Buck/Doe ratio

[D&D Flesheaters]

I've had a little dispute with a friend who is completely against harvesting does, and beleives that the ratio between bucks and does doesn't effect our hunting. Where we're at, there is about 1 buck to 15-20 does. I look at some of the best hunting in the midwest and see a much different scenario. It seems like all the areas that are harvesting tremendous deer have a 1/2-1/4, buck/doe ratio. I'm looking for some ammo, or facts I could give my friend to try and pursuade him that the doe population needs to come down in our area, but I'm not very knowledgable. I've noticed how all of you seem very keen on harvesting does. Do any of you have any points I could make?

 

[lefler168]

Rustyhunter,
I am no expert..but it is common sense that buck to doe ratio makes a difference. I am a conservation major at Iowa State University so i am taking lots of biology, ...its pretty simple to figure out that the competitive animal behavior shown by deer during breeding season is either heightened because there are not very many does to breed, or it is decreased because there are plenty. The simple analogy that i would give your friend is this. If there are a lot of does to breed, bucks don't have to worry as much about cruising the territory to find hot does, and they don't have to worry about the competition of other bucks. the reason for this is because there are plenty of does to go around. If there aren't very many does, then the bucks have to start cruising or rutting so to speak and find hot does. they also have to worry about other bucks getting to the hot does. When the buck to doe ratio is closer to being even, buck movement is increased and the chances of taking a mature buck is tremendously increased. The opposite of this occurs when the ratio is farther apart like you said it is in your area.

Your best fire power might be the fact that the big buck producing areas all have a good, close to even, buck to doe ratio. If you tell your friend this and he still disagrees with you, then it is his loss.

 

[JNRBRONC]

I agree with lefler and would add that you want the dominant bucks' genetics to be passed on. When the buck/doe ratio is out of whack, every buck gets to breed as too many does are in heat at one time for the best buck to service. If the ratio is in line, then the bucks have to fight to establish dominance, and the winner gets to breed. This should improve the overall health and condition of the herd, IMO.

 

[Central Iowa]

First off you should join the Quality Deer Management Asociation here is a link to the Wisconsin chapters web page This organization is geared toward herd management, habitat management, and hunter management. A magazine subscription to Quality Whitetails comes with the membership which is worth it by itself. If there are that many does for the bucks to breed they may be runninng, chasing, and breeding for many months. You think great I have a nice long rut that lasts all season. The problem is those bucks are using every reserve they have if they are breeding 3 or even 4 months as long a does keep coming into estrous they will chase and breed. This brings them into spring rebuilding instead of building. Instead of putting their nutritional intake into antler growth and additional body development they have to catch up from the added stress of a prolonged breeding season. Also the fawns that are dropped late are also catching up as they are missing the valuable month or two months they should have been growing and soaking up Springs bounty of lush growth. The does are also stressed as they are nursing later in the year and head into Winter with less reserves than does that deleiver at the proper time. When sex ratios are balanced you will see an intense short rut. Big bucks chasing and establishing dominance the kind of rut that's fun to hunt and watch! You should read Deer Management 101 by Dr Grant Woods, Bryan Kinkel, and Robert Bennett. This can be ordered from the link above. This is an easy read that will give you tons of ammo for any opposition. Good luck!

Here is a link to some excellent management articles. web page

 

[MNHunter]

After some research I had posted an article I found online - here is the link
http://minnesotawhitetails.com/f2487b3097da43d6be9830ae77042a04.asp

Take the article for what you will - I am not an expert in this field.

 

[Stump Shooter]

I didn't read MNhunters link, but one thing that hasn't been brought up much. Central Iowa hit upon it a little bit..but it's the "Carrying Capacity" of the land. There are many angles to this though, so I'll try to hit a few of them.

If there are too many doe...creating more and more deer...Can that land actually hold that many deer to a level where everyone of them will have enough to eat? Depleating the deer herd, which means taking out doe, the land will be able to support the correct amount of deer and thus will hold more deer longer or completely through out the year. Make sense? With enough to eat, the deer will be healthier...the deer will rebound from the rut faster...the doe will be healthier throughout the year thus providing healtheir fawns in the spring...fawns will be born earlier and healthier which helps in survival from predators...bucks will have more nutrition to produce bigger racks, etc... I hope I didn't ramble on and this makes sense.

Xtec