Dead doe down!!!!

We are advocates of the QDM philosophy and have been implementing those principles since we began managing our farms.  As a result we have seen a substantial improvement in our buck to doe ratio and a steady improvement in the quality of our bucks, does and fawns.  For example, this year we have harvested about 125 does and only 12 bucks.  The buck count includes a few button bucks that we have killed by accident and 7 mature bucks with at least 3 of them being 5 1/2 years or older.  The gross antler scores of those bucks is as follows 159, 156, 155, 149, 143, 130 and a management buck that grossed 100 inches.  We have been consistent in taking an average of 10 does for every mature buck that we harvest.  
 

We have found that a healthy doe harvest accomplishes several objectives.  

• Most importantly a healthy doe harvest controls the deer population and helps reduce the crop damage.  We have found that if you are not doing this you will not have your farms very long.

• Harvesting any deer is an accomplishment and provides hunter satisfaction and  quenches the thirst of a hunter while he awaits a mature buck

• We have witnessed more intense rutting behavior as fewer does creates competition among the resident buck herd.

• Fewer deer means healthier deer with more for each one to eat and reduced social stress on the deer herd

 Last but not least typically a doe is a little better eating then an old rutting buck and provide excellent table fare!!!  
As you can see our cold box after opening week of gun season is full of excellent venison.