try to shoot more does to bring the ratio into check. Our area is 230 total acres and we have three guys hunting it and we are spread way out. On average
almost every night we see between 7 and 13 does and " bald" deer. To me this means the ratio is way wacked out! If we see one buck every other night we hunt
thats it. I' ve heard that 2 does to every 1 buck is what you want. I think the Wisconsin DNR needs to get rid of its board members and get a panel of people
on it who are interested in Wisconsins deer herd and not interested in flexing their own muscles every time something comes up. The deer herd in most (not all)
parts of the state is screwed up bad and the DNR is to blame. I think they need to
include the input of Wisconsin sportsman and from people who actually spend time
in the woods more than what they do now.
treedweller is offline  
Old 10-30-2003, 11:56 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hays Kansas USA
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Default RE: Proper buck to doe ratio?

No you cant control your neighbors but you might try and explain to them that they would have more trophies if they would shoot only mature bucks and more does. I have heard 2-1 is a good ratio but that sounds almost impossible we strive for 5 or 6 to 1 but even that is hard and we are allowed to take up to 4 does each year which we almost always do. Just keep doing what you are doing and maybe try to attract some of those small bucks to your area and let them grow.
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Old 10-30-2003, 02:53 PM
  #5  
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Default RE: Proper buck to doe ratio?

I agree with you treedweller. In MN the DNR has their eyes on money not management. I pay $78 for one resident liscence (it does allow me to hunt across the state) and they have a multi sone buck tag only too. I love shooting mature bucks, but would be willing to only do it every other year if it meant more good bucks around.
It is just so frustrating seeing so many deer and no bucks, yet you watch these hunting shows and 4-6 mature bucks walk bye, it is sickening!
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Old 10-30-2003, 02:58 PM
  #6  
Nontypical Buck
 
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Default RE: Proper buck to doe ratio?

I agree Kegei. But at least the DNR got of their kesters and did something about it this year, the zone I hunt is classified as an intensive harvest zone, which is a first. So this year I can take 4 antlerless & one buck. I too have the all season license, I think that was a great idea by the DNR to implement that.
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Old 10-30-2003, 03:10 PM
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Location: Shakopee MN USA
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Default RE: Proper buck to doe ratio?

MN_Deerman...

I totally agree with you with what the DNR has done this year. I love the fact that more doe will be taken out of the heard with your main tag being either sex and the fact that you can just buy anterless permits over the counter is a great idea. Hopefully over time, it will get the meat hunters what they want(meat) but also get them to see what happens over a couple of years when more doe are being shot and hopefully half of the 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 bucks will see 3 1/2. The old system was so out of date.
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Old 10-30-2003, 03:16 PM
  #8  
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Default RE: Proper buck to doe ratio?

We have had intensive harvest tags for 5-6 years. Have been able to shoot 5 for a few years now. It doesn' t help around here (New York Mills, Perham, Wadena area). Maybe you guys will experience more success with it. I guess WI makes you shoot a doe first then you may go after a buck. Not a bad idea.
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Old 10-30-2003, 03:20 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Shakopee MN USA
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Default RE: Proper buck to doe ratio?

I would really like to see MN put an earn-a-buck system in place(depending on how they run it). You would really see things(deer herd) turn around in this state. It wouldn' t take more than 3-4 maybe 5 years.
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Old 10-31-2003, 12:06 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Elcho and GB Sconny
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Default RE: Proper buck to doe ratio?

i hunt in northern Wisconsin and i dont think they have an earn a buck in too many units. although, if we dont harvest a high enough number of deer this year, they might expand the range of it. as for the buck to doe ratio, on my trail cam that has been set up near Antigo WI and Sobieski WI it looks like the buck to doe ratio is about 9 or 10 does to one buck. but that doesnt mean anything from the pics because not every deer walks in front of the cam.
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