BSK Is Back, Time to Shape Up QDM

[Deck78]

Guys, I just saw that the godfather is back and we have been neglecting this forum hard. Let's get it back on track! Glad to have you back in the house BSK!

 

[Lincoln Co Archer]

Very much agree. This sub forum was where the real deep discussions went down.

 

[BSK]

Not sure you would want to hear my opinion on where QDM is these days. Bet it wouldn't be very popular.

If you thought I was a curmudgeon back then, you wouldn't believe how surly I am now!

 

[TheLBLman]

Not sure you would want to hear my opinion on where QDM is these days. Bet it wouldn't be very popular.

If you thought I was a curmudgeon back then, you wouldn't believe how surly I am now!

I've also become one of those curmudgeons!
Sadly, QDM (as an organization) seemed to forget the foundation of what it was all about.
They may be re-evaluting that, and I'm all for "quality" deer management,
just not for all the promotions of expensive commercialized crap and gimmicks, much of which is counter-productive to the future of deer hunting.

To appreciate what I'm talking about, take a look at all the advertisements in Quality Whitetails magazine.

 

[DoubleRidge]

LBLman.....you bring up a great point....this forum isn't necessarily about QDM (the organization) as much as it is about QDM (the practice of)..... always appreciate everyone's input on the topic of deer & habitat management.

 

[cbpedigo21]

LBLman.....you bring up a great point....this forum isn't necessarily about QDM (the organization) as much as it is about QDM (the practice of)..... always appreciate everyone's input on the topic of deer & habitat management.

I agree, just good solid management practices is what I would like to see! Everything becomes commercialized to make money in large organizations. But if we could just use the forum to share useful information that would be great!

 

[bigjohn]

Reading the BSK posts were some of the ones that got me hooked on this site back before I first joined. I always appreciate the perspective

 

[Deck78]

Not sure you would want to hear my opinion on where QDM is these days. Bet it wouldn't be very popular.

If you thought I was a curmudgeon back then, you wouldn't believe how surly I am now!

Don't say that! We finally acquired a property big enough to deploy a strategy of overall property improvement to encourage QDM with a goal of having FUN not of just shooting giant monster bucks. Bring on the learning!!!

 

[BSK]

Don't say that! We finally acquired a property big enough to deploy a strategy of overall property improvement to encourage QDM with a goal of having FUN not of just shooting giant monster bucks. Bring on the learning!!!

Deck78, what you want is exactly what QDM should be about: producing healthy deer herds, enjoying managing the land, and over-all having fun. It should NOT be about producing monster bucks. Don't get me wrong; I like shooting monster bucks! Who doesn't! But that should not be the GOAL of QDM, even though a properly run QDM program often does produce the occasional monster buck.

 

[MrJim43]

Good to see you back. BSK. Miss your input on the deer stuff.......

 

[Antler Daddy]

Deck78, what you want is exactly what QDM should be about: producing healthy deer herds, enjoying managing the land, and over-all having fun. It should NOT be about producing monster bucks. Don't get me wrong; I like shooting monster bucks! Who doesn't! But that should not be the GOAL of QDM, even though a properly run QDM program often does produce the occasional monster buck.

How have you or hunters on your farm done the last few years? Hopefully some great pics and info will come down the pike.

Also curious if you adapted Wood's buffalo system on your food plots in rocky soils.

And of course, I think you skipped all the initial CWD mess. I wish that would just go away like a bad dream.

 

[DT33]

I've made it a point recently to differentiate between QDMA and QDM. They certainly don't own the idea of quality management.

 

[BSK]

I've made it a point recently to differentiate between QDMA and QDM. They certainly don't own the idea of quality management.

BINGO!

 

[BSK]

Also curious if you adapted Wood's buffalo system on your food plots in rocky soils.

Honestly, I hate to mention my current food plot system because it is such sacrilege! I truly break EVERY rule in the book for thin-soiled, rocky ridge-top plots, and yet I now have the most productive plots I've ever had. This year's were mind-blowingly successful. I'm actually believing I might be able to grow good crops even through our droughty summers. Going to give it a try this coming summer and see what happens.

 

[BSK]

How have you or hunters on your farm done the last few years? Hopefully some great pics and info will come down the pike.

Like most, we've had our good years and our bad (bad is usually hunter success and not biological "bad"! ). Management-wise we've struggled with maintaining the doe density we want because of the 2007 massive EHD die-off followed by the implementation of a deer eradication program on a nearby Federal Migratory Bird Refuge (they wanted to knock out the deer population that was eating all the crops planted for ducks and geese). And at that, they were fairly successful. Unfortunately, their "success" spread to all of the neighboring private lands as well . But despite the lower than desired doe population, we still had no problem drawing bucks to the property during the acorn and rut months.

Last year was a disaster however. The remnants of Tropical Storm Olga swept through in late October with 100 MPH winds that decimated the forests in my area. Some nearby properties lost 50% of all standing timber. My property wasn't hit that bad, but most of the roads became impassable. And for whatever reason, and this was commonplace on many of the properties hit hard by the storm, deer activity absolutely ceased. Deer even vanished from the cameras. I have no idea where they went (if anywhere). The hunting was terrible. No one killed a deer. Up and down the ridge-and-hollow terrain bordering KY Lake saw similar results. Very, very few deer harvested.

However, the upside has been this year. With so few bucks killed in the area last year, the buck population jumped considerably. No difference in buck age structure, just a lot more bucks. It was a record year for us for the number of unique bucks captured on camera. In addition, like many others in the area are reporting, antler quality per age-class has been astoundingly high this year; like nothing I've ever observed before. I wish I could say we took full advantage, but for some reason (probably nervous trigger fingers from no one killing a deer last year) our hunters were plagued with misses this year. Should have been a record kill for us of good bucks, but we had one MZ misfire and three misses. The only ones to score were myself and my daughter, both on pretty good bucks. If I knew how people are posting photos on here nowdays (the thumbnails you can click on to expand to a full image), I would post them.

 

[TN Larry]

If I knew how people are posting photos on here nowdays (the thumbnails you can click on to expand to a full image), I would post them.

Click on "attach files" at the bottom of the reply and attach the picture. That's all you have to do.

 

[BSK]

Click on "attach files" at the bottom of the reply and attach the picture. That's all you have to do.

You 'da MAN!

 

[BSK]

Early October, late October, and kill MZ season

3 1/2 years old, 218 lbs live weight, grossed 140

 

[BSK]

My daughter's buck late September, mid-October and killed at Thanksgiving

4 1/2 years old, 195 lbs live weight, grossed 120

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Both are great deer, Bryan. Congrats to you both and thanks for sharing! That sucker looks wide and looks to have great beam length. Interesting body weights too with the age difference. I'm guessing the senior had been running does and also a little later in the month.