Ok, I've been trying to think outside the box.
Here's the issue. I grew up in IA and have hunted deer in IA, IL, KY, WI, MN and KS. Up until coming here I was used to bucks cruising for does but once a day they would tend to make it back to their core area. (not always but typically) Here in KS the bucks cruise much bigger loops. I have mature bucks here that will travel as far as 4 miles from their core area on a loop that I'm guessing takes them more that 12 miles total and they will be away for 3 days cruising for a hot doe.
I've been working on my buck to doe ratio for 2 years and am below 1 to 2 but the mature bucks seem to be gone from my area for even longer now than before, when the rut's hot.
My thinking is this, I know a 1 to 1 ratio has been a goal of QDM, to intensify the rut, but if the bucks just range further to find a hot doe, how about trying to hold more doe to keep him home.
This summer I had 3 B&C deer on the 1600 acres I spend most of my time on. I had 12 buck total on the land and 21 doe and yearlings. The 3 big ones kicked the crap out of eachother and ended up ranging far and wide looking for a little more tail. I have plenty of cover, food and water to support many more deer than I have.
Does it make sense to try to hold more doe, and therefore shrink the range the mature bucks will travel for a hot doe? I know that according to traditional QDM theory, the rut won't be as intense but if the mature bucks aren't even staying on the property, does it matter how intense it is?
2 years ago I lost a 187 inch 10 point that I hunted hard with bow. He got taken 3.5 miles away on the opening day of rifle by a guy who had never seen him before, while he was on a hot doe. This year I lost a 170 10 point that got taken by rifle 2 miles away in one direction and another a little bigger than that 3 miles in the other direction. The big typical I was after got all busted up fighting with a big NT on the property (I watched it at 600 yards).
There is no other reason for these deer to move off of the property. They are not pressured and they have anything they could need, except for plenty of does to chase.
Like I said, I know this is unconventional thinking but what do some of you think? Thanks in advance.
Matthew
Here's the issue. I grew up in IA and have hunted deer in IA, IL, KY, WI, MN and KS. Up until coming here I was used to bucks cruising for does but once a day they would tend to make it back to their core area. (not always but typically) Here in KS the bucks cruise much bigger loops. I have mature bucks here that will travel as far as 4 miles from their core area on a loop that I'm guessing takes them more that 12 miles total and they will be away for 3 days cruising for a hot doe.
I've been working on my buck to doe ratio for 2 years and am below 1 to 2 but the mature bucks seem to be gone from my area for even longer now than before, when the rut's hot.
My thinking is this, I know a 1 to 1 ratio has been a goal of QDM, to intensify the rut, but if the bucks just range further to find a hot doe, how about trying to hold more doe to keep him home.
This summer I had 3 B&C deer on the 1600 acres I spend most of my time on. I had 12 buck total on the land and 21 doe and yearlings. The 3 big ones kicked the crap out of eachother and ended up ranging far and wide looking for a little more tail. I have plenty of cover, food and water to support many more deer than I have.
Does it make sense to try to hold more doe, and therefore shrink the range the mature bucks will travel for a hot doe? I know that according to traditional QDM theory, the rut won't be as intense but if the mature bucks aren't even staying on the property, does it matter how intense it is?
2 years ago I lost a 187 inch 10 point that I hunted hard with bow. He got taken 3.5 miles away on the opening day of rifle by a guy who had never seen him before, while he was on a hot doe. This year I lost a 170 10 point that got taken by rifle 2 miles away in one direction and another a little bigger than that 3 miles in the other direction. The big typical I was after got all busted up fighting with a big NT on the property (I watched it at 600 yards).
There is no other reason for these deer to move off of the property. They are not pressured and they have anything they could need, except for plenty of does to chase.
Like I said, I know this is unconventional thinking but what do some of you think? Thanks in advance.
Matthew