Harvest Management
03-11-2003, 01:58 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Roanoke Rapids North Carolina USA
Posts: 83
Harvest Management
How much effect could you have on a property if the only management you done was harvesting does and leting young bucks walk.The farm i hunt on has been doing this for a couple of years and it seems to be payin off.We dont plant any food plots and our neighbors are doing the same as us.....I know it would be better if we planted some plots but just wondering do you think we will have good results doing this harvest strategy over the next few years.
By the way, we have 750 acres ...6 of us hunt there and we put hardly any pressure on this place.We only take bucks that are injured or what we consider nice bucks(usually anything bigger than 6pts and 15in or wider)and we take does every year. Most years we harvest about 4 to 5 bucks and 10 to 12 does.
By the way, we have 750 acres ...6 of us hunt there and we put hardly any pressure on this place.We only take bucks that are injured or what we consider nice bucks(usually anything bigger than 6pts and 15in or wider)and we take does every year. Most years we harvest about 4 to 5 bucks and 10 to 12 does.
03-12-2003, 08:03 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Harvest Management
Welocme Rem?NC,
You will do well to let young bucks walk. A program of just letting young deer pass will out do a program of just food plots any day for larger antlered bucks. You are doing well to take 2x the does as bucks - you may even be able to up it to 3x.
As far as 4-5 bucks/750 acres - this equates to about 4 bucks harvested (roughly) per square mile. You should check your state/county records to see what the average buck harvest/sq mile is for your area. I think you will find that your harvest is just under, or very near the average. Sure you may be taking a better class of deer - but the pressure sounds like a bit more than you may think it is. This isn' t a bad thing always, you just need to recognize it.
Food plots may help you size up " shooters" in and out of season - This alone tends to make hunters more selective. You may find that you would increase your standards over time with food plots, based on the " sighting" factor alone out of season.
Good luck.
You will do well to let young bucks walk. A program of just letting young deer pass will out do a program of just food plots any day for larger antlered bucks. You are doing well to take 2x the does as bucks - you may even be able to up it to 3x.
As far as 4-5 bucks/750 acres - this equates to about 4 bucks harvested (roughly) per square mile. You should check your state/county records to see what the average buck harvest/sq mile is for your area. I think you will find that your harvest is just under, or very near the average. Sure you may be taking a better class of deer - but the pressure sounds like a bit more than you may think it is. This isn' t a bad thing always, you just need to recognize it.
Food plots may help you size up " shooters" in and out of season - This alone tends to make hunters more selective. You may find that you would increase your standards over time with food plots, based on the " sighting" factor alone out of season.
Good luck.
03-14-2003, 08:22 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Livonia Mi USA
Posts: 551
RE: Harvest Management
This is one of the best initial methods of buck increase that the habitat manager can practice. The unnecessary doe population will deplete the available nutrition. Watch for the doe' s with button bucks and take a doe twin if the doe has twins. If the doe has a doe fawn take th fawn. Taking the doe will reduce the fawn survival rate and waste the deer.... Keep up the good work!!!
