Sounds like you really do your homework! What do you use for your research? Trail cameras? Obviously some info comes from seeing the does while hunting too Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes, trail cameras and corn/mineral sites and also paying close attention while hunting and scouting...besides a few hundred hours in a tractor seat per year around the plots and ag fields working with the row crop. As far as harvesting, I mean really I'd just be lying if I said I already knew which deer I was going to harvest for certain. It boils down to spending time in the stand and paying attention to what presents a shot. All the planning in the world won't necessarily make the does you want to walk in front of you during season. You can plan well enough to educate yourself as to what your herd is comprised of, needs and a loose plan as to what you will target if and when the opportunity presents itself. There's a point where the science of it just basically turns into an art....that's the sweet spot that makes it worth it for me and keeps me motivated.
We have a strict rule about only shooting mature bucks (rack outside the ears) and does, and we have increased our buck population a good deal. All those buttons/spikes we passed 3-5 years ago are now shooters on the farm. The # of does you see is going down. I'm hunting a couple hundred acres of farm/CRP/fields/woods with about a dozen guys. And its taken a number of years of following the rules to get to our better ratio. I'd estimate we're around 4:1.
One problem we have is we are in a 1 deer zone so the "old guys" dont want to shoot a doe because then they cant shoot a buck. Then by the last day they are tired and dont want to clean a deer so they dont shoot does Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Is it better to shoot a 2 1/2 doe or no doe if you are trying to cut down on does? I ask because those are usually the age that they start becoming the best breeders, but a lot of times on the last few days you cant be picky... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well, this is just my opinion...I certainly don't know everything and never will but with ratios that are drastically out of whack...I'd say any doe is better than no doe. Personally I'd prefer to leave the does that look to be in their prime as opposed to young does that are un-tested
Anyone an expert at aging does on the fly? When I'm hunting i can tell the difference between a 1/2 and a 9 1/2, but how do you tell the difference between a 3 1/2 and a 6 1/2? Is there any tricks to this skill? Or does it just require shooting lots of does and looking at/testing their teeth?
