2 Buck vs. 3 Buck: A Third Way.

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Plain Old Dave

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I have been watching and participating in all the threads on this topic all year long, and really I think both the 2 buck and 3 buck people are approaching the problem from the wrong vantage point. Here in Unit B, we're seeing more and more urbanization and sprawl. This means less and less unspoiled deer habitat. And the comments on few mature bucks are many, at least for us here in Unit B; I have been chasing one for two years. Haven't seen him close enough to make a reliable shot with with the iron sighted rifles I have seemed to have in the woods every time I see him; front beads are fine for close in work, but not so much for 175-200 yards. Neither here nor there.

The Third Way, though, is a complete, sober, and reasoned review of doe quotas Statewide. I have seen a massive ONE buck I could conceivably had a shot at in the woods in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons, yet does bed in my yard here in Oak Ridge and I average 10-15 sightings a week HERE IN THE OAK RIDGE CITY LIMITS from roughly October-December. It seems obvious that the possibility that the does are eating the bucks out of house and home here in East Tennessee needs to be studied, and the simple solution is one that was discussed here last year:

Doe quotas based on multi-county habitat rather than county-by-county, and increase them for at least Morgan and Anderson and possibly Knox Counties, and concurrently begin a hunter education program to get the word out in East Tennessee that harvesting does is an important part of responsible game management.
 
P.O.D, I have been following the biological data for along time. And I have good news, unit B will get there. If you were here when counties in middle and west TN went unit L you will see the same trend unit B is in now. Unit B counties in region 4 are killing more mature does than any other unit in TN. Why? Because hunters are just now getting some doe opportunity in that region. It was the same as counties went unit L in middle and west. The doe population was hammered with older class does for years in the harvest. Look now, and all 3 other regions are harvesting 50% or more yearling does over mature does. Why? Cause old does get smart like old bucks. In turn, in those regions we are leaving older does to repopulate. Which is good, mid age does usually produce multi fawns and are better mothers and protect their young better.Unit B is getting there, just like we did. And, by you guys shooting older does, you are getting carrying capacity better for the surviving deer.
Also, region 4 is now the only unit with a yearling buck harvest of <50%. But, every region made its decline as doe opportunity was increased in that category also. You will get there.TWRA is doing a great job, its now up to the hunters to manage accordingly.
I'm almost done with something else you will find interesting. Been working on it in my spare time. Will post soon.
 

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