Harvesting does

[awlb]

We hunt 500 acres mostly cropland with a creek through the middle of property and approx. 100 acres of woods and growth along the border of creek. In addition the neighboring property to the north is 100 acres of untouched woods that nobody hunts. We harvested 8 does this year and 5 last year, and one 8 and one 4 point buck over that same period. We have seen as many as 30 does on the property in one day. Are we harvesting to many does? Do we need to harvest more? The does we killed in the second season were all pregnant, should we not harvest these late does? In addition we have property across the road, 60 acres which did not harvest any, it borders 200 acres of woods that supposedly is hunted but heard very few shots and never saw anyone hunting. We have seen lots of activity in the area, rubs and scrapes and worn trails, somedays we would see 30-40 does on the borders. Overall I'm worrried about killing to many does, thanks for your input.

 

[BowGuy84]

Doesn't matter when you kill the does. They are either pregnate, or would be pregnate.

8 does for 500 acres of mostly crop land doesnt sound too high. Rule of thumb is 1-2 per hundred acres. If the area wasnt decimated from EDH you should be fine.

 

[BigCountry71]

I like to harvest does early in the season. Less does come the rut. The more the boys are on there feet looking.

 

[BowGuy84]

I agree BC71...I was just saying it doesnt make a difference as far as population goes.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

If you are in unit A or L, 8 would be very conservative IMO. And it doesnt matter when you kill them (early or late). For each doe you kill, there will be anywhere from 1-4 deer less for next year just from that one.

 

[richmanbarbeque]

I like to harvest does early in the season. Less does come the rut. The more the boys are on there feet looking.

Also more food left for other deer.

 

[BSK]

awlb,

Did you see significantly less does this year? How many adult does (not including fawns) did you see per antlered buck? What was your ratio of observed fawns to does?

Doesn't sound like too many does killed for cropland, and seeing 30+ deer in a day is a considerable number of deer. But then cropland can also support a considerable number of deer.

 

[awlb]

BSK, we saw more does this year;it seemed like 8-10 does per buck; 2 fawns per doe.

 

[jaypz4]

well this is the first year i did not take a doe at all! i saw less does and more so very few fawns! this had me worried alot so i just did not take a doe. i think our area needs another year to recoup from the ehd affects of last year. imo!

 

[Radar]

Sounds like you need to kill more , not fewer does .

 

[BSK]

Fire away! Sounds like you're not taking enough.

 

[Mike Belt]

When the sign is still there but you're not seeing the does you've begun to make a difference in your doe populations. As long as you're seeing them like you say I'd keep firing away. They get as skitterish if not more so than the bucks. If they were more solitary animals like the bucks you'd probably never see them.

At Ames where I hunt some are worried that we are taking too many does. I don't guess that's an impossibility but very unlikely. In areas that normally supported alot of doe sightings they were down. Again this has alot to do with how they react to direct hunting pressure. Some areas, those that are easily accessable and aren't hard to get downed deer out of, probably get hammered more so than the more remote areas. Under those circumstances I can see where some areas may experience overkill while others are under hunted. Overall, the doe kills average out. It doesn't take long at all for the "doe voids" created by overshooting certain areas to fill back in with does from adjacent areas, particularly when they are premium areas.