Comments on: Small Acreage Deer Management – Part 2

By: ELVIS FRANKS

ELVIS FRANKS — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:11:39 +0000

I ENJOY YOUR WEB SITE. HAVING HUNTED LOUISIANA SWAMPS FOR 30 YEARS, THEN MOVING TO THE OZARK MOUNTAINS 15 YRS AGO AND HUNTING AND MANAGING 500 ACRES HERE, I AM CONSTANTLY REMINDED HOW WHITETAILS ARE THE SAME EVERYWHERE IN SOME WAYS AND DIFFERENT IN OTHERS. MOST LOCALS HERE SHOOT THE FIRST DEER THEY SEE. ABOUT 25% DRIVE THE ROADS LOOKING FOR MONSTER BUCKS TO COLLECT THE HORNS AND BACKSTRAP ONLY, SO DEER MANAGEMENT IS DIFFICULT.

I’M LUCKY TO HAVE NEIGHBORS WHO OWN LARGE TRACKS AROUND ME WHO ALLOW NO HUNTING OR STRICT MANAGEMENT. WE HAVE FOUND HERE THE 1 1/2 -2 1/2 YR BUCKS WITH THE LARGER RACKS USUALLY DO NOT HAVE AS BIG OF BONE STRUCTURE AND SELDOM ARE OVER 150-175 POUNDS WHEN MATURE (LARGE FOR HERE BUT NOT MONSTR). THEY SEEM TO HAVE SPENT TOO MUCH ON RACK AND NOT ENOUGH ON BONE DEVELOPMENT.

AS A RESULT WHEN MATURE THEY ONLY HAVE MEDIOCRE RACKS. THE ONES WHO START AS SPIKES, BUT HAVE LARGE BODIES PUT ON BODY MASS FOR 3-4 YEARS THEN THEY WORK ON LARGE RACKS. SOMETIMES THEY BECOME THE 200 POUND TROPHIES. WE GO BY BODY SIZE FOR AGE MORE THAN SPIKE OR 8 POINT, ETC. THE RACK THEY HAVE AT 4 1/2 UP IS WHAT’S IMPORTANT. BIG BODIES MAKE BIG RACKS IN OUR SUBSPECIES OF DEER. I WONDER IF THIS MAY HOLD TRUE WITH THE SMALLER BODY DEER.

By: Buck Manager

Buck Manager — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:44:36 +0000

The helicopters won’t get them all, but if they run your deer herd down to 200-250 deer or less, then you herd is going take some serious pain if 100 animals are removed annually. Your best bet will be to temporarily reduce the annual buck harvest to 1 mature per hunter and 0 does. On the bright side, any does trapped in the fence will immediately add to the herd when they fawn in the next few months. You may also have to cut the number of hunters.

Your best bet is to estimate the deer numbers on your property will be to do some spotlight surveys in mid-August. This data will help you estimate deer density, the total number of deer, fawn crops, and the buck to doe ratio. At this point you can make harvest recommendations to achieve your short and long-term goals.

By: Tom C.

Tom C. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:45:17 +0000

I currently manage a 14,000 acre hunting lease in southeast Oklahoma. The owner plans to put a high fence around the total acreage this spring. The property is approximately 25% timber, and rocky pastures. They plan to run 3,500 head of cattle. In addition, in some areas and a lot of traffic going and coming to gas wells. I am sure the owner will not do any food plots or introduce any new whitetail deer for breeding. I currently lease to 36 people with a harvest limit of 2 bucks and 1 doe. In Oklahoma, the game department attempts to run out as many deer as possible with helicopers before the last mile of fence is completed. In your opinion will this lease survive under thest conditions? Please give me some deer management recommendations. Thanks.

By: travis

travis — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:06:50 +0000

So after reading this article it brings me to my observations this past few days. I was hunting in the middle of texas on a high fence place (kimble county) I saw many bucks still chasing many young does. Knowing high fence ranches seem to have defferent behaviors than some I noticed several deer still fighting for does. I was even able to call a few up. Now this ranch is FULL of 8-12 points between the age of 2 1/2 to 4 130-155 b&c The observations were awesome. Learning about axis deerand the year round shedding I also saw many gold medal winners comming about 36-38in. I agree with this article and have learned the details seem to follow closely.