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Quality Deer Management
BSK Is Back, Time to Shape Up QDM
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<blockquote data-quote="BSK" data-source="post: 4999181" data-attributes="member: 17"><p>Like most, we've had our good years and our bad (bad is usually hunter success and not biological "bad"! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> ). 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 <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite4" alt=":mad:" title="Mad :mad:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":mad:" />. But despite the lower than desired doe population, we still had no problem drawing bucks to the property during the acorn and rut months.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BSK, post: 4999181, member: 17"] 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 :mad:. 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. [/QUOTE]
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BSK Is Back, Time to Shape Up QDM
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