Let's talk percentages..

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BackWoodsHunter
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Let's talk percentages..

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Sun Dec 25, 2011 1:59 pm

For the stats lovers, I was doing some thinking today and want to see input of others. This is fueled based on the mature buck hunting thread as well as the amount of hunters I saw in the woods today.

What percentage of a healthy deer herd consists of mature deer, bucks and does, bucks or does seperately?

It is realistic that few of us hunt where the deer herd is considered accurate or healthy. What percentage of your neighborhood deer herd is made up of mature bucks? Mature does? Combined?

Of the land you spend your time hunting on, what percentage of it actually holds deer. I saw a lot of trucks in a small area today. When you figure there are 8 cars parked over the course of a mile, even if they don't carpool, there are 8 guys in the woods. To me that seems like a lot of pressure. Then when you figure there is a good chunk of the land they are hunting on they will never see a deer in daylight, that really shrinks down the public land even more. So what percentage of the land you are hunting holds the deer during daylight? (bedding, or safe areas for daylight movement)

We discussed that as deer age they travel less. So how much of the land you are on holds the older deer?

I can't think of anymore right now but if anyone has any other thoughts would be interesting to hear.


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JRM6868
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Re: Let's talk percentages..

Unread postby JRM6868 » Sun Dec 25, 2011 7:01 pm

One farm I hunt holds no mature bucks they are on the neighbors and they pass through occasionally. The other farm I hunt doesn't hold mature bucks until the third week of October. Both farms have a few mature does if I had to guess my mature deer percentage is low.

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JV NC
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Re: Let's talk percentages..

Unread postby JV NC » Sun Dec 25, 2011 11:28 pm

That makes my head hurt, thinking about it. :)

I'm just curious.....what can you hope to learn, hearing all the totally guessed-upon percentages from everyone's hunting property?
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Re: Let's talk percentages..

Unread postby dan » Mon Dec 26, 2011 12:23 am

I keep pretty good tabs on my deer and still think it would be a total geuss. I would also have to guess seperatly for each property I hunt. Right now in the marsh by my home I know of 3 mature bucks... There is probably more than that, so I would guess 5 or 6 that are in the marsh at least some of the time. Does? there is probably about 15 to 20. The doe population is dwindling because of the free buck tag you get with every doe. Immature bucks? I would say about 30.
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BackWoodsHunter
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Re: Let's talk percentages..

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Mon Dec 26, 2011 3:10 am

JV NC wrote:That makes my head hurt, thinking about it. :)

I'm just curious.....what can you hope to learn, hearing all the totally guessed-upon percentages from everyone's hunting property?



I'm simply curious...

I am mainly curious to hear how much land people think actually hold the deer. These public spots are pounded and when you think oh well there's a couple thousand acres out there so it can handle the dozen or more hunters on it. But when you realize a lot of those acres are open hardwoods or acres of cattails with no high ground for a deer to lay down on, you wonder how many acres are holding how many deer on this property? If the hunters want to be in the game, they are hunting those spots where the deer are at which IMO reduces the amount of land out there being hunted. Just something I was curious about is all, no one has to answer.
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Re: Let's talk percentages..

Unread postby Stanley » Mon Dec 26, 2011 5:11 am

I really don't have a clue. Too much traffic in and out. Too many get picked off by the orange army. I could guess but not sure how accurate it would be. I do keep very good account of bucks on the properties I hunt.
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Re: Let's talk percentages..

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Mon Dec 26, 2011 5:23 am

I shouldn't have said percentages I just couldn't come up with more clear ways to structure those sentences?!?!

Just a general idea of the mature deer population in your area relative to the total deer population where you're hunting would be interesting. In one spot I hunt there is one mature buck that I know of, and even he is a surprise because everyone shoots everything and living conditions are poor for the deer especially in the winter. Other spots on public land, I would say based on habitat there should be quite a few mature deer, but the sign I am finding leads me to believe there are less. Combine that with extended gun hunts and tons of hunters it seems there are a lot more people in search of the deer than there are deer that exist. Another spot I hunt I would be shocked if there was less than 5 mature bucks within a mile or so radius, the food is good habitat provides enough cover to hide and the hunters in the area lack the skills to kill all the bucks every season even though there are tons of hunters and pressure. I have no percentages either.
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Re: Let's talk percentages..

Unread postby JV NC » Mon Dec 26, 2011 6:13 am

We (my neighbors and I) are hunting approx. 2.25Sqm.. In that area, I'd "guess" there's +/- 10 bucks 3.5 and older, before the season starts (residents). Once the season starts, I'd say fewer resident mature bucks, supplemented by bucks of that age from other areas, cruising.

I have never seen 2 @ one time. I typically see one 3.5yo. (or older)/season. This season, I saw 2. I've seen exactly 2 bucks older than 3.5 in the last 7 seasons. Luckily, I've killed both of them.

I also hunt in pretty thick cover. There are times when a buck (deer) could go by me @ 30yds and I wouldn't see it. That's not at all out of the question.

Since the largest does aren't necessarily (or, even likely) the oldest, I can't even begin to guess as to their age structure statistics in the herd I hunt.
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