[Nighttimer]

Still new at the QDM thing and I'm hoping you guys can help. I'm wondering if I shot the right deer this morning. I took a small 5 pt that is much smaller than the other young bucks I've seen. My guess at the deer's age is 1 1/2. It was my last day (I don't gun hunt) and I wanted some venison. Let me give you guys a little background of the property I hunt. It's a 1,700 acre farm east of Grand Rapids. I have permission to hunt 150 acres of which 110 acres are field. My hunting partner and I have seen around 6 bucks 3 1/2 years or older, 12 or so 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 year old bucks, and a couple button bucks in the area we hunt. A few more mature bucks have been spotted in fields within a mile of where I hunt. I see about 1.5 does to every buck. We only have time to hunt weekends so we don't see everything. These deer seem to travel more than other areas I've hunted. Maybe due to all the farm fields in the area? So, did I kill the right deer? Should I have taken a doe instead. I haven't posted a picture on here before so I'll post the link. This buck's genetics didn't seem to be as good as the other young bucks I've seen and that's why I decided to shoot it.

http://files.triton.net/mgraj/100_1568.jpg

 

[Ferg]

Sounds like you passed on pleanty of animials of all sizes and descriptions, and on your last day of hunting you took advantage of your last opportunity and put one in the freezer -

I don't see how there can be any 'right' or 'wrong' with that decision.

Good job - enjoy the back straps !!!

ferg....

 

[Nighttimer]

Trust me, Ferg, I didn't pass on the older bucks on purpose. They never presented me with a good shot. But I'm already pumped about next year with some of the bucks I saw the past 3 weeks.

 

[mallardtone-man]

You dont bow hunt the late season? And, correct me if I am wrong, but isnt it legal to bowhunt during the rifle season as well?


James

 

[Muddy Fork]

First and for most be proud of every deer you take you owe that to the deer. The rules on our property are not to take a buck unless it's your first or your going to shoulder mount it. I've read and heard from all the experts that age, nutrition, and then last genetics play the role in antler size. Also it's proven it takes up to 4.5 years to see a bucks true potential. I haven’t taken a buck for four seasons now mainly because I've been to busy to get back into hunting hard core, but I've passed on lots of small bucks and have taken several does. So for the QDM standpoint and our rules I would have past.

 

[Nighttimer]

Mallardtone,

I should have been more clear. I don't have permission to gun hunt because other people do. And they hunt muzzleloader too so my time would be very limited in December.

 

[Randy Kidd]

If you are happy with it..then it was the right deer to take!! Hunt for your own reasons, Validation from others is pointless if you are happy...Then a hearty congrats on a nice deer!!!

 

[Nighttimer]

Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of any clean kill I make. One of the reasons I have permission to hunt the property I do is because I was willing to practice QDM. This area has great potential for large bucks as we've seen a couple that would score 130+. I posted this in the "Deer Management Section" forum because I had a question on management. I'm not ashamed of the buck I've taken but just wondering if I'm on the right track.

 

[Muddy Fork]

I took it he was asking about QDM not if should be happy with it. Of course he should be happy with it and it should be some good eaten.

 

[Trophy Specialist]

In answering your question, by harvesting a healthy yearling buck you did not practice QDM. It sounds like you have lots of deer in your hunting area, so QDM priniciples on such a property would involve passing up yearling bucks and harvesting adult bucks and does. Was it the right deer? Only you can answer that question.

 

[Nighttimer]

Thanks Trophy Specialist. That's the answer I was looking forward. I think we confused Trophy Management with Quality Management by taking a young buck that lacked potential. Here's another question I'm hoping someone can answer or know where to find it. If the buck to doe ratio is near 1:1 and I want to take a deer, what's a good deer to shoot?

 

[Munsterlndr]

Thanks Trophy Specialist. That's the answer I was looking forward. I think we confused Trophy Management with Quality Management by taking a young buck that lacked potential. Here's another question I'm hoping someone can answer or know where to find it. If the buck to doe ratio is near 1:1 and I want to take a deer, what's a good deer to shoot?

1.5 year old doe. Try not to take a Button Buck by mistake.

 

[Trophy Specialist]

Thanks Trophy Specialist. That's the answer I was looking forward. I think we confused Trophy Management with Quality Management by taking a young buck that lacked potential. Here's another question I'm hoping someone can answer or know where to find it. If the buck to doe ratio is near 1:1 and I want to take a deer, what's a good deer to shoot?

I'm in the same situation at my U.P. hunting property. We are have about even numbers of does and antlered bucks. I try to shoot adult bucks (2 1/2 years old and older) and adult does in the same numbers, however we have had very poor fawn crops the last two years, so I may not shoot any does this year so as not to reduce the herd beyond what Mother Nature has been doing. I've already shot two adult bucks with my bow this year. We have been under QDM rules for six years and the hunting has improved drasticly.

 

[Nighttimer]

Thanks for the responses. There definitely isn't a lack of 2 1/2+ year old bucks. But we believe there is the potential to shoot a couple 130+ class bucks every year. There is plenty of food with hundreds of acres of corn and a good buck to doe ratio. The only thing it lacks is good cover. The deer use the standing corn fields during the day but they bed across the dirt road on another property at night. Many times they won't leave the corn until after dark to venture across the open field to the road. Thanks again for the responses and I can't wait until next year.