AlabamaSwamper
Well-Known Member
I've been on a honeymoon (GRR, lol) so I have been reading the other thread.
BSK, as a man who does management for a living, what in your opinion is most important?
A: Deer herd overall health regardless of hunters' views or satisfaction.
B: Better than average (or those under traditional management) herds with high hunter satisfaction.
Most properties, including ours, that practice some sort of management cannot (due to unwilling members) produce the data necessary to actually know if the herd health is great, good or bad.
Although, through cameras and past experiences, I can say I believe our herd is better than it was 3 years ago. More fawns being observed with cameras and while hunting. More food plots for the animals and an increase in doe harvest. We have also protected our younger bucks for the most part. We have taken 5 bucks that costs folks some money in two years but that is better than 20 I guess.
We haven't hammered the does nocturnal yet. SIghtings are still pretty good and buck sightings for most of us have tripled the last two years.
While I have no data to prove our herd is healthier (GRR), I can say without a doubt that our hunting has improved (at least the majority of the club, some just aren't good at seeing deer), our buck population is much older on average (cameras tell us this) and with the much needed plots we have put in the last 2 years, there is plenty more food.
I would say we are option B. SOme herd improvement in two years (still a young management property and getting better) but also the hunting has improved. Most likely from not hammering the does. We aren't overpopulated to the extent our plots are mowed down like some areas but we are trying to more so just bring the ratio as tight as we can get it (probably 1:3 or a little less when we started and now 1:2.5) while not hurting our hunting experiences. As with most clubs, once you drive the does nocturnal and people quit seeing deer, you can kiss any management goodbye.
My last question:
Is no management any worse than what we are doing currently or is any management better than none.
As with most properties, we will have to continue to change things as we go as the herd changes I'm sure.
BSK, as a man who does management for a living, what in your opinion is most important?
A: Deer herd overall health regardless of hunters' views or satisfaction.
B: Better than average (or those under traditional management) herds with high hunter satisfaction.
Most properties, including ours, that practice some sort of management cannot (due to unwilling members) produce the data necessary to actually know if the herd health is great, good or bad.
Although, through cameras and past experiences, I can say I believe our herd is better than it was 3 years ago. More fawns being observed with cameras and while hunting. More food plots for the animals and an increase in doe harvest. We have also protected our younger bucks for the most part. We have taken 5 bucks that costs folks some money in two years but that is better than 20 I guess.
We haven't hammered the does nocturnal yet. SIghtings are still pretty good and buck sightings for most of us have tripled the last two years.
While I have no data to prove our herd is healthier (GRR), I can say without a doubt that our hunting has improved (at least the majority of the club, some just aren't good at seeing deer), our buck population is much older on average (cameras tell us this) and with the much needed plots we have put in the last 2 years, there is plenty more food.
I would say we are option B. SOme herd improvement in two years (still a young management property and getting better) but also the hunting has improved. Most likely from not hammering the does. We aren't overpopulated to the extent our plots are mowed down like some areas but we are trying to more so just bring the ratio as tight as we can get it (probably 1:3 or a little less when we started and now 1:2.5) while not hurting our hunting experiences. As with most clubs, once you drive the does nocturnal and people quit seeing deer, you can kiss any management goodbye.
My last question:
Is no management any worse than what we are doing currently or is any management better than none.
As with most properties, we will have to continue to change things as we go as the herd changes I'm sure.
