Starting a QDMA COOP
Wisconsin
I am interested in getting some insight from anyone who has started a QDMA COOP with their hunting party and immediate neighbors. This has been something I have thought of for a number of years now and after recently moving closer to my family's hunting land may finally have the ability to try to implement this!
Right now our hunting party has the mindset that "if I don't shoot it, someone else will" which is really hurting the number of deer making it past 2-3 years old, I have a feeling the neighboring properties feel the same way. IF (and a big if) I can get us working together I feel we could have a goldmine for harvesting quality deer year after year.
I will gladly take any advice, and if anyone has any examples of cooperatives they currently work under that would be awesome. Thanks to all in advance, and good luck out there!
I don’t have any experience in organizing something like this . If I was trying to organize or if I was part of it I would want there to be no exceptions . So regardless of age , experience, or weapon, no exceptions , none . This keeps things very simple . Also no question this assures an even opportunity for all .
I'm trying to do the same thing around where I hunt. Everyone shoots everything around here. It's been 8 years since I shot anything with the bow and 5 with the rifle. I passed up many bucks. I was thinking about sending a letter to everyone in the general area and having a meeting to see how many people are willing to join. Let me know if you have luck with anything
The wired to hunt podcast had an episode on exactly what you're asking about with an expert guest. (see link)
Be nice. Ask, don't demand. I have seen a lot of neighborly relations go to hell because one guy thought he could tell the other what he can and can't shoot on his own land.
Been there, done that. Very frustrating when neighbors agree to one thing, but can't pass on small bucks and don't harvest any antlerless deer.
Look at the mission statement and see if it fits your and your neighbors needs and desires. If it doesn't it will be hard to have mature bucks to harvest.
Many talk the talk, but don't walk the walk....
Good Luck!
I believe that Bow Crazy from this site is a WI QDMA "officer" and would be able to answer all your questions and assist
Happy is correct, Bow Crazy is the RD for QDMA. The only thing you can control is property that is owned by you and you alone. Then you can implement any conditions you want. Other than that, all you can do is try and educate people and lead by example. It's not fair to be upset with what other people do. It's their tag and their experience. If they are ok with shooting young bucks or refusing to shoot does, then so be it.
Thank you all for the input! And thank you BillB for the podcast link, I definitely have some ideas in my head on how to approach the group. I will update everyone on how it goes if interested. Thanks!
Good luck, and nice job ignoring the ignorant comment.
Masterbait, I didn't say it but thanks for identifying the ignorant poster. At least you owned up to it. LOL!!
I appreciate all the comments, even the ones who knock down QDM. Neverbait's comments is exactly why I want to gather all the information I can, my worry is I will do more harm to the neighboring relationships than good so if I move forward with this I want to do it right. I want to go into this knowing the positives and the negatives of QDM.
You don't need to be gung-ho about rules to grow quality deer. A general rule of thumb I use is nothing fork or spike. Don't shoot ANY forks or spikes and try to refrain from basket bucks as well for a couple of years and harvest doe for meat and I'm sure you will have more deer reaching their peak age. I'm also not afraid to eat my buck tag which helps, but I always punch my doe tag. I would just politely tell your nieghbors that you're implementing a QDMA program and was wondering if they would like to participate as well. Depending on the size of your property, neighbor participation isn't 100% necessary for growing bigger bucks.
Don't put your desires on the neighbors. Neverbait has it correct.
I share the same opinion of Neverbait ... Strongly
There is far more to QDMA than growing trophy bucks and letting does walk in low population areas or killing more does in high population areas. The whole habitat equation comes into play and that part already ruffles one poster's feathers. I am trying to control the latter part best I can on my crappy land.
My hunting guests are told they can shoot whatever they want and my son has the same rule. I play by my own self-induced rules and really don't care if I ever shoot another one as long as my son and guests are successful. I am enjoying the land work and seeing the improvements used by the deer as well as just being in the woods.
In my situation I feel it may be as simple as letting young deer walk and managing does. Every year I see the young bucks that are shot in my area that have tremendous potential. And every so often one does manage to live past 3-4 years and they are all the rage when someone gets em'. I just can't help but feel we have an opportunity to do that every year if we work together. From my standpoint there is always more we can do, but I feel habitat is already good, and I know the gene pool is solid, there's a lot of potential from what I see.
I'm not one who is going to knock down anyone for shooting what they want, but I can't do it alone, have to at least try to put it out there and see if others are at least interested in the idea of letting bucks mature before harvesting them.
Even if something as simple as josh_hunts suggested would be a huge improvement. My plan is to keep it as informal as possible to start. This gun season I just plan on talking with the neighbors to gauge their interest. I probably won't even bring up QDM, just the idea of holding off on shooting younger bucks. If interest is there then maybe over the winter after the season is over I'll reach out with a letter. Maybe by 2018 have something more formal. Slow and steady is going to be my plan instead of trying to set up a meeting and try to get this done quickly, hope it works!
If anyone has any additional advice please let me know!
You cannot impose your standards on anyone else. What you can do is engage in selective harvest yourself, if necessary, then over time show them by example the benefits that can be had. By abstaining from killing younger bucks ourselves, over the last seven years or so, we have had a positive and beneficial effect on growing a more mature herd.
Before you even bring it up, I would get a feeling of how many deer the feel that they "need" to shoot each year. If a neighbor is going to shoot 5 deer a year, you might be better in the long run to have them taking some smaller bucks vs all does. I'm living this situation right now. Could have amazing hunting in both quantity and quality, but the sole mission of purely growing big bucks by some has put a serious hurting on the doe and fawn population. This year and next year will be great for big bucks here, after that we will have very few deer as the recruiters are being killed off very quickly. 3 fawns this year on my land compared to the usual 12 or so. Be careful what you wish for.
Before you bring up QDMA to others, learn what QDMA truly means and see if it is for you. If you want to practice it, you have to believe in what it stands for and what it takes to get results. Many say they are QDMA, but when it comes down the the nuts and bolts of it, few follow through. There is nothing you can do about others not jumping on board.
One thing I will tell you that is for certain. If your neighbors are no on board - DO NOT POST QDMA SIGNS ON YOUR PROPERTY!!! It invites trespassers and poachers who will stoop to all time lows to shoot the bucks that roam the area. I am talking from personal experience....
Good luck in your endeavors.
You may have good intentions, but QDMA is impossible to control outside of your own property.
Depending on where you are and who your neighbors are, I find just sharing information goes a long way. I don't mind showing pictures of the big boys because people know that if they punch their tag on a little guy early they can't get the big boy. Trail camera's can really show people what is out there, and usually there is more out there already then what people actually believe. I don't begrudge people the deer they shoot, but more does means more bucks recruited from does and more surviving. I don't need to see a trophy every year, or set a world record, but I do like having the belief the opportunity is there where I hunt to see a deer reaching its potential. My neighbors are getting older and more selective with age, as it is just less work. I think that happens as the hunting population is aging. Plus the decimation of the herd has taught everyone a huge lesson. Days of a warzone in the gun opener has dwindled to two or three shots in ear range. I don't doubt the crossbow has changed selectivity of hunters as well as with more opportunity to hunt they are willing to wait more for it.
Mike F your right as far as posting sign's . A friend of mine put up[ Let Um Go , So They Can Grow ]sign's on his property . Never had so many trespasser's . Sign's are now down .
What's the point in putting up signs in the first place?
Everyone in the Coop decided it was a great way to let everyone who travels down the road to see we are practicing QDMA. Nothing like putting out an invitation to hunt your property when you are gone.....
I agree, what are the " We practice QDM " signs for. Why put them up?
I'll bet its been a year since I've been to this site, or so it seems. I was told about this post this past weekend at the Deer and Turkey Show in Madison. We had a QDMA booth there. A great show for us! Met some great members, signed up some new ones and talked to a lot about QDMA.
Yes, I am the Regional Director for the QDMA for WI, MN, ND and SD. I started just over a year ago and, for the most part, have enjoyed every minute of it.
Before working for QDMA I started a QDM Cooperative in my hunting area. It has been a great experience for me. It has been a lot of fun and very educational in more ways than you can imagine. It hasn't been easy, but what in life worthwhile truly is?
From some of the comments above, my responses: QDMA is not about growing trophy bucks! QDMA signs, place in the right places, are great advertising for your Cooperative. Just be smart about it. Stop worrying about your neighbors! Focus on what you can control. QDMA is tough to control outside of your borders. True. Starting a QDM Cooperative is a great way to find out who is already practicing QDM, who is interested in QDM and a great way to introduce the philosophy of QDMA to those that might not be familiar with it. If done correctly, QDMA strengthens relations among neighbors! I speak from experience.
I am here to help! All I ask is that you are a QDMA member.
BC
Me and the old guy next door have a pact. He shoots the big ones and I shoot the little ones. So far it's working great!
qdma is not about growing trophy bucks...... nothing wrong with that, but what are you smoking, of course it is,,,, again nothing wrong with that, I agree with it, but do not be in denial...... do you think for a moment that guys and gals that practice qdma, are not in it for making bigger bucks,,,,,, my neighbors are
I like quality deer management, but to go on a site like this, and say, its not about building quality bucks, than tell me , what is it for?
Razor - QDMA is not all about growing and killing big bucks. I know you've been on some property that practices QDMA and the owner has not harvest a buck in over a decade.
Look at their mission statement. It's not all about antlers.
"In today’s North American hunting culture, antlers are the most common and easily visible symbol of hunting achievement, but for QDMA members, many other rewards and benefits are equally cherished. That’s why we at QDMA measure success in memories, not in antler inches."
Sure a lot of guys want to kill big bucks, but that is such a small part of the big picture. I think you remember Kacie's smile after having all the bad luck this past fall and then to get out and harvest a couple of does. He smile said it all...
I agree Mike but everyone I know around my house, is doing it, to grow big bucks, which again I think is a good thing,,,,,, What is nice about qdma is that it builds a quality herd of deer, in my opinion..........
One of the issues with the public land in the north, is that all small bucks get hammered, every spike fork etc, which is not good for the herd, but hey what can you do
razorhead, I don't smoke. :) I think we are on the same page, but you are talking Trophy Deer Management, not Quality Deer Management. QDMA promotes QDM not TDM. Two totally different ways to manage the deer herd. BC
I see your point, either way, it promotes a better deer herd,,,,,,,
