Managing Deer

[Big Timber]

Just wondering if anyone manages their deer herds. I would like to start managing deer but my land is frequented by trespassers. The only management I have now is passing up on the younger bucks and only taking 8pt or better. I've heard that to successfully manage a deer herd I need a 1:1 buck/doe ratio. Can anyone confirm this? Any tips or advice is appreciated. Thanks

BT

 

[horst]

Big timber Im no expert and havent got the ground to try it on but ive read a lot on the subject.1:1 ratio is ideal but awfully hard to get and maintain without letting a lotta guys in to shoot does every year.With a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio youll still have a pretty well balanced herd and should see lots of action during the rut.

Its also important to hold the deer on your land, they need plenty of food, bedding areas, and water to last them through the year.It does you no good to manage them if theyre just gonna wander off the property and get shot.With foodplots, and selectively cutting trees to open new browse up on your land you can cover the food.By placing a chunk off limits to hunting that has good bedding ground in it you give them a place where they feel safe and dont need to move elsewhere, you can change this around every year if you want.

The tresspassers are a different matter, you might wanna consider prosecuting a few of them, maybe others will take the hint and stay out.Maybe you could talk to a state biologist and he could give you a better or more detailed plan thasn i have, i was just highlighting a few points.Good luck

 

[Scott]

Big Timber,

Its all about the does, you need to shoot all the does the law will allow you to. Its pretty tough to get a 1:1 ratio, but the fewer does their are in the area the more the big bucks will have to move to find them. If you were a big buck and their were lots of does right around you, you wouldnt move as much when you can just breed all the does in your area. You want those bucks cruising for does outside their home turf, where they can slip up and make a mistake.
You just need to get in the face of a few trespassers now, so you dont have to worry about it in November

 

[Big Timber]

Thanks for the responses guys. As far as the trespassers, well the problem is that I don't ever see them but i've heard them and I have also taken down a few stands that they have so nicely put up in my timber. My timber is constructed of a long arm with a length of around a mile and a width of 250 yds. The problem is that I cannot see or access the south part of the arm without going on to the neighbors farm (No Permission), or bushwacking through from the north. This is no easy task because if I hear someone on the south side, it takes me half an hour to get back there. Also, my "NO TRESPASSING" signs seem to attract more illegal activity. This comes up every year and I still can't remedy it.

BT

 

[wisco kid]

I have the same problem with trespassers. I have thick swamp on the family land we hunt in Wisconsin. Sometimes I've seen trespassers, but by the time I can get over there, they are gone. Worse are the guys that set up on the property line. Rifles are legal in the county where I hunt and they set up on the line and can reach 300 yards in in some cases, if they have the view.

My worst fear would be if a crew of guys that could sweep in some gun season and drive our land when we're not there. It happened to a neighbor of ours two years ago. As far as I know, its never happened.

I agree that if you catch someone, prosecute or give them a real butt-chewing. I did that the first few years we owned it and am known by a few of the guys that pretended to not know where the lines were. I like it that way, because they think twice about infringing for fear of running into me and I don't have as many problems anymore.

That said, try to reach out to some neighbors if you can. We've really had a good time getting to know some guys by us. A few of them have joined us in letting the little ones go and shooting more does. The cooperation is enjoyable.

The only tips I can give you are to let all little bucks go and take off as many does as you can. We try to take off at least three does for each buck. We are extra-careful to not shoot button bucks. Just decide on some rules like 8 points or better or outside the ears. We just decided on outside the ears, which seems easier than counting points. We also only allow one buck per person per season.

Then, you have to upgrade your hunting skills because the older bucks are a lot less tolerant of hunting pressure.

 

[Ollie]

If you want to shoot a big buck, you have to let the little ones and mediocre ones walk...even at the risk that someone else may shoot them before they grow big enough for you. The way I look at it, if a buck is not big enough that you would pay to have him mounted and displayed in your home then you might as well shoot a doe. They eat better. Another small rack tossed into an antler pile in the garage is not a fitting end for a young buck.

 

[OLETOM]

Big Timber, We manage about 1500 acres in WI and have been doing so for about 10 years now. The guys are correct when they say you have to keep the doe population down. The biggest key is shooting only ADULT DOES, to easy to shoot a skin head and find out that it is a buck fawn. Let me give you a little hint though. Come the Rut, if you see a single deer running in the woods (other than a doe being run ragged by a buck) and it doesn't have head gear, chances are it is a buck fawn. The bucks will chase these buck fawns away when they are tending does and if you look at the individual deer you can tell the difference between the fawn and adult deer. Look at the head, longer noses and blockier heads. These buck fawn are your next years racked bucks, they are the key. On out track of land we pull out about 10 does a year. That still leaves us with about a 2:1 ratio, what it though some years, after a rough winter, you might want not want to kill as many. This happend to us a while back, and we were way down, probably below 1:1. It is nice having a single doe come by with 5-8 bucks chasing her. Get out in the spring and see how much winter kill you had, and how many deer are there. They still tend to be grouped up in march yet, so you can get a decent count.

Food plots are a must around here. Corn and clover, we also have a few beans. Don't need to leave all of it standing but a few acres goes a long way come January, helps to spill a few beans when harvesting as well. We leave a decent 3 cut standing in the fall as well and the deer love that come spring time as well.

Restraint on shooting smaller bucks....We preach a 16" width, an 8 pntr is not always and 8 so I do not believe in management bucks. Besides I have seen some damn big 8's that I would be proud to shoot. 16" tend to be from ear tip to ear tip, so use that for a guide when judging. Of course then I have shot two bcuks that were less than 16" that scored good, 142 6/8 (10) and 151 5/8 (13). So when it comes to boarder line bucks you have to use your field judging ability.

Anyway, good luck, oh ya the tresspassers, buy 2 trail cameras, lock them to the trees and check them as often as possible, palce them out there at different times so the tresspassers don't know when there are there. Place them in the most likely spots for crossing your land. We have caught 3 people this way, one jumped out gate and poached a booner off the land, thought he got away with it untill the DNR showed up at his door with the picture in hand.

Good luck

 

[Guest]

Big Timber, if it was my land, and it's not, I would give up hunting one entire season and camp out on the part of the property where you think people are trespassing. When you encounter them be prepared to burn some fear into them. You decide how you want to do that. I've got some great ideas if your interested.

Anyway good luck with the QDM and the hunting this season.

 

[Bowhunt]

I have been trying to do this on our family farm. I think that the best things that I have done is no drive hunts during any season. Let your farm be a sanctuary during gun season by just stand hunting with as few of people as possible. It only takes a couple of years and you will see 3 times as many deer if you do this. We have, also we have seen better deer move into the area. We also see that some deer that would be shot are not because they have a place to go when the pressure is on. I would start with this and then try to stick to some kind of a management plan with killing does and letting smaller bucks walk. That is what I have done and it works!