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Tennessee Hunting Forums
Quality Deer Management
Measures of QDM "success"
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<blockquote data-quote="BSK" data-source="post: 284348" data-attributes="member: 17"><p>Actually, that's exactly the answer I'm looking for. The only difference I would want is a numerical way of measuring this.</p><p></p><p>I honestly believe simply "impression" of the hunting experience is critical. Was the season good or bad? Did you see/experience things you probably never would have under your previous form of management?</p><p></p><p>But when it comes to numerical measurement, I think we will have to take a second look at observation data (and some harvest data). In the recent past, observation data has kind of fallen out of "biological" favor, since it's been found that observation data often does not track herd density and composition numbers generated by more accurate methods (with the exception of fawn recruitment numbers). However, what observation data does track accurately is "results per unit effort," such as deer/bucks/shooter bucks observed per hunting hour (or per hunt). For "meat-pole" results, harvests per unit effort (does/bucks harvested per hunting hour or per hunt) is useful data.</p><p></p><p>Basically, are you seeing measureable improvements in what you want? Are you seeing more shooter bucks per unit effort? Are you shooting more bucks per unit effort? Are you seeing and/or harvesting more total deer per unit effort? These may be the critical factors for tracking success on small properties.</p><p></p><p>I would also throw in, "What are you photographing on the property with trail cams?" I keep very close track of the number of unique bucks photographed using my property from late summer through mid-winter (August through January). I estimate each photographed bucks age. I also keep track of which bucks were "harvestable" and which were not (a harvestable buck is a buck that is photographed repeatedly on the property during the hunting season). I can then track the age structure of harvestable bucks from year to year. I think this is extremely valuable information. I may have had absolutely nothing to do with "growing" most of the these bucks, but the fact that our habitat work may be <em>influencing</em> these bucks to use our property during the hunting season is a critical aspect to small-land success.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BSK, post: 284348, member: 17"] Actually, that's exactly the answer I'm looking for. The only difference I would want is a numerical way of measuring this. I honestly believe simply "impression" of the hunting experience is critical. Was the season good or bad? Did you see/experience things you probably never would have under your previous form of management? But when it comes to numerical measurement, I think we will have to take a second look at observation data (and some harvest data). In the recent past, observation data has kind of fallen out of "biological" favor, since it's been found that observation data often does not track herd density and composition numbers generated by more accurate methods (with the exception of fawn recruitment numbers). However, what observation data does track accurately is "results per unit effort," such as deer/bucks/shooter bucks observed per hunting hour (or per hunt). For "meat-pole" results, harvests per unit effort (does/bucks harvested per hunting hour or per hunt) is useful data. Basically, are you seeing measureable improvements in what you want? Are you seeing more shooter bucks per unit effort? Are you shooting more bucks per unit effort? Are you seeing and/or harvesting more total deer per unit effort? These may be the critical factors for tracking success on small properties. I would also throw in, "What are you photographing on the property with trail cams?" I keep very close track of the number of unique bucks photographed using my property from late summer through mid-winter (August through January). I estimate each photographed bucks age. I also keep track of which bucks were "harvestable" and which were not (a harvestable buck is a buck that is photographed repeatedly on the property during the hunting season). I can then track the age structure of harvestable bucks from year to year. I think this is extremely valuable information. I may have had absolutely nothing to do with "growing" most of the these bucks, but the fact that our habitat work may be [i]influencing[/i] these bucks to use our property during the hunting season is a critical aspect to small-land success. [/QUOTE]
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Measures of QDM "success"
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