Too Many little bucks??

[jard]

I hunt a farm (about 100 acres) in Lewisburg near the duck river. Its thick scrub land with some hard woods but it has 3-4 open fields on it about an acre each. Its usually very hard to hunt as the deer are passing through the place and you just have to catch them walking. This is my 3rd year on the farm. This year I planted the fields for the first time with clover and wheat and they have turned out pretty well. I have seen more deer in 4 hunts this year than the previous 2 years combined as the deer actually have a reason to come out in the open.

My question is this: Can you get too many small bucks? I have seen in person (and on my cams) at least 6-8 of little yearling bucks. I'm talking spikes or small 4 points. I had one yesterday lean on the tree I was in!!! I only climbed up 10 ft so you can imagine how close I was. I do have 1 pic of a solid 8 pt on camera. I know there is usually a decent deer killed in the area every year. I have never shot a small buck as I'd rather just kill some does. Do you just keep passing them or do you clean some of the small ones out.

 

[ImThere]

Keep passing

 

[ROVERBOY]

If they're hitting the food plots good, I'd guess that when the rut hits hard that there might be a good buck or two around. I wouldn't kill a young buck either.

 

[Trevor2]

Let em grow then ull have big bucks. It kills me when I hear the ppl who believe that once a spike always a spike crap.

 

[in the dog house]

Unless I where good at aging bucks I would let them walk. If you are good at aging bucks and you see an old fork horn, shoot it!

 

[Boll Weevil]

If you are good at aging bucks and you see an old fork horn, shoot it!

Agree, otherwise learn to evaluate bucks on age vs. antlers. Keep passing those young deer if you want older more mature bucks but also accept that your neighbors will likely have some impact as well.

 

[stringtalker]

Cant eat them horns, lol

 

[dixieman]

I am seeing the same thing this year myself. 5-8 1.5 YR old and 1 8pt 3-4 YR OLD. I'll just let'em walk and wait for the big one!

 

[WORM82]

Shoot whatever makes you happy!

 

[slagtown_dfa]

Last year I counted 18 different 1.5 year old bucks passing through a 6 acre plot of woods. If you shoot a 1.5 year old he will never be a mature buck.

 

[jard]

yeah, yeah. I know passing them is the "right" thing. But they piss me off. An no, I'm not great at aging 2-4 years but these are all young, young bucks. Skin and bones, small necks, no bodies. I'm just dying to get my first crossbow kill

 

[in the dog house]

My suggestion is look at some charts. Not hard to find and bucks are pretty easy to age from 2 to 4 after that is when it gets tricky. I have learned a ton on here about aging. Just read the trail cam thread and your judging will improve quickly.

 

[Mike Belt]

If you want to kill one then kill it. Have they been there all year or are they transient bucks? If they are there for the winter they may be inclined to transition back there for season's to come; thus your future potential shooters. If you want a shooter hold out.

 

[LIL JOKER]

we used to have the same on a little patch of woods about 30 acres the young deer would pass by we let a lot of young bucks go ..we called it spike hill..finally last season our 10 and final year my brother shot a 140 10 pter

 

[Florida Cracker 971]

Wow! Seeing young bucks pisses you off, sounds like you're in the woods for the wrong reasons. I've never gotten upset seeing deer.

 

[Realtree]

Once a spike always a spike if you shoot it!! LOL

 

[deerhunter10]

yeah, yeah. I know passing them is the "right" thing. But they piss me off. An no, I'm not great at aging 2-4 years but these are all young, young bucks. Skin and bones, small necks, no bodies. I'm just dying to get my first crossbow kill

You need to do some thinking about why you're in the woods. Pass them if you want an age structure and no you can't eat horns but I would say the majority of the people have why more fun chasing horns then not..

 

[Tennessee Lead]

I would have to go through each one and count but I am somewhere around 30 different bucks and I ain't complaining.

 

[BuckHunter511]

Think of all the big bucks you will have!

 

[BSK]

Two things to think about concerning buck age structure and what you see while hunting:

First, even in an area with a good buck age structure (mature bucks are present), yearling bucks make up a huge percentage of the total antlered buck population. In fact, they usually make up HALF of all antlered bucks. Even in intensively managed areas, it takes a ton of young bucks to make just a few future mature bucks. That's just Nature's way.

Using camera census data from a bunch of different properties from the Deep South to trophy managed properties in IL and IA, a "good" buck age structure looks like:

Buck age: percent of antlered population

1 1/2: 50%
2 1/2: 25%
3 1/2: 15%
4 1/2+: 10%


A second point to remember is that bucks of each age-class are not equally observable to hunters. As bucks age, they get better at avoiding hunters. What I'm getting at is just because mature bucks may make up 10% of the antlered buck population, don't expect 10% of your buck observations while hunting to be mature bucks. You may end up seeing none of those mature bucks, as in the Southeast, bucks become highly nocturnal once they reach maturity. And even though yearling bucks make up 50% of the antlered population, it would be normal for a much higher percentage of your antlered buck sightings to be yearlings, as their lack of wariness makes them highly observable.

 

[Bone Collector]

If you want meat shoot them. If you want horns, let em live.

 

[BSK]

If you want meat shoot them. If you want horns, let em live.

Very succinct and well stated.

 

[stik]

if it's like our place, you'll have a whole new crop of young bucks next year and this year's bucks have disappeared.

 

[MUP]

Two things to think about concerning buck age structure and what you see while hunting:

First, even in an area with a good buck age structure (mature bucks are present), yearling bucks make up a huge percentage of the total antlered buck population. In fact, they usually make up HALF of all antlered bucks. Even in intensively managed areas, it takes a ton of young bucks to make just a few future mature bucks. That's just Nature's way.

Using camera census data from a bunch of different properties from the Deep South to trophy managed properties in IL and IA, a "good" buck age structure looks like:

Buck age: percent of antlered population

1 1/2: 50%
2 1/2: 25%
3 1/2: 15%
4 1/2+: 10%


A second point to remember is that bucks of each age-class are not equally observable to hunters. As bucks age, they get better at avoiding hunters. What I'm getting at is just because mature bucks may make up 10% of the antlered buck population, don't expect 10% of your buck observations while hunting to be mature bucks. You may end up seeing none of those mature bucks, as in the Southeast, bucks become highly nocturnal once they reach maturity. And even though yearling bucks make up 50% of the antlered population, it would be normal for a much higher percentage of your antlered buck sightings to be yearlings, as their lack of wariness makes them highly observable.

Wow, that really emphasizes the accomplishment of taking at least a 2-1/2 yr old, and extremely highlights taking a 3-1/2 or older buck!

 

[bigtex]

If you want meat shoot them. If you want horns, let em live.

Very succinct and well stated.

Bingo!!!

 

[TheRealSpurhunter]

If shooting a young buck makes you happy and the meat will be sued, go for it. The answer, can you have too many young bucks, NO. The more bucks per doe ratio you have, the better.

 

[BSK]

The more bucks per doe ratio you have, the better.

Within reason. problems can develop if bucks far outnumber does.

 

[Mike Belt]

I've seen parts of seasons where you couldn't buy seeing a doe for all the bucks you were seeing; the majority being young deer. I couldn't begin to explain why. It always balanced out sometime during the season. I like having all those potential shooters coming along.

 

[Boone 58]

Keep passing

X~2........it is a good thang!

 

[Grill-n-man]

There is no shame in taking any deer, or any animal, where the meat will be used to fill a hungry belly, that is why we hunt. Now for your particular case what are you trying to accomplish? If looking for a good mature buck population that is going to take a lot of years, time and money. I wished it was as simple as just letting one walk but it is not and that is probably the least most important thing at this point. First and most importantly is, does the herd have the genetics to accomplish this? Second Is there enough of and correct food source to reach this goal? If not is that something you are willing to spend the time and money for? Third what is the overall population? Is there too many for the carrying capacity of the land? If so, what needs to be taken out? Forth what is the survival rate? Number of fawns lost and for what reason and what is the winter survival rate? Fifth the deer you do see are they there year round or simply moving thru? Sixth is the heard healthy? Several more but I will stop there.
In no way have I meant or tried to be sarcastic or disrespectful but simply stating that there is a heck of a lot more to achieving a population of mature deer than simply letting one walk. I wish it was that easy but in reality it isn't. Hats off to anyone lucky enough to have the property and willing and able to put the time and money into achieving this. But for most of us we hunt leased land that my be available next year or not nor do we have the time nor money. In the end its simply about what YOU want to do so that YOU are happy and have a great hunt.