QDMA Buck Harvest Question

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

They say to protect 1.5 and some 2.5 year old bucks. My question is why do they say some 2.5 year old bucks and not all of them. I'm a member of QDMA and I've never heard this explained.

 

[Greg .]

They mean that you want to create criteria to protect as many 1.5 (all if possible) and 2.5 year old bucks as you can WITHOUT "not" harvesting 3.5+ year old bucks. If you make it so strict as to protect ALL 2.5 year old bucks, then you will add too many older bucks into the mix that are under protection.

So, you compromise a bit.

 

[deerchaser007]

Protecting some of the 2.5 is to insure you have enough bucks reaching the older age class. It does little good to implement QDM on a property and pass the 1.5 y.o.'s,.. then turn around and overharvest them at 2.5.
Example....
You have 640 acres you manage. The current buck age structure on the property is 5 yearlings, 4- 2.5, 2- 3.5 , 1- 4.5. You protect the 5 yearlings,.. the 3 bucks 3.5 plus are legal for harvest,.. but you need to protect at least 2 of those 2.5 to insure you have bucks reaching the 3.5 age class next year. Why not protect all 4 2.5 ?? You can,.. but keeping realistic goals and to keep X number hunters satisfied,. you must allow for some 2.5 y.o. harvest.

 

[BSK]

What Greg posted.