My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

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BigHills BuckHunter
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My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Wed Dec 04, 2013 2:30 pm

I started keeping gun hunting stats for my hunting party in 2008 and have done so ever since.

Western Jackson county Wisconsin.
7 hunters in my party

2008: Not much for stats I wrote down I saw one deer opening day sitting all day. 42 deer seen all year between everyone.
This was right after they took out EAB in my hunting zone.

2009: 64 deer seen in my hunting party

2010: 101 total deer seen. 16 bucks 85 doe
Killed 5 doe 3 bucks.

2011: 105 total deer seen. 21 bucks 84 doe
Killed 5 doe 1 buck

2012: 126 total seen 33 bucks 93 doe
Killed 6 doe 1 buck

2013: 180 total seen 31 bucks 149 doe
Killed 9 doe 3 bucks.

Is this buck to doe ratio unhealthy for the population? It seems we have a very healthy herd though. NOTE: All fawns were included in the doe category so some of the does are actually bucks, its just hard to tell if its a buck or doe fawn you have seen while in the woods.


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Dewey
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Dec 04, 2013 2:36 pm

180 deer seen this year between 7 guys!! :shock:

Our group up north hasn't seen that many deer in the last 10 years combined during the gun season. Not kidding and being completely serious!!!!

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BassBoysLLP
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Wed Dec 04, 2013 2:40 pm

BigHills BuckHunter wrote:I started keeping gun hunting stats for my hunting party in 2008 and have done so ever since.

Western Jackson county Wisconsin.
7 hunters in my party

2008: Not much for stats I wrote down I saw one deer opening day sitting all day. 42 deer seen all year between everyone.
This was right after they took out EAB in my hunting zone.

2009: 64 deer seen in my hunting party

2010: 101 total deer seen. 16 bucks 85 doe
Killed 5 doe 3 bucks.

2011: 105 total deer seen. 21 bucks 84 doe
Killed 5 doe 1 buck

2012: 126 total seen 33 bucks 93 doe
Killed 6 doe 1 buck

2013: 180 total seen 31 bucks 149 doe
Killed 9 doe 3 bucks.

[glow=red]Is this buck to doe ratio unhealthy for the population?[/glow]It seems we have a very healthy herd though. NOTE: All fawns were included in the doe category so some of the does are actually bucks, its just hard to tell if its a buck or doe fawn you have seen while in the woods.


Still OK, but you are definitely moving in the wrong direction. Glad to hear doe kill is trending with your sightings.
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BigHills BuckHunter
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Wed Dec 04, 2013 2:52 pm

Dewey wrote:180 deer seen this year between 7 guys!! :shock:

Our group up north hasn't seen that many deer in the last 10 years combined. Not kidding and being completely serious!!!!

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Hunting 50/50 woods/farmland produces a lot of deer. Add in all the private properties surrounding kicking up deer and we see quite a few.

Dad saw 23 opening day, uncle saw 28 opening day. This is just sitting in one spot all day too. We dont do drives until Day 3 or 4 if not then Thanksgiving.

BASSBOYS: Yeah we also killed 4 doe during bow season so that helps too.
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby JV NC » Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:00 pm

Is this buck to doe ratio unhealthy for the population?


If it was the actual ratio, I'd say it was.

But, basing a ratio on sightings is not very accurate. Does are much more social than bucks, especially during hunting season.

I wouldn't put a lot of faith in those numbers. There's more bucks there than you're seeing.
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby goldtip5575 » Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:06 pm

149 does seems like a lot for any area are you sure your not counting the same deer multiple times?Are you all hunting the same block or are you miles apart?If in same block Im sure your dad and uncle saw the same does.
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby BigHunt » Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:11 pm

goldtip5575 wrote:149 does seems like a lot for any area are you sure your not counting the same deer multiple times?Are you all hunting the same block or are you miles apart?

x2
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BigHills BuckHunter
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:29 pm

BigHunt wrote:
goldtip5575 wrote:149 does seems like a lot for any area are you sure your not counting the same deer multiple times?Are you all hunting the same block or are you miles apart?

x2


Very well could be same deer. They hunted quarter mile apart. I'm sure there were recounts.

I guess overall I like to write down every day a recap of what happened so I can look back many years later and enjoy the memories. I write in much detail and looked back 4 years ago and was amazed a few things I would have forgotten. It's more of a journal.

Looks like the only true stat I could see changes in is total deer population.
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:36 pm

I see no problem with the herd and I would say you are doing just fine. If you try and kill does to regulate ratios like the magazines say, in my opinion, you are shooting yourself in the foot. Does regulate the buck numbers no other way around it. So you have 10 does and 4 bucks(hypothetical). You kill 2 bucks and 4 does you now have killed 4 buck producers and 2 bucks. How would this help the ratio? You want more bucks you need to have more bucks born no other way to get bucks. Areas that have low deer numbers also have less buck sightings, just the way it works.

I have no idea what the true buck to doe ratio is in the areas I hunt. I know when I hunt areas with low deer numbers the hunting is tough to find a good buck. The areas with high deer populations are the best for producing good bucks. When people ask me what I look for in an area to hold big bucks I tell them look for areas with plenty of does.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby goldtip5575 » Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:57 pm

Stanley wrote:I see no problem with the herd and I would say you are doing just fine. If you try and kill does to regulate ratios like the magazines say, in my opinion, you are shooting yourself in the foot. Does regulate the buck numbers no other way around it. So you have 10 does and 4 bucks(hypothetical). You kill 2 bucks and 4 does you now have killed 4 buck producers and 2 bucks. How would this help the ratio? You want more bucks you need to have more bucks born no other way to get bucks. Areas that have low deer numbers also have less buck sightings, just the way it works.

I have no idea what the true buck to doe ratio is in the areas I hunt. I know when I hunt areas with low deer numbers the hunting is tough to find a good buck. The areas with high deer populations are the best for producing good bucks. When people ask me what I look for in an area to hold big bucks I tell them look for areas with plenty of does.

Stanley I believe in your thinking more than a QDM guru that wants a 1:1 ratio.His claim is that the doe will kick her buck fawn from the area and he will never return,therefore shooting a doe with a buck fawn early season is what you should try to achieve as the doe will be gone and the buck fawn will stay.He got me thinking a little just a little though.
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby backstraps » Wed Dec 04, 2013 4:14 pm

I don't think what your hunting party is seeing very representative of what your actual buck to doe ratio is.

It takes a pretty good census of the property to get a close b2d ratio. I assist in conducting surveys in a fenced in 6600 acre facility. It is really hard to get a good idea of a buck to doe. Especially by what you are seeing on stand. You have to account for the year round population...for instance if you were perched in an observation stand Mid August, and seen a couple bachelor groups, then your buck count would spike. Most of the time, in hunting situations you wont see big summer bachelor groups as they most likely have already busted and split up.

Honestly I agree with Stanley and think you are doing pretty well.
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Wed Dec 04, 2013 4:19 pm

Good point Stan. My dad has the same idea too. I just wondered if there were really that many more does than bucks, would there be a less intense rut due to excess does? For example less chasing due to more does to find and breed.

Another thing that worries me a bit is overpopulation. However I thought about it and I think nature will take care of itself. We could have a very high population of deer then a heavy very cold winter hits. The winter takes out the weak and old deer first therefore improving the population and herd. Survival of the fittest.
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby backstraps » Wed Dec 04, 2013 4:22 pm

I don't think you really have that many more does than bucks... when season rolls around those bucks are more nocturnal, or at least close to bed near sunrise and down until close to sunset = less likely to be seen during daylight hours.

Curious, if you are allowed to shine where you are located, what kind of ratio do you see at night?


Not saying you don't have a big difference in the ratio by no means... there is a local county I can drive and see 100 deer last hour of light and maybe see 8-9 bucks
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Wed Dec 04, 2013 4:34 pm

backstraps wrote:I don't think you really have that many more does than bucks... when season rolls around those bucks are more nocturnal, or at least close to bed near sunrise and down until close to sunset = less likely to be seen during daylight hours.

Curious, if you are allowed to shine where you are located, what kind of ratio do you see at night?


Not saying you don't have a big difference in the ratio by no means... there is a local county I can drive and see 100 deer last hour of light and maybe see 8-9 bucks


I should have touched on this earlier. Yes I do a lot of shining and the ratio I see OVERALL in the entire shining season must be close to 1 buck to 3 doe but that's just a guess might even be 1 buck to 2 doe. I understand and agree with your comment about seeing more bucks in Mid August. Another example is having out a trail camera during the rut over a scrape we had 8 different bucks and one doe.

This relates to your other bedding comment. Dan mentioned this in one of his videos that big bucks sometimes bed in very isolated bedding areas that people overlook. This can happen normally but especially once the pressure picks up. This happens in our area. That's why I killed a really good buck behind our barn a few years ago bedded under a fallen tree covered in brush surrounded by open pasture. This goes to show what you and others have said that the bucks are just not being seen.

Thanks for all the responses guys. :)
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Re: My own deer harvest numbers/seen/killed last 6 years

Unread postby Swampthing » Wed Dec 04, 2013 4:44 pm

Wow our hunting party saw a total of 6 deer for 7 people.

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