Herd Management

[deep woods goat hunter]

Question for those of you with farms that you have managed your deer herd for several years.
I purchased my farm in December 2016 and have been working like a dog to improve habitat and increase food.
First year with good food plots I had 2 acres of corn, 2 acres of beans and an acre fall plot (brassicas).
On a normal sit over the grain plots I would see 8-12 deer regularly and 20-25 late season when it got pretty cold.
Fast forward to 2nd year, 3.5 acres beans (fenced in summer) an acre of wheat oats rye AWPs and forage brassicas in the middle.
Do I need to be whacking any does and if so how many?
My farm is 125 acres and surrounded by larger parcels that receive very low hunting pressure.

 

[Daver]

Are your food plots "enough" that there is still something there later on in the season? For me, if my plots get mowed down too quickly by the local herd I then shoot a few more does that year, and/or next year. This year, since a good amount of my corn was waylayed by the deer and coons prior to this point in the fall...I am stepping up the doe take and busting out the "steel" to trap some coons, etc. I am also anticipating being an "also ran" in the Bonker's Possum Tail contest.

It is hard to say what someone else should do since there are so many variables from place to place. But if your plots are feeding all of the deer late into the winter...I don't shoot as many. If they are getting wiped out sooner, rather than later...then I take more does accordingly.

 

[Hardwood11]

I would say yes by your description. Start with X amount and then monitor it for next few years.

 

[deep woods goat hunter]

10-4
I ran short of food last year by end of February I would say. I didn't really take that aspect into consideration. I was thinking of reducing the number of does in order to get the ratio closer in balance and reduce social stress on the herd.

 

[Daver]

10-4
I ran short of food last year by end of February I would say. I didn't really take that aspect into consideration. I was thinking of reducing the number of does in order to get the ratio closer in balance and reduce social stress on the herd.

Getting down into late February is actually purty good IMO. As such, I would advise "modest" doe harvestage. But it varies every year. If your plots have been vaporized by say, Thanksgiving...then I would advise an "accelerated" doe harvest. If all gone by Halloween...well then you are looking for a "nuclear" option.

 

[deep woods goat hunter]

Getting down into late February is actually purty good IMO. As such, I would advise "modest" doe harvestage. But it varies every year. If your plots have been vaporized by say, Thanksgiving...then I would advise an "accelerated" doe harvest. If all gone by Halloween...well then you are looking for a "nuclear" option.

So to put a number on it, say.... 3, 5, 10?

 

[Daver]

So to put a number on it, say.... 3, 5, 10?

Hard to say for sure...on my 180 acres, which is in a very good area for deer numbers, but also, fortunately has many good neighbors that will also take does out as necessary. (Some areas don't.) I will shoot 7-10 does in a "heavy" year and just 2-4 in a "light" year. This year...I have shot 3 already in 2 sits, so we will aim to get another 5-8 through the balance of the seasons. I think I still have 3 antlerless archery tags in the truck ready to go in case I get on a "hot" streak this weekend.

If I had neighbors that didn't shoot does, then I would up those figures.

 

[deep woods goat hunter]

Hard to say for sure...on my 180 acres, which is in a very good area for deer numbers, but also, fortunately has many good neighbors that will also take does out as necessary. (Some areas don't.) I will shoot 7-10 does in a "heavy" year and just 2-4 in a "light" year. This year...I have shot 3 already in 2 sits, so we will aim to get another 5-8 through the balance of the seasons. I think I still have 3 antlerless archery tags in the truck ready to go in case I get on a "hot" streak this weekend.

If I had neighbors that didn't shoot does, then I would up those figures.

Good Info, here is situation on surrounding properties...
4-5 guys come up form LA and gun season on approximately 1800 acres to North, West, SW and East of me. They don't generally shoot does and take 2-3 bucks as a group.
South 160, grandson of landowner and his friend hunt weekends during gun season. They walk around and scare everything, maybe kill a deer or two at best.
SE 120ish acres pair of guys hunt opening weekend and gone. A buddy of mine bowhunts it once in a great while.
Other than that there is zero bowhunting pressure on anything that touches my farm to my knowledge.

 

[Daver]

Good Info, here is situation on surrounding properties...
4-5 guys come up form LA and gun season on approximately 1800 acres to North, West, SW and East of me. They don't generally shoot does and take 2-3 bucks as a group.
South 160, grandson of landowner and his friend hunt weekends during gun season. They walk around and scare everything, maybe kill a deer or two at best.
SE 120ish acres pair of guys hunt opening weekend and gone. A buddy of mine bowhunts it once in a great while.
Other than that there is zero bowhunting pressure on anything that touches my farm to my knowledge.

All of that sounds to me like you will need to buying some more doe tags! The good news is that sounds like a neighborhood where a given buck can survive for a few seasons to then get to 5+ years old...that is really a good thing IMO for someone like yourself that is actively managing things. The bad news is that it sounds like you will need to be the neighborhood doe killer to keep things in check.

 

[deep woods goat hunter]

All of that sounds to me like you will need to buying some more doe tags! The good news is that sounds like a neighborhood where a given buck can survive for a few seasons to then get to 5+ years old...that is really a good thing IMO for someone like yourself that is actively managing things. The bad news is that it sounds like you will need to be the neighborhood doe killer to keep things in check.

That's what my worry was. I really don't want to bust out the rifle next weekend but I might.

 

[Obsessed]

That's what my worry was. I really don't want to bust out the rifle next weekend but I might.

Bust out the rifle and do an all day sit. They'll come back after u drop 1, as long as u dont go full on Rambo. If it's cool out, leave them lay. Note where they all are. EOD, collect your harvests and get busy butchering. This will allow u to complete your doe management in 1 day, maybe 2, annually. Plus, u can get all of your butchering done in one go too.

 

[deep woods goat hunter]

3 does and a management buck harvested on the farm so far this year. Both very memorable hunts with great friends and all bowkills.
Going to try for at least 2-3 more does but going to be busy with holidays next two weekends.



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[deep woods goat hunter]

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