Quality Deer Management Association

[terrym]

Even if the ratios are heavy to does, bucks will breed multiple does during the rut periods. What they really want is bigger racks which I don't agree with. I and would guess most deer hunters would rather take a deer every year regardless of rack size then a couple monsters in a lifetime. A trophy is a bonus, not the reason to kill a deer.

[Gregoire1960]

The oft perpetuated myth that deer herds have a whacked out 2:1, 3:1, or 4:1 ratio of does to bucks is one BIG reason I don't buy into anything qdma spouts.

No natural herd of any animal survives gender ratios like rhat. Throughout ON the whitetail ratio is almost always 1:1.

Absolutely incorrect. 15 minutes of research or a day in the deer woods will prove that wrong. As for other species, I know that you can remove 30% of the males each spring and still have a healthy population.

[Gregoire1960]

If you want to practice herd management get yourself some sheep.

You have to keep in mind that the QDMA program originated down south, in fenced 'farms' with captive deer that where groomed nutritionally to produce huge trophy racks. The problem is, with the QDMA program catching on here, they are trying to manipulate 'wild' animals that are free to room by using 'living' bait programs and dictating how you should hunt to achieve 'their' goals of herd management.

Nature has a funny way of balancing herd ratio's with the randomness of birth....Doe/Buck is 50/50 at birth. There is no reason, in nature, for that number to get out of whack unless man gets involved.

The MNR has the mandate to control herd sizes and they use hunters (Antlerless tag program) to manipulate the ratios when they feel that the population is growing beyond sustainability.

If your property doesn't naturally support a healthy population of deer, there is a reason and trying to 'bait' them to live there is self serving and not in the best interest of the herd.

Nope. Definitely didn't start on high fenced areas with captive deer. They only suggest protection of yearling and 1.5 yr old bucks, harvesting the APPROPRIATE number of does WHEN NECESSARY to maintain a healthy balance. Foodplots are to provide nutrition. Planting clover and chicory, something QDMA are big on, helps lactating does but is useless during hunting season.

You are correct about randomness at birth. Then the MNR, with no money and no boots on the ground, make "educated guesses" about how many deer are around and what "their" objective is. Maybe the local citizens are complaining about deer / vehicle collisions or farmers are squawking about crop damage. Do you really think that doesn't also factor in to their herd management plan?

If your property doesn't support deer QDMA encourage habitat improvement (harvesting mature timber, creating sanctuaries, improving native browse and plants)) and the planting of food plots if necessary. Dumping bait for deer isn't one of their recommended activities.

I have no problem with hunters that don't care to be selective with their harvest or lack the time, interest or money to improve their habitat, but don't deliberately disparage those that do. My two cents...

[Noseyarentcha]

The Deer Steward Course.
Is this course conducted with fenced in deer?
As in a controlled, completely managed herd so that we learn from those deer?
Lots of learning enviros are controlled, not knocking it.
I guess I'm asking, do we a controlled course and then apply it at home or do we study unmanaged, unfenced deer and apply at home?

[MikePal]

Wow Mike. This is incredibly misinformed. The QDMA has fought long and hard against the captive cervid industry.

I guess I should have clarified...the cull practices and feeding programs used to develop trophy racks were developed at game farms in the US....a lot of the same principles have been adopted by the QDMA or similar programs.

Im pretty sure it's illegal to bait turkeys. Best pass on his invitation.

NO...you just have be 400 metres from the bird feeder and/or stop feeding them 5 days prior to the hunt.

I sure hope you all realized I was being extremely factious with that post; I would never even contemplate hunting a Turkey that way. He's had those Tom's over there for years and I have never entertained it as a way to fill my tag.

[Oddmott]

Absolutely incorrect. 15 minutes of research or a day in the deer woods will prove that wrong. As for other species, I know that you can remove 30% of the males each spring and still have a healthy population.

Looks like you buy into the myth completely.

Please explain how a population with a 50/50 split of the gender at birth ends up losing 75% of its males in your estimation... the strongest, fastest and most cautious of the whitetails?

Answer, it doesn't.

Looks like some folks here probably believe in a whole bunch of myths.

http://www.realtree.com/brow-tines-a...unters-believe

[MikePal]

Foodplots are to provide nutrition. Planting clover and chicory, something QDMA are big on, helps lactating does but is useless during hunting season.

...and the planting of food plots if necessary. Dumping bait for deer isn't one of their recommended activities.

Let's not split hairs here....attracting deer to your property with food is 'baiting'...regardless of it's in the form of a bag corn from the feed store or a planted 'living' food plot.

Hunters have long figured out that hunting over a farmers cash crop yielded better success, modifying the concept with specialized seed mixes to grow feed in the corner of your property with the intent to develop deer with better health..ie bigger racks is still 'unnatural'.

If you were doing it so you could watch deer out your window grazing in you back 40 it would be one thing, but when the goal it to develop wall trophies it's another.

[trimmer21]

I watch North Woods Law. It's interesting that baiting of all big game species in all forms is illegal in The State of Maine. Also,all harvested big game must be reported and recorded at registration stations all over the State. I wonder how QDMA philosophy would fit into that form.

[benjhind]

The Deer Steward Course.
Is this course conducted with fenced in deer?
As in a controlled, completely managed herd so that we learn from those deer?
Lots of learning enviros are controlled, not knocking it.
I guess I'm asking, do we a controlled course and then apply it at home or do we study unmanaged, unfenced deer and apply at home?

The DS1 course teaches principles and practices of property-level deer management. Things like population censuses, setting harvest goals, habitat management, predator management, etc. It is primarily in-class. When I took it we took a couple of field trips to discuss habitat management, native forage assessment, food plot establishment, etc. There were no fenced deer involved or needed for the course, but you do learn a lot about research conducted using both fenced and wild deer (telemetry surveys).

QDMA is a great resource for the science geek who wants to be involved in deer hunting year-round. For me, I like my property to be appealing for deer. I only have a few acres so I want to make them count. I also want there to be some big bucks around, so I don't shoot the little guys. Joe Hamilton once told me "If you let him walk, you might get to see what he looks like next year. If you shoot him, you know what he'll look like next year - freezer burnt!"

Anyways, I hunt the way I enjoy hunting. To the critics: you should hunt the way you enjoy hunting as long as it is safe and legal.

[Noseyarentcha]

The DS1 course teaches principles and practices of property-level deer management. Things like population censuses, setting harvest goals, habitat management, predator management, etc. It is primarily in-class. When I took it we took a couple of field trips to discuss habitat management, native forage assessment, food plot establishment, etc. There were no fenced deer involved or needed for the course, but you do learn a lot about research conducted using both fenced and wild deer (telemetry surveys).

QDMA is a great resource for the science geek who wants to be involved in deer hunting year-round. For me, I like my property to be appealing for deer. I only have a few acres so I want to make them count. I also want there to be some big bucks around, so I don't shoot the little guys. Joe Hamilton once told me "If you let him walk, you might get to see what he looks like next year. If you shoot him, you know what he'll look like next year - freezer burnt!"

Anyways, I hunt the way I enjoy hunting. To the critics: you should hunt the way you enjoy hunting as long as it is safe and legal.

Thanks again Benjihind.
I am going to explore this further and make up my own mind.
I can't see any harm in providing the right food for deer.
However I choose to do it.