Thoughts on anterless harvest numbers

[CountryBoy19]

I've been pondering this over the last few weeks. Hopefully somebody more wise than me can help educate me, and anybody else wondering.

Does (as opposed to bucks) tend to stay closer to their central territory/range. They don't venture as far as bucks, correct?

In a county with high bag limits (8 in my county) could a localized over-harvest of does result in a long-term (2-5 yrs) population decline? Or would other does move in from surrounding areas?

The reason I ask: after years of not having good hunting grounds and not enough time to devote to hunting public property or the few private grounds I had access to, I now have my own place with plentiful deer. I'm hungry for some venison (the whole family is) and I hope to fill the freezers. However, I don't want to cause long-term population declines. I would ideally harvest 3-8 deer this fall for meat. Typical deer sightings are ~2-6 does per night (very few bucks) within the ~200 acres I can see from my house, but I've seen as many as 12 at once (including this years fawns which would be spared). Will harvesting 8 does from this local area affect the long-term population drastically? I have no problem focusing on bucks, but I don't care for an old salty buck (at least not for the meat, it would be great to have a wall-hanger). The problem is, I just don't see many bucks that would yield good meat. I've seen a 6-point and 8-point once in a while (a total of 3 times this year), and a spike buck once.

Thoughts? FWIW, I'm a meat-hunter only, don't care much for antlers but something really exceptional (antlers) would be a neat bonus... If I'm going to shoot a buck I would be inclined to do so in muzzleloader season, after the rut.

 

[yetti462]

I live in same county and am overran with deer. Does will move in, we shoot a ton every year and notice no change in population. You can in certain areas where cover is sparse and deer densities are low over harvest. Your area you should be fine busting 3-5 does or if the need occurs shoot 8. Next year they'll be back. I know very few people who fill all their tags. My area has more crop ground than the hay/pasture ground up by you, that helps with the food supply. As for buck meat, don't pass it off as unedible. If you have never canned meat, then I suggest you start. It doesn't get any better.

 

[two70]

Does do maintain smaller home territories( .75-1.0 square miles) and roam far less than bucks(1.5 + miles normally and even larger during the rut) but like bucks they are highly territorial. Dominant does will guard their territory against others forcing less dominant does into lower quality habitat.

High localized harvest of does can, if maintained for several years, certainly significantly reduce the population but I would hesitate to say that harvest alone would lead to a population decline. Does will back fill from surrounding areas if the habitat is of high quality, which is why it would be necessary to maintain the high harvest for several years to see a significant reduction. If you only harvest adult does then the fawns will also typically remain on your land unless/until forced out by more mature does. Good habitat will not remain unused by deer but that doesn't mean that those that survive a season or two won't learn how to avoid hunting pressure. Also, unless the local population is extremely high or you have great habitat that can be hunted with minimum disturbance, it is going to be very hard to kill 8 does. Each one you kill is going to make it harder to kill the next one, especially if you are limiting yourself to adult does.

My advice would be to take 3-5 does this year and the next couple and see how the population responds on your land. If the hunting seems to be significantly more difficult in subsequent years after the first 3, you might want to ease back on the harvest a bit. Keep in mind though that you can't stockpile deer or maintain extremely high population levels for long, sooner or later disease in the form of EHD and blue tongue will rear its head and do the job that you didn't.

The idea that bucks are not as good to eat as does is a myth. Proper handling of the meat(ie. getting it gutted and cooled quickly, not contaminating the meat with glands, urine or stomach contents etc.) is far more important than the sex of the deer. Some of the best deer meat I have ever had was from the oldest/largest buck I have ever killed. Young bucks(and does too) will be slightly more tender than old bucks but we are talking about very small differences with corn and soybean fed midwestern deer. If you have the does you will eventually have bucks when the rut kicks in. The rut continues into the late muzzleloader season too by the way, especially where the the doe population is so large that the bucks can't breed them all in November. Also, bucks will be in better condition meat wise(again very small difference) early rather than late in the season.

 

[two70]

Double post for some reason.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

If your local area gets to be known for lots more deer than the surrounding areas, and if every yae hoo for 50 miles comes in and does his best to limit out, then yes, you can see a population decline. I've seen it myself out north of Trenton. Now, after a few years, and after the plethora of yae hoos departs, then your population will restabilize.
All of this is to say that I do not think that you, by yourself, will cause any noticable decline. Neighboring family groups will expand into your area if those deer in your area develop terminal lead poisoning.

 

[phylodog]

Don't forget to consider how predators impact fawn survival in your area. If you're seeing coyotes regularly and aren't seeing many fawns a significant hit to the adult doe population may take longer to recover. If I were planning to take that many does off of a relatively small area I'd be trapping coyotes year round and shooting any that reveal themselves.

 

[two70]

Don't forget to consider how predators impact fawn survival in your area. If you're seeing coyotes regularly and aren't seeing many fawns a significant hit to the adult doe population may take longer to recover. If I were planning to take that many does off of a relatively small area I'd be trapping coyotes year round and shooting any that reveal themselves.

Good advice. Unfortunately for him, he has to deal with bobcat predation too down in Lawrence County with no legal way to take care of that problem.

 

[snapping turtle]

Back in the early 1980's seeing a doe during season was an event. We never harvested does. The population grew more does survived the winters and hunting seasons. More bucks came over we started a small management program. Does were taken. Now new hunters take more does than I would and several hunters take no does. The population is steady. When a large amount of does are taken off the property the next year seems good for larger bucks. More does on property less overall big bucks but more bucks overall.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Thanks for the insight everybody.

In regards to harvesting bucks, my prior experience with buck harvests is up north in the open farmlands where does are few and far between, and harvested during the rut. IE, my brother's first buck was the largest of the 4 bucks that were all chasing the same doe in circles around a thicket. Despite getting it gutted and chilled immediately, the hormones of the rut, and an excited buck fighting other bucks and chasing a single doe in circles made for the nastiest meat I've ever tasted... that is what I hope to avoid. I'm not anti-buck, but I will be very selective about when/where/how I do it.

Predation is definitely one of my main concerns. If I harvest too many does, that means fewer fawns next spring when the yotes are raising pups which puts more pressure on the fawns that are there... Although I've been seeing fewer coyotes, there are still definitely out there and I am actively trying to reduce their populations as I am able.

Also, I'm not sure how hunting pressure is going to affect me and my harvest numbers. I can only speculate. My intention is to hunt from my bedroom/reloading-room window using my suppressed .308, so as long as they don't catch on that my home is the source of death, I should be ok. I can visually see several hundred acres of open pasture/hay from my house, ~30 of the visible acres are my property to harvest on, mostly all within easy deer harvesting range. ETA, sorry if this offends anybody, we'll just talk it up to different strokes for different folks. Some people enjoy the hunt and that is why they do it. I don't get that much enjoyment out of the hunt, I just enjoy venison.

 

[two70]

Also, I'm not sure how hunting pressure is going to affect me and my harvest numbers. I can only speculate. My intention is to hunt from my bedroom/reloading-room window using my suppressed .308, so as long as they don't catch on that my home is the source of death, I should be ok. I can visually see several hundred acres of open pasture/hay from my house, ~30 of the visible acres are my property to harvest on, mostly all within easy deer harvesting range. ETA, sorry if this offends anybody, we'll just talk it up to different strokes for different folks. Some people enjoy the hunt and that is why they do it. I don't get that much enjoyment out of the hunt, I just enjoy venison.

It will depend a lot on hunting pressure but even in lightly hunted areas deer learn pretty quickly to avoid open areas during daylight, especially when they have plenty of surrounding cover to retreat to. It will also depend on how the deer are using the acreage you are hunting, deer seem to respond to hunting pressure much quicker if you are hunting on a food source as opposed to an area they are merely traveling through from one point to another. Shooting from the house where deer do not expect serious danger and where your scent normally occurs should help keep them calmer longer.

 

[Richwon4]

If any of you guys are "over run" with deer I would love the pportunnity to harvest a couple on your property. I come with excellent references. Our county herd has really suffered which is problematic for my family as we eat almost exclusively venison.

 

[Willie]

.....
All of this is to say that I do not think that you, by yourself, will cause any noticable decline. Neighboring family groups will expand into your area if those deer in your area develop terminal lead poisoning.

This...

If I was in his shoes I'd take a half dozen does and a buck then let the dust settle.

 

[patience0830]

If i planned to eat a buck, I'd want to kill him early during bow season. I've eaten good venison from a buck or two during the rut but they were younger, less dominant deer. As stated above, canned venison is excellent. Makes great beef stroganoff, chili, and beef and noodles.
If the county has a strong enough population that you have an 8 deer limit, I'd say you have no worries about filing your freezer. If the habitat is good for food and cover, you'll have deer again next year. The coyote thing is a real worry. I'm hoping bobcat season is on the horizon soon, though I expect they're harder on turkeys and rabbits than fawns.