QDMA Question
10-23-2006, 04:49 PM
#11
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 25
RE: QDMA Question
Troutman -
What kind of acreage is your 15 ac? If you have a "honeyhole", i.e cover, sanctuary, refuge, or funnel, especially if it is surrounded by pasture and/or cropground, you maynot be able to holdbucks onyour property, but as Phade indicated, although you will lose some deer to other hunters, the more attractive your parcel is, the more deer will gravitate to it and you should see more bucks passing through during season.
If you can get your neighbor with the256 acto let the young bucks walk (after all, 1) if youlet it walk, it MAY be shot be someone else, but if you go ahead and shoot it, you KNOW it's dead!and 2) If you're just "shooting meat", why NOT shoot a mature doe instead of a yearling buck? She will often equal or outweigh him and yield more meat.),you could see results in only a few years - for most hunters, the rack on a 3 or 4 year old buckwould be trophy proportions. We have taken 155-160 BC class 3 and 4yr olds (verified by tooth section) off our original 80 ac "honeyhole" in MO, after putting in basically a "don't shoot a buck unless you're going to mount it" policy. And,not shooting bucks certainly didn't mean we didn't fill the freezer!
Another reason to take does - besides, obviously, venison in the freezer, is that if you shoot the doe, her fawns, in particular, her buck fawn, is more apt to stay in the area, since he will not be driven off the next spring by his mother.
Good luck and good hunting!
What kind of acreage is your 15 ac? If you have a "honeyhole", i.e cover, sanctuary, refuge, or funnel, especially if it is surrounded by pasture and/or cropground, you maynot be able to holdbucks onyour property, but as Phade indicated, although you will lose some deer to other hunters, the more attractive your parcel is, the more deer will gravitate to it and you should see more bucks passing through during season.
If you can get your neighbor with the256 acto let the young bucks walk (after all, 1) if youlet it walk, it MAY be shot be someone else, but if you go ahead and shoot it, you KNOW it's dead!and 2) If you're just "shooting meat", why NOT shoot a mature doe instead of a yearling buck? She will often equal or outweigh him and yield more meat.),you could see results in only a few years - for most hunters, the rack on a 3 or 4 year old buckwould be trophy proportions. We have taken 155-160 BC class 3 and 4yr olds (verified by tooth section) off our original 80 ac "honeyhole" in MO, after putting in basically a "don't shoot a buck unless you're going to mount it" policy. And,not shooting bucks certainly didn't mean we didn't fill the freezer!
Another reason to take does - besides, obviously, venison in the freezer, is that if you shoot the doe, her fawns, in particular, her buck fawn, is more apt to stay in the area, since he will not be driven off the next spring by his mother.
Good luck and good hunting!
10-23-2006, 06:59 PM
#12
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Canandaigua, NY
Posts: 550
RE: QDMA Question
Thanks for the response guys. Tell me if this is a bad idea. I think I could semi-practice QDMA on my property minus the foot plots and things of that nature that might be out of my budget. The neighbors seem like good guys that don't shoot everything. I spoke to the main guy the other day and he said save shooting the young deer because they are the deer of tomorrow. I think there will be some nice deer running around in the next year or two. I could let the young bucks go (justlike my neighbors)and eventually see results. I think that would be the best idea.
10-24-2006, 06:53 AM
#13
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 25
RE: QDMA Question
Troutman -
You may also wantto consider investing in a trail cam to see what is passing through your area -if you know there are bigger bucks using your 15 ac, it makes it easier to pass on the young bucks. The first 160 class buck we took off our 80 was a resident buck which we had seen as a yearling the year we bought the property; we had also found his sheds for two years before catching up with him as he tended a red hot doe.
Best of luck this Fall!
You may also wantto consider investing in a trail cam to see what is passing through your area -if you know there are bigger bucks using your 15 ac, it makes it easier to pass on the young bucks. The first 160 class buck we took off our 80 was a resident buck which we had seen as a yearling the year we bought the property; we had also found his sheds for two years before catching up with him as he tended a red hot doe.
Best of luck this Fall!
10-24-2006, 07:18 AM
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Slower Lower Delaware 1st State
Posts: 1,776
RE: QDMA Question
Phade,
You are correct.I'mjust touching bases on some upfront basic QDM that might enhance the property in 2-3 yrs.
QDM practices can get very elaborate on larger propertys.
A very smallFood Plot doesn't have to be anything elaborate or expensive.Itcould really draw in the deer even if just a small clover plot.
Some Round Up,Garden Tiller and couple bags of Clover.Keep it cheap and simple to start.
Trail cam as somebody already mentioned is also a great Tool.
Bought one last year - best deer huntin tool/toy I've bought in decades.
Anyway - Trout -whatever you do - good luck with it
You are correct.I'mjust touching bases on some upfront basic QDM that might enhance the property in 2-3 yrs.
QDM practices can get very elaborate on larger propertys.
A very smallFood Plot doesn't have to be anything elaborate or expensive.Itcould really draw in the deer even if just a small clover plot.
Some Round Up,Garden Tiller and couple bags of Clover.Keep it cheap and simple to start.
Trail cam as somebody already mentioned is also a great Tool.
Bought one last year - best deer huntin tool/toy I've bought in decades.
Anyway - Trout -whatever you do - good luck with it
