Managing Doe Harvest

[rxforsaddlehunt]

How do you all decide which does to harvest and how many?

I ask because we are undecided how many to take this year and how old. I apologize if someone has already posted this and I did not see it.

Some of us think we should target younger does as they may not know the best areas to raise fawns or have the experience to "teach" the bucks to evade predators
vs others thinking that targeting older does that may push out the bucks and become a real pain during the hunting season is the way to go.

I say opportunity trumps all...if I can make a clean shot and recover the deer quickly I ignore age. Plus I wants those five points for the contest

 

[EricS]

It depends on where I am. I try not to shoot yearling does. I’ve prefer to shoot does with no yearling or one vs a doe that has two she has raised. When rifle season gets here I usually shoot the ones that bust me. So when they take that deep breath just before they blow to alert everyone I try to let the air out of them.

 

[mattsteg]

Freezer space, time to process, time to hunt.

We have surplus deer around here, and take what we will use and have the time to manage.

Every situation's different.

 

[huntin_addict]

When a deer walks by and I want to shoot, thats the one I take. Equal opportunity killer.

 

[Smokingbarrel270]

I shoot the biggest of the bunch early season and through the rut. After the rut and late season I have a self imposed policy to not shoot does becasue there is a dang good chance that she is pregnant. I killed a doe in January a few years back and while gutting her I found 2 embryos. So I focus on does pretty hard in the early season.

 

[rxforsaddlehunt]

Thanks for all the comments.
Has anyone else done a trail cam study on the land they hunt?

When I completed a survey over 14 days the ratio of does to bucks was 3.2 to 1. our fawn ratio per doe was 0.48. I have been concerned about the fawn ratio as it seems low. What are you guys seeing?

 

[Smokingbarrel270]

Thanks for all the comments.
Has anyone else done a trail cam study on the land they hunt?

When I completed a survey over 14 days the ratio of does to bucks was 3.2 to 1. our fawn ratio per doe was 0.48. I have been concerned about the fawn ratio as it seems low. What are you guys seeing?

.48 seems pretty dang low. Curious what your forage situation is and also what your coyote population is.

Also, curious when you did the survey? After all fawns are up and running?

 

[rxforsaddlehunt]

.48 seems pretty dang low. Curious what your forage situation is and also what your coyote population is.

Also, curious when you did the survey? After all fawns are up and running?

I did the survey the last two weeks of August with 6 cams over ~200 acres. Seems like I have seen less rabbits this year.

I have not seen a lot of coyotes this year on cams but have heard them most nights. I have placed a couple traps out near some coyote scat I found without success yet. We do have some bobcats as well. Saw them at 10 yards last season and man when it screamed my hair stood up on the back of my neck.

We have 32 acres of black beans, 14 acres of corn and 4 acres of brassicas. Also a few smaller fields withoats and clover with some wheat and rye scattered. Added in some sorghum this year as well and have three small ponds.

4 years ago we had a professional trapper come in and he got 12 coyotes in the spread of two weeks.

I appreciate any insight!

 

[Recurveaholic]

I did the survey the last two weeks of August with 6 cams over ~200 acres. Seems like I have seen less rabbits this year.

I have not seen a lot of coyotes this year on cams but have heard them most nights. I have placed a couple traps out near some coyote scat I found without success yet. We do have some bobcats as well. Saw them at 10 yards last season and man when it screamed my hair stood up on the back of my neck.

We have 32 acres of black beans, 14 acres of corn and 4 acres of brassicas. Also a few smaller fields withoats and clover with some wheat and rye scattered. Added in some sorghum this year as well and have three small ponds.

4 years ago we had a professional trapper come in and he got 12 coyotes in the spread of two weeks.

I appreciate any insight!

If you are seeing less rabbits then your predators are more than likely on the rise, at least that is how it works were I live!

 

[Smokingbarrel270]

I did the survey the last two weeks of August with 6 cams over ~200 acres. Seems like I have seen less rabbits this year.

I have not seen a lot of coyotes this year on cams but have heard them most nights. I have placed a couple traps out near some coyote scat I found without success yet. We do have some bobcats as well. Saw them at 10 yards last season and man when it screamed my hair stood up on the back of my neck.

We have 32 acres of black beans, 14 acres of corn and 4 acres of brassicas. Also a few smaller fields withoats and clover with some wheat and rye scattered. Added in some sorghum this year as well and have three small ponds.

4 years ago we had a professional trapper come in and he got 12 coyotes in the spread of two weeks.

I appreciate any insight!

Seems like a good amount food for 200 acres so I'd guess you still have a coyote problem. I'd also be interested in what your neighboring properties are doing?
I read an article years back that was about fawn retention and said that the health and habitat of the does dictates how many fawns they drop. So you either have too large of a population, too may coyotes, or not the right food. I'm nowhere near a wildlife biologist but I read a lot which makes me dangerously ignorant haha.

 

[rxforsaddlehunt]

have too large of a population

I am willing to bet this might be part of it too now that you say it... the survey also showed above average deer population. Neighbors have large alfalfa fields and I did ask them if they noticed if they hit any fawns with their equipment. none of them claimed they did and mentioned they didn't see as many fawns this year overall.

you may be right on the food as well, for a couple decades we would farm large alfalfa fields... gave that up this year and switched to corn/beans/brassicas.

Sounds like it would be a good idea to call the trapper again

 

[Smokingbarrel270]

Keep us updated as you make any changes. Always an interesting subject and learn more about. Good luck and kill all the coyotes... I may or may not (but definitely do) have a cross bow with night vision scope on it. Works wonders!!!

 

[rxforsaddlehunt]

cross bow with night vision scope on it. Works wonders!!!

Brilliant idea! This is why I love this site and my wife hates it.... look for a regular crossbow scope to pop up in the classifieds when I upgrade

 

[Smokingbarrel270]

Brilliant idea! This is why I love this site and my wife hates it.... look for a regular crossbow scope to pop up in the classifieds when I upgrade

If you do, also get a night vision monocular so you dont have keep turn on and off you scope. Gets heavy.. and really annoying.

 

[sweats]

Regarding predator control. I don't know if this has changed, but I had seen some research that indicated that within a relatively short time, new coyotes move into vacant territory. As a result, many people managing deer habitat focused their trapping efforts just before the fawns were born to try to lower the coyote population temporarily during this critical period.

Just something to research and consider.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[Wasp]

How do you all decide which does to harvest and how many?

I ask because we are undecided how many to take this year and how old. I apologize if someone has already posted this and I did not see it.

Some of us think we should target younger does as they may not know the best areas to raise fawns or have the experience to "teach" the bucks to evade predators
vs others thinking that targeting older does that may push out the bucks and become a real pain during the hunting season is the way to go.

I say opportunity trumps all...if I can make a clean shot and recover the deer quickly I ignore age. Plus I wants those five points for the contest

Ask yourself what would Willie and Billy do and do the opposite.