I always read about people who practice QDM taking out a lot of does and the bucks that don' t cut the mustard. How is this done legally? In PA, we can take one buck and a doe if we' re lucky enough to draw a tag. If you have 10 guys on 1000 acres, you really can' t legally thin the heard too much. I also wondered how hunters find " management bucks" . If someone told me I had a couple of bucks on my property that needed to be taken out, there' s no way I' d be able to find them on command. It sounds so easy and routine in the magazines. What' s the real scoop?

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

The Game and Fish Division sets the season and harvest numbers depending on the population of the herd. Winter kill, harvest numbers and spot population counts go into the decision. Your state has its own ideas, and politics may influence the decisions. We can shoot around 200 deer in a year legally and have had that number for a few years (nobody I know gets or wants anywhere near that number) because of our dense population. The mature management harvest bucks are usually in pens or large outfitter controlled leases and are usually large 8 points that they don' t think will develope into the desired trophy 12 point or larger bucks.

So, on our land, we couldn' t do too much in the QDM department except apply for and fill our one doe tag each and try to shoot only mature bucks. We could also try food flots but all the land is forest and swamp so we' re limited there, too. Thanks for the info.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

Scott.

I am not sure about your state laws but you should be able to apply for crop damage permits to thin the deer population out.

Here in TX you can apply for what they call a LAMPS ( Landowner Assisted Management Permit System ) or MLD (Managed Lands Deer) permit.

It would be best if you contact your local wildlife and fishery dept.

Here are a few suggestiions, but you should talked to a biologist knowledgible on your specific track of land and deer population. You could practice QDM by selective harvesting of the bucks and shooting as many does as posible under your harvest guidlines. You may even invite other hunters on your land to increase the doe harvest if needed as long as they adhere to your buck harvest criteria. QDM is also more then just increasing the number of mature bucks on your land. It is about improving conditions for your entire deer herd. Even if you can not plant food plots, you can still improve deer habitat through native habitat management. This may mean a number of things such as fertilizing desirable plants, eliminating undesirable plants, improving bedding areas, clear cutting and a number of other practices. You already have an advantage if you have 1000 continuous acres under your control. Now you just need to talk to some professionals for a plan.

Actually, we have 3000 acres but it is owned by an association. I' d say about 20% of the people hunt. There are no crops and only two fields. The fields are just grass. Most of the land is forest, overgrown clearcuts and hemlock swamps. There are no oak trees except for some that people have planted around their houses. The main trees are beech, maple, cherry and hemlock. The overgrown clearcuts are very thick. They are overgrown in blueberry and blackberry bushes. There are beech and striped maple trees of about 10-15 feet tall through out these clear cuts. Visibilty is short. Our land is surrounded by tens of thousands of acres of state game land and state park land. All hemlock swamp and mature forest (beech, maple, cherry and hemlock). We are on top of a mountain (about 2400ft elevation). This mountain was timbered in the 1800s and early 1900s and I believe that is why the oaks are non-existent on top. I would say that about 25 people hunt our land for deer and less than half of them apply for doe tags. Our state (PA) put in place a mandatory 3 points per side antler restriction that started last year. We have many nice 8-pointers every year that survive the season. Nobody ever sees them the following year, though. I think we might have a tough property to manage.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

Scott,

If you want to have a good QDM program on your property you really are going to have to get the cooperation of everyone who hunts their. If you can' t get their cooperation and with the harvest restrictions you have it will almost impossible. See if you can get everyone who hunts deer on the propery to get a doe tag and if they don' t want the meat get them to donate it to a hunters for the hungry program. A special kids hunt once a year for Does is another idea.
Maybe you can get one of the State wildlife biologists to come and talk to the people who hunt their and have them explain the benifits of a good QDM program. Its probably going to take some work to get some folks to change their old ways, but if you do your research maybe you can change their minds.
Are you allowed to plow and replant the existing fields? Some food plots would help especially if you have kids that hunt their. Their are plenty of things you can do but it is going to take some work.
I wish I had property that size because with that much acreage you can eally make a difference in the quality of deer you have.

I don' t know about the fields. I think the non-hunters would probably have something stupid to say about it. I will ask around, though. Thanks.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

Barnes,

Come on over to the " T.R' s Tips" forum. We' ll have lots of suggestions, answers and insights for you over there.

T.R.