Buck to doe ratio where you hunt

[biggamer]

Buck to doe ratios play a huge role in breeding and ultimately herd size and health. Only hunting bucks in an area increases doe numbers. Too many does when mating season comes around and a horny buck has so many does in heat running around the buck chases and chases endlessly. The result of that is he exhausts himself as he’s constantly burning energy, 1 or none of the does get bred, and less chance of double fawns. I will add also a higher winter mortality rate as his energy/fat reserves have been used up for times of extreme snow or lack of food sources. Result is less deer year over year.

The places in US that promote a doe harvest whether it be “earn a buck” or some other program, tend to have a healthier herd, a stronger rut, and most times a higher number of mature bucks in good physical shape.

There is no perfect formula for deer populations but doing this or that for too many years in a row and continually targeting one sex or the other over an extended period of seasons will most definitely change your local herd.

Most hunters watch shows on wild tv or some other hunting media and see hunters chasing mature bucks with many sightings during their sits. This isn’t something that just happens. A healthy doe harvest combined with passing on 1-3yr old bucks contributes greatly to the odds of seeing bucks of similar caliber here in our province. I’ve seen meat poles over the years filled with 10-15 bucks, spikes up to 8ptrs. The same guys filling these poles are often the same ones complaining about not seeing those elusive “big bucks”. If you’re meat hunting then that’s what you do and good on you, but if you have dreams of shooting some 140”plus deer then there are some options to ponder. I hunt for meat and prefer to shoot does, at times I’ll target a specific 4yr old+ buck if I have some evidence of one.

I can confidently say that passing on deer has payed off for me in future years and have seen the same bucks for 3 plus seasons before harvesting. I hold no disregard for a person that doesn’t share a similar interest and simply wants some meat.

To sum it up briefly though, a group of hunters whether as a combined effort or on an individual basis can and will influence deer populations in a specific area even if unintended.

[SongDog]

I really don't know about my area. We are hunting 600 acres that is all 100-200 acre properties that are close together.

From the trail cams you'd say they was way more does than bucks.

Between 5 of us hunting we shot 4 bucks, Seen 11 bucks altogether and I think 10-12 does.

So much land near us that is unhunted, The deer don't stay on certain properties so I don't know how far these deer travel that we seen.

[Sam Menard]

Buck to doe ratios play a huge role in breeding and ultimately herd size and health. Only hunting bucks in an area increases doe numbers. Too many does when mating season comes around and a horny buck has so many does in heat running around the buck chases and chases endlessly. The result of that is he exhausts himself as he’s constantly burning energy, 1 or none of the does get bred, and less chance of double fawns. I will add also a higher winter mortality rate as his energy/fat reserves have been used up for times of extreme snow or lack of food sources. Result is less deer year over year.

The places in US that promote a doe harvest whether it be “earn a buck” or some other program, tend to have a healthier herd, a stronger rut, and most times a higher number of mature bucks in good physical shape.

There is no perfect formula for deer populations but doing this or that for too many years in a row and continually targeting one sex or the other over an extended period of seasons will most definitely change your local herd.

Most hunters watch shows on wild tv or some other hunting media and see hunters chasing mature bucks with many sightings during their sits. This isn’t something that just happens. A healthy doe harvest combined with passing on 1-3yr old bucks contributes greatly to the odds of seeing bucks of similar caliber here in our province. I’ve seen meat poles over the years filled with 10-15 bucks, spikes up to 8ptrs. The same guys filling these poles are often the same ones complaining about not seeing those elusive “big bucks”. If you’re meat hunting then that’s what you do and good on you, but if you have dreams of shooting some 140”plus deer then there are some options to ponder. I hunt for meat and prefer to shoot does, at times I’ll target a specific 4yr old+ buck if I have some evidence of one.

I can confidently say that passing on deer has payed off for me in future years and have seen the same bucks for 3 plus seasons before harvesting. I hold no disregard for a person that doesn’t share a similar interest and simply wants some meat.

To sum it up briefly though, a group of hunters whether as a combined effort or on an individual basis can and will influence deer populations in a specific area even if unintended.

Good post

[Gilroy]

Buck to doe ratios play a huge role in breeding and ultimately herd size and health. Only hunting bucks in an area increases doe numbers. Too many does when mating season comes around and a horny buck has so many does in heat running around the buck chases and chases endlessly. The result of that is he exhausts himself as he’s constantly burning energy, 1 or none of the does get bred, and less chance of double fawns. I will add also a higher winter mortality rate as his energy/fat reserves have been used up for times of extreme snow or lack of food sources. Result is less deer year over year.

The places in US that promote a doe harvest whether it be “earn a buck” or some other program, tend to have a healthier herd, a stronger rut, and most times a higher number of mature bucks in good physical shape.

There is no perfect formula for deer populations but doing this or that for too many years in a row and continually targeting one sex or the other over an extended period of seasons will most definitely change your local herd.

Most hunters watch shows on wild tv or some other hunting media and see hunters chasing mature bucks with many sightings during their sits. This isn’t something that just happens. A healthy doe harvest combined with passing on 1-3yr old bucks contributes greatly to the odds of seeing bucks of similar caliber here in our province. I’ve seen meat poles over the years filled with 10-15 bucks, spikes up to 8ptrs. The same guys filling these poles are often the same ones complaining about not seeing those elusive “big bucks”. If you’re meat hunting then that’s what you do and good on you, but if you have dreams of shooting some 140”plus deer then there are some options to ponder. I hunt for meat and prefer to shoot does, at times I’ll target a specific 4yr old+ buck if I have some evidence of one.

I can confidently say that passing on deer has payed off for me in future years and have seen the same bucks for 3 plus seasons before harvesting. I hold no disregard for a person that doesn’t share a similar interest and simply wants some meat.

To sum it up briefly though, a group of hunters whether as a combined effort or on an individual basis can and will influence deer populations in a specific area even if unintended.

Maybe the MNR should consider a Doe only tag and save a few mature bucks in some areas.

[johnjyb]

I pulled my sd cards this weekend to check for movement the last 2 weeks before muzzy starts. Lots of does, looks like the same 5 doe group I had before gun season. Not 1 buck on any of the 10 cams that are in different sites, on feed, trails, as well as random spots. I had at least 5 different bucks running around on camera for the beginning of November, hoping some of them or different ones are available this week.
John

[gbk]

This thread is a telltale story of the contraversy of the doe to buck ratio debate.

We can read that it is very hard to judge,measure or monitor it.

Also-it is a clear sign how hunters think about it.
Heck : for some doe to buck ratio is as it states-for some,it is mature buck to doe ratio.

From helping deer population taking only bucks to outright nah.
From measurable ratio thru camera and hunting observation,to: nothing tells the true status.

Just enjoy the good times,do what You think is right......as we can see :10 of us can have 100 opinions.

[werner.reiche]

Buck to doe ratios play a huge role in breeding and ultimately herd size and health. Only hunting bucks in an area increases doe numbers. Too many does when mating season comes around and a horny buck has so many does in heat running around the buck chases and chases endlessly. The result of that is he exhausts himself as he’s constantly burning energy, 1 or none of the does get bred, and less chance of double fawns. I will add also a higher winter mortality rate as his energy/fat reserves have been used up for times of extreme snow or lack of food sources. Result is less deer year over year.

The places in US that promote a doe harvest whether it be “earn a buck” or some other program, tend to have a healthier herd, a stronger rut, and most times a higher number of mature bucks in good physical shape.

There is no perfect formula for deer populations but doing this or that for too many years in a row and continually targeting one sex or the other over an extended period of seasons will most definitely change your local herd.

Most hunters watch shows on wild tv or some other hunting media and see hunters chasing mature bucks with many sightings during their sits. This isn’t something that just happens. A healthy doe harvest combined with passing on 1-3yr old bucks contributes greatly to the odds of seeing bucks of similar caliber here in our province. I’ve seen meat poles over the years filled with 10-15 bucks, spikes up to 8ptrs. The same guys filling these poles are often the same ones complaining about not seeing those elusive “big bucks”. If you’re meat hunting then that’s what you do and good on you, but if you have dreams of shooting some 140”plus deer then there are some options to ponder. I hunt for meat and prefer to shoot does, at times I’ll target a specific 4yr old+ buck if I have some evidence of one.

I can confidently say that passing on deer has payed off for me in future years and have seen the same bucks for 3 plus seasons before harvesting. I hold no disregard for a person that doesn’t share a similar interest and simply wants some meat.

To sum it up briefly though, a group of hunters whether as a combined effort or on an individual basis can and will influence deer populations in a specific area even if unintended.

I understood excessive numbers of does had the opposite effect on buck's health. They don't have to chase around to find does because there are so many around and more importantly, they don't have to expend energy fighting other bucks - which is very hard on them. It also makes the bucks harder to find because they spend most of the rut hunkered down with a doe - 24-48hours, and during this time they are not running the woods getting shot.

[LowbanksArcher]

I understood excessive numbers of does had the opposite effect on buck's health. They don't have to chase around to find does because there are so many around and more importantly, they don't have to expend energy fighting other bucks - which is very hard on them. It also makes the bucks harder to find because they spend most of the rut hunkered down with a doe - 24-48hours, and during this time they are not running the woods getting shot.

That's my understanding as well. The upper age class bucks don't need to travel to find a doe in estrus. The result is a lack luster rut experience from the hunter perspective. The lack of bucks and abundance of does also results in yearling bucks running themselves ragged trying to chase down receptive does to breed. And those are the bucks that will struggle months later if there is a hard winter.

[Larson]

Great input everyone. I've been out 9 times this year and seen 7 does, 3 fawns and one I don't know because I only saw its white rear end disappearing in the brush. Zero bucks. That is quite typical of my sightings year over year though. Oh, and it's not a matter of me holding out for a big buck, I just missed the application deadline for the antlerless draw this year.

[FishHog]

The fact that mature bucks act very different than does and young bucks makes accurate observations almost impossible.
They are just way more cautious even avoiding trail cams. Just because we don’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there

Spotlighting at night where legal is probably one of the more accurate methods. Used a lot in the us but not an option in a lot of areas