TWRA Deer Density Survey Results?

[Jarred525]

I am having problems finding the video that discussed how TWRA completes the thermal imaging survey? Did TWRA post the buck to doe ratios that they found? Thanks.

 

[Jarred525]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWGj1XySRXc

Nevermind, found it.

 

[Jarred525]

What is a good number to use for total number of deer per square mile for Giles County, TN?

 

[BSK]

What is a good number to use for total number of deer per square mile for Giles County, TN?

Jarred525,

I have no idea what you want the numbers for, but just remember you cannot use density numbers to calculater how many deer should be on a given-sized property (or use those numbers to calculate how many bucks you should have to work with on a property). Deer move around too much for those calculations to work.

 

[Jarred525]

Here is what I am trying to do (keep in mind I am a novice to camera census, but going to try my first one this year). I was talking to a friend of mine who owns about 600 acres about 4 miles from me. He is planning his doe harvest for this year. He is talking about taking 90 does off of the property this year. That seems way high to me. His property is about 40% ag and the rest hardwoods.

The first thing I told him was a camera census was the best way to get a feel for his ratios. But in advance of that, I was trying to do some rough calculations. I know that in the TWRA deer density surveys, they were finding a ratio of about 1.5 or so to 1 doe to buck in the southern middle TN area. For purposes of this exercise, I was going to assume this property was at 2 to 1. So what I am trying to figure out is a rough estimate of how many total deer the 600 acres holds.

I know we can't really get a better picture until we complete the camera census, but just wanted to figure this out in rough figures. Thanks.

 

[Bayou Buck]

A square mile is roughly 640 acres. Deer density in that area with good habitat is probably 20-30 deer per square mile.

That being said, if that property has the best habitat around the area, there could be much more deer using his property than what the overall estimated herd density is.

 

[Winchester]

90 does seems high for 600 acres, but maybe not. Case in point, I once leased a 600 acre farm in Western KY that was about 70% ag and only 30% timber, and it had the most row crops for a few miles around it, with 3 of 4 adjoining properties being Trophy managed, with little to no doe killing. We killed 50 does a yr for the first 4 yrs and other than becoming a little more hunter wary and slightly more nocturnal, numbers dropped very little on our camera census, and we still saw does galore while hunting. Now we did kill 90% of these does with Bow only hunting, does were off limits during Nov gun season.
My point is, it really depends on what is around you and how its being hunted as well. You may simply have a "doe sink" like we did, or you could seriously reduce your herd?

 

[BSK]

So what I am trying to figure out is a rough estimate of how many total deer the 600 acres holds.

And that's the problem. It simply can't be done. When you camera survey a square mile, you are picking up all of the deer in that square mile as well as many of the deer in the surrounding 8 square miles (the square mile sections to the north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest). This HIGHLY inflates the density estimates for the censused square mile.

Setting doe harvest goals can be quite difficult. My best advice is to assess the habitat of the property in February (is the habitat being excessively browsed at the lowest food availability time of year?) and then set doe harvest goals from that information (if the habitat is over-browsed, plan on killing more does, if the habitat is under-utilized, only plan on killing as many does as you do bucks).

 

[Jarred525]

Thanks.

I have killed 1 doe per 25 acres on my place the last few years and it has seemed to work well for me. Our body weights have increased by about 15%. I was hoping to try and fine tune through a camera census. I guess it will eb interesting to see what the ratio comes out to.

 

[BSK]

Thanks.

I have killed 1 doe per 25 acres on my place the last few years and it has seemed to work well for me. Our body weights have increased by about 15%. I was hoping to try and fine tune through a camera census. I guess it will eb interesting to see what the ratio comes out to.

DEFINITELY collect the data, and then watch the trends from year to year. The trends--whether the numbers go up or down--should be accurate. However, the actual number calculated will not be accurate. In essence, if the trend in doe numbers is down, the doe population is probably down. But the number indicated by the census will not be an accurate number

 

[Jarred525]

Thanks. Things are compounded by the fact that I have the only ag bean field in about a 3 mile radius of the farm. So I know my numbers are skewed high right now based on drawing the deer in on summer food pattern.

I'll keep an eye on my exclusion cages in February and go from there.