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Effects of hunting pressure over the course of a season
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<blockquote data-quote="BSK" data-source="post: 5127976" data-attributes="member: 17"><p>I couldn't agree more Andy S., and that's one of the management practices I've changed my mind about dramatically over the years. We always pushed hunters to manage for a more "natural" adult sex ratio. Most unhunted deer herds have an adult sex ratio around 1.2 to 1.4 does per buck (this slight imbalance occurs because does live longer than bucks hence tend to outnumber them). However, years of experience with the high doe harvests needed to push the sex ratio to that level of balance found that instead of increasing rutting activity as was expected, the intense harvest pressure on does simply drove the entire population nocturnal.</p><p></p><p>Taking a look at different properties, their local sex ratio, and observed daylight rutting activity, I've come to believe a slightly higher number of does is perfectly acceptable. As I've said many times, successful deer management is a balancing act between what is good for the deer population and what is good for hunters. I now recommend to managers/hunters that an adult sex ratio of 1.5 to 1.7 does per buck is fine. Achieving that level of balance does not require such an intense doe harvest, and at 1.5 does per buck the competition between bucks is still high enough to generate a lot of daylight chasing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BSK, post: 5127976, member: 17"] I couldn't agree more Andy S., and that's one of the management practices I've changed my mind about dramatically over the years. We always pushed hunters to manage for a more "natural" adult sex ratio. Most unhunted deer herds have an adult sex ratio around 1.2 to 1.4 does per buck (this slight imbalance occurs because does live longer than bucks hence tend to outnumber them). However, years of experience with the high doe harvests needed to push the sex ratio to that level of balance found that instead of increasing rutting activity as was expected, the intense harvest pressure on does simply drove the entire population nocturnal. Taking a look at different properties, their local sex ratio, and observed daylight rutting activity, I've come to believe a slightly higher number of does is perfectly acceptable. As I've said many times, successful deer management is a balancing act between what is good for the deer population and what is good for hunters. I now recommend to managers/hunters that an adult sex ratio of 1.5 to 1.7 does per buck is fine. Achieving that level of balance does not require such an intense doe harvest, and at 1.5 does per buck the competition between bucks is still high enough to generate a lot of daylight chasing. [/QUOTE]
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Effects of hunting pressure over the course of a season
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