Doe Harvest?

[Southern Sportsman]

I know there are tons of variables at play, so I probably can't get a specific answer without more information, but . . . give it your best guesses. A property that is approximately 500 acres. About 40% tillable (usually beans). Abnormal number of persimmon trees that produce a ton of fruit scattered across the whole property and a fair number of oak. Some hunting pressure on surrounding farms, but not excessive and the largest neighbor is selective on bucks killed, though I don't know about their doe killing - but I'm working on that. Very dense deer population is my initial observation. Every time I've been to the farm I've seen a dozen or more deer and often see groups of 8-10 in fields. Most of the deer I've seen are does and small bucks - but that makes sense since I've only been there a few times and always during mid to late afternoon.

What would be a round-about goal for doe harvest on this farm? Again, I know I don't have enough info for a specific answer.

I recently gained access to the property so I don't have much more info at this time. I've got a couple cameras up but they haven't been up long enough to tell me anything.

 

[BSK]

Doe harvests are best based off known population numbers, and adjusted over time through changes observed in those population numbers. However, based on your observation of large groups of deer, I would suggest a mildly aggressive doe harvest the first year; say 7-8. After that first year's harvest, doe harvests should be adjusted based on changes observed.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

Good. That's doable. I was afraid I would need to kill more than I wanted to deal with.

Another question:

Does increased doe harvest (meaning increasing to an appropriate number from a farm which has had very few does harvested over the last 15 years) usually produce any observable improvement in heard health or buck numbers or quality, or is it more of a preventative measure? (i.e., preventing future overpopulation and associated issues?)

I've always believed that doe harvest is an important part of management, but honestly I've never researched the real rationale behind it.

 

[BSK]

The rationale for doe harvests are two-fold:

Herd health is directly related to herd density. For any piece of ground, the habitat can only support so many deer. And it isn't a sudden cut-off point that is "too many." As density increases, average animal performance decreases. So for a single property, the higher the deer density, the lower the quality of each animal, on average. And the only way to control herd density over the long-term is to control the number of offspring producers--the adult females.

Second, removing does helps balance the adult sex ratio. From years of buck-heavy harvests, the adult sex ratio can become somewhat skewed. Skewed adult sex ratios can cause excessive rut stress on bucks, strung-out breeding (a trickle rut), and low competition between bucks for breeding rights (and low competition means little buck movement during daylight during the rut).

All that said, you may find that what you can do with doe harvests on a 500-acre property is heavily influenced by what your neighbors are doing doe-harvest-wise. You may kill a bunch of does, but if your neighbors aren't, your property can become a "doe sink," in that your neighbors' does fill in the gaps in deer density you create on your place through doe harvests. basically, you create a "hole" in deer density by killing does on your property, but each year, the excess does on your neighbors' properties filter in over the following spring and summer and fill in that hole. The next year, it won't look like your doe harvests did any good at all, as you end up with the same number (or more) does than you started with.

On the flip side, if a large neighboring property starts pounding does, your does can suddenly "vanish," as you are sharing your does with your neighbors, and the neighbors are wiping them out.

 

[Boll Weevil]

BSK and I recently had a really great dialogue about the proverbial doe sink. Another thing to consider will be the extent to which you are also improving the habitat on your side of the fence. More and better food, great fawning ground, security cover, etc. In a sense, you could almost be encouraging other deer to immigrate and take up residence in the very desirable capacity you're creating.

I've been watching very carefully for this on my place and while I'm not sure we're in doe sink territory, every year I evaluate the situation through camera survey and observation.

 

[megalomaniac]

Be conservative in your doe harvests and start keeping records. That's the only way to make valid recommendations for annual doe harvests.

You need to know how both buck and doe per age class body weights are trending, lactation rates and fawn recruitment numbers; age structure of harvested deer, amount of browse pressure in late Dec/ Jan.

And it takes several years of trending this data to know for sure the proper recommendations.

IMO, you are better off harvesting a too few than overharvesting them until you get that data.

If that is too much work, then just use anectdotal experiences of hunting quality. It's worthless, but will make you feel better when you choose to kill or not kill a doe- that's what 99% of hunters do