Would you shoot anymore does?
Whitetail Deer
I live in west central Ohio and I hunt 2 properties that my father owns. I am primarily a meat hunter and I like to take 1-2 doe a year and wait for mature bucks. The deer numbers around here have dropped greatly because the state wants the herd cut in half. I'm thinking I should hold off shooting does for a few years but really need the meat. What would you guys do?? Do you think one doe a year makes that big of a difference??
The only doe I'll shoot this year is in a neighborhood pocket where there are a concentration of 'town' deer. In my honey holes, I'll pass on does as the population is down here too.
My understanding WRT wildlife management, does are taken for population control. If numbers are low you need more does. Overall as a bowhunter I prefer a higher population of game. But we try to do whatever the situation calls for.
But we have some places we hunt the owners insist on taking anything and everything we can as the deer, goats, pigs etc. cause a good deal of trouble.
One landowner calls it the Titanic Rule.... women and children first. We get yelled at when we let most animals walk and only target mature bucks.
Why is the Fish and Game department trying to reduce the herd? Are you hunting private land? What is the deer population on the tract YOU hunt? My answer would depend on your answers. For myself I would not take a doe on a tract that had good feed and cover but few deer. I would take a doe or two if my tract could support it. Does and fawns are good eating. The only time I am disgusted by a deer kill is when the body is left in a truck to show it off then dumped in a landfill because of spoiled meat. (Sorry for the last statement. A lot of good hunters have been excluded from hunting a certain property because of the actions of one immature idiot in my area)
If a tract has good cover and feed, you aren't going to see many deer. They aren't cows or herd animals and they prefer seclusion if available. Remember when Ohio had huge bucks? They want to reduce the herd before it damages the habitat and severely impacts the long term carrying capacity. And to improve the health of the herd.
Take what you want. You won't hurt it. In good habitat with plenty of feed and cover all mortality added together cannot keep up with whitetails reproduction. Its a full time job and with hunting being recreational now versus substance, a job we will eventually get behind on in good ground. God Bless
I won't shoot any does in WI this year. There are no anterless tags available in the area I have hunted in the UP of MI a few times, . Even if there were, I would not shoot any. The winters hit the WI and northern MI herds hard.
I haven't killed a doe in 3 years. They've been on the "Hit List" though..still are.
The properties are family owned. Almost no hunting pressure, only my young boys and me. It has thick cover, river bottom land with food plots. Years ago it was full of deer but the last 3 years the numbers have drastically declined. Ohio DNR sucks is what it comes down to. They are allowing too many antlerless tags in that area in my opinion.
If one or two does being killed is going to impact the population they should probably close the season.
shoot a doe somewhere else, other areas may be over populated
No. One doe or a few does will not negatively affect anything. If a deer population is so low that it requires no female deer to be taken then it is too low to have a hunting season for bucks as well.
Northern WI is bucks only this year. Same for 90% of the UP of MI. We're talking about 1/4 of the whole state. That was a good move by the WDNR (and MDNR). Another winter like the last couple and there may be no season next year in northern WI. Sacrifice now for the good of the future.
If you could shock the deer woods in your area like they do a pond or lake, you would be surprised at the number of deer you do have. I say go for it, unless you have the only 10 acre cover in a 10 mile radius!
2 does a year matters not....shoot away and enjoy the meat.If you don't nature will help you unfortunately.
Enjoy not having alot of does now as the habitat will recover and better days (AND TWINS!) are ahead.
The most true statement I have ever saw concerning shooting does is if you don't have enough deer to be shooting does you shouldn't be bucks either.
"2 does a year matters not"
What if every hunter in the county did that?
"The most true statement I have ever saw concerning shooting does is if you don't have enough deer to be shooting does you shouldn't be bucks either."
It takes many does to increase the population. It only takes one buck.
In the situation you describe, I would not. I am in northeast Ohio and we have the opposite problem of too many does and not enough bucks. We are targeting does every year and still can't seem to make a dent.
"What if every hunter in the county did that?"
I doubt "every hunter in the county" is interested in shooting,cleaning and eating two does.
As far as the poster is concerned if he can get on two does in the time he bowhunts he probably doesn't have a huge deer decline.
Enjoy low deer numbers if you truly have them.Most of the time not seeing them doesn't mean you don't have them though.
I don't know....I am of the opinion if the deer numbers are low don't shoot...very simple.
Tons of guys on here post constantly of low deer numbers with all kinds of techniques to increase the numbers.
I am extreme in that I wish certain states would cease deer hunting once every 5-8 years to let the herd recover....money talks and they would never do this and hunters would be scared of the state trying to take away the rights to hunt but think about it one year out of so many to let the herd rest.
My thoughts about this actually come from the bible where the Lord tells the people to let there land rest once every 7 years.
Genesis...Here in Ohio we have over 4 months of archery season so getting a few does per season is realistic. It just concerns me because I am not seeing the amount I used to and don't want the population to get any lower. I hunt 3-4 days per week.
Wildlife biologists manage by populations rather than individual deer and a large (say 25%) reduction in a population that exceeds program recommended levels is just smart business. Would you rather have meat on your table or let EHD run its course? The end is the same - dead deer but in different ways. If it was me, I'd take as many does as the state licensed me to take. Reducing does also increases buck to doe ratios, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Ohio statewide deer population has been in decline over the past 9 years (2005). Kill stats prove that but still been waiting on Kevin Dill to come on here and tell how Ohio is overrun with deer...8^)
Zebow, I understand what your saying.Mississippi has one of the highest density of whitetails in the U.S. but active and respected Deer Biologists.We have seen our number go down and it's a good thing.
Habitat will drive a lot of these numbers and reduced numbers help repair this habitat.I'm talking the most nutritious browse etc.Hunters want to think that miles of beans and corn will build a great herd but it actually takes the small and unseen browse and forbes of the highest quality to put it together.Quality over quantity food.
Whitetails bounce back quickly and have over eons.I'm just saying two does over four months hunting will have no impact.It's normal to battle human psychology over deer biology though.
I live in a county where my limit is 333 does per year and three bucks. That is not a misprint. I can kill 3-does a day for 111-days. Since that limit was imposed, our deer herd has grown.
If you need to kill deer for meat, do so. A 2-3 doe limit does little to affect the herd. I normally kill from 5-10 does a year. Most hunters here, kill one or two. As your state agency should know, the time to control herd numbers is before it needs reduction, not after.
In the beginning man hunted for food, today man hunts for bragging rights.....you said you need meat...go shoot a doe, or 2. Have fun
The area I hunt in ohio has shown a marked decline in population. I agree that restraint is prudent, no matter what the DNR issues.
Shoot em. Its your freezer, no one elses.
A doe in the back of my truck is better than a doe lying in a ditch on the side of the road!!!
Shoot them. Bowhunters have almost zero effect on the population. I continued to shoot does through our most lean years as like you I love the meat. This year is shaping up as a bounce back year as far as numbers here. I am seeing many deer when just driving around and so far while hunting that seems the be the case too. The only time I DON'T shoot does is when I don't have tags or I am targeting a specific buck. My love for venison and pinwheeling animals with an arrow has been responsible for screwing up more than a few great bucks but I have fun always!
