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How Many Bucks Make It? MY Experiment

Sligh1

Sligh1

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Ok, I watched this for 3 years now, I've hunted areas in southern IA anywhere from 40 acres to 350 acres. All of the areas I would consider anywhere from "high pressure" to "medium pressure".
I have targeted EVERY buck I could uniquely IDENTIFY over and over. These are bucks from 2&1/2 - 4&1/2 years old. If they were 5 or older (in my opinion) I shot them of course /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif What I have CONCLUDED over 3 years in my NON-SCIENTIFIC- purely for my education - study.....
Almost exactly 3 out of 5 bucks made it after I saw them and identified them. This OBVIOUSLY accounts for bow, gun, muzzleloader killing done by anyone who hunts there AND natural death, DISPERSEMENT, etc.
So, from my FOR FUN experiment (that I did for MYSELF and others hunting by me) I give a deer 3 of 5 chances of living if I don't kill him. I'd say a 5 year old that I don't get an opportunity at has an even larger chance of not being shot.

***THIS IS FOR FUN!!!! Does this surprise you? What would you guess your area is like? Has anyone observed anything like this?


****The only thing I take from this for my PERSONAL OPINION is that if I DON'T shoot it, my neighbor WILL NOT in most occasions. I'd say a buck has a better chance of making it here than any state out there! I guess MORE evidence for me on why I don't feel bad passing a stellar 4 & 1/2!!!
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> What would you guess your area is like</div></div>

Just a guess but let's go with 4 out of 5 make it. Why? Pressure..or lack of.
 
Wow... I'd treat Rosie O'Donnell to dinner for a month for a 60-80% survival rate on our bucks.

In my area, I feel maybe one or two 1-1/2 year old bucks see their next summer. Firearms season opens the first week of November and they get picked off steadily until ML ends 6 weeks later. Unless the weather really stinks (act of God) or the buck lives on even a loosely-managed farm (lightning strike), the toll on young bucks is intense.

Doesn't keep me from passing them, though. Small miracles are better than none at all!
 
I would say you are about right Seth, once a buck gets to 3.5 or 4.5 he gets harder to harvest.

I have some older bucks that we are trying to harvest along with the neighbors and we cannot seem to pin them down even though all of us know they are in there from the game cams and personal sightings.
 
In my area up here in MN, I would say a buck has a 1 in 7 or 8 chance of reaching 4.5years old. This is my opinion in the majority of areas I hunt.

Reason hunting pressure.

Dean

PS I just started hunting an area that I think its probably 1 out of 4 chance of making it to 4.5.
 
I don't have the luxery of core bedding/living areas I guess because in more then a decade even with trail cameras out year around I have never seen a buck the following year...ever.

Most bucks that are older then 3 1/2 I see during the rut never to be seen again.

I rarely shoot a buck but I can say that it is extremely unlikely that I would pass on a personal best for me regardless of age or size knowing there is a 95% chance I will never see that animal again.

The question...how many bucks make it? IMO Iowa has a higher percentage then most states of course but still I feel the numbers are not high overall.

They are lower now then ever simply because hunters now target mature bucks specifically whereas years ago whatever they drove out they shot.

Now, with rampant leasing and outfitters springing up left and right...hunters feel they have to get thier moneys worth and make sure they take something home regardless of age or size.

In the past 15 years I have seen quality decline, numbers of deer rise and numbers of spikes increase.

Thats just what I see on my side of the fence.. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
i wood say out of 7 make it to 4.5 cause rifle season is during the rut, the only thing is there is so many does around here the bucks don't have to travel far to find another one. but that is missouri for u and r management practices r in the craper
 
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