Here’s some logic for ya….

A conversation that took place between a co-worker and I today……

John: I got a 4 pointer last year

Me: That’s cool……we usually pass on the smaller bucks and hold out for the bigger ones.

John: Well, we never see any big bucks, so we shoot the little ones

Me: Ahhhhhhh…….Don’t you mean “because”?

John: Huh???

Me: You mean……we never see any big bucks BECAUSE we shoot the
little ones

John: Ummmmmmmmmmmm………Noooooooo………not really……….there just aren’t any big ones
around…..besides, we’re only meat hunting anyway.

I’ve heard the same conversation several times by groups that hunt around us. Thankfully things are getting better each year, I just wish they wouldn’t have changed the seasons down here in Iowa

Gotta love the uneducated person’s logic.

I’ve heard the same conversation several times by groups that hunt around us. Thankfully things are getting better each year, I just wish they wouldn’t have changed the seasons down here in Iowa

Gotta love the uneducated person’s logic.

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Thankfully things are getting better each year, I just wish they wouldn’t have changed the seasons down here in Iowa

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What to you mean??

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Thankfully things are getting better each year, I just wish they wouldn’t have changed the seasons down here in Iowa

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What to you mean??

So true Jake!!!! That is a classic example of many hunters thoughts. I think that more and more people are “seeing the light” now then a few years back. Remember when throwing back a 6 lb Walleye was the stupidest thing you ever heard . Now look, people really believe in the catch and release concept. The same thinking holds true here for deer hunting. “Let the little ones go, so they can grow”. I have seen this implemented on a few farms and it is unbelieveable what only a couple years can do (1-3 years of practicing QDM). I have also Hunted on Farms that are great bow Farms, but come gun season the people shoot everything that moves. One year they took 11 forker or spikes off the farm . Then they wonder why they did not see any decent bucks the following couple of years !

Only meat hunting is fine, but shoot the does and keep the herd in check and balance.

Now you got me all reved up Jake

So true Jake!!!! That is a classic example of many hunters thoughts. I think that more and more people are “seeing the light” now then a few years back. Remember when throwing back a 6 lb Walleye was the stupidest thing you ever heard . Now look, people really believe in the catch and release concept. The same thinking holds true here for deer hunting. “Let the little ones go, so they can grow”. I have seen this implemented on a few farms and it is unbelieveable what only a couple years can do (1-3 years of practicing QDM). I have also Hunted on Farms that are great bow Farms, but come gun season the people shoot everything that moves. One year they took 11 forker or spikes off the farm . Then they wonder why they did not see any decent bucks the following couple of years !

Only meat hunting is fine, but shoot the does and keep the herd in check and balance.

Now you got me all reved up Jake

I hunt MN and Iowa and we practice a “wall hanger” only philosophy. Anything 130 or below will walk, and anything above, well we try. I get a kick out of the outdoor news letters to the editor every week, and some of the logic you hear there .

Let you know that we have to better with our education of hte younger generations similar to what Lip Ripper said of fishing. If I could “catch” a big buck and then let him go again that would be my preference, but guns are not as forgiving as fishing rods. Until then, I will eat well.

I hunt MN and Iowa and we practice a “wall hanger” only philosophy. Anything 130 or below will walk, and anything above, well we try. I get a kick out of the outdoor news letters to the editor every week, and some of the logic you hear there .

Let you know that we have to better with our education of hte younger generations similar to what Lip Ripper said of fishing. If I could “catch” a big buck and then let him go again that would be my preference, but guns are not as forgiving as fishing rods. Until then, I will eat well.

What I don’t understand is why ANYONE (aside from maybe first time hunters and parents with their kids along) would shoot a little buck.

Shooting a small 4-6pt buck would do absolutly nothing for me. If you are hunting for MEAT (which is more than fine), just shoot a doe!!!….There are LOTs of them!!! Heck, the DNR is practically beggin us to shoot does in most zones this year (Our buck only season is no longer buck only ). People who will shoot a fork-horn just so they can say they shot a buck really erk me……Give the bucks a chance to grow into somebodies dream deer .

What I don’t understand is why ANYONE (aside from maybe first time hunters and parents with their kids along) would shoot a little buck.

Shooting a small 4-6pt buck would do absolutly nothing for me. If you are hunting for MEAT (which is more than fine), just shoot a doe!!!….There are LOTs of them!!! Heck, the DNR is practically beggin us to shoot does in most zones this year (Our buck only season is no longer buck only ). People who will shoot a fork-horn just so they can say they shot a buck really erk me……Give the bucks a chance to grow into somebodies dream deer .

They added a doe only season the weekend of thanksgiving. Sure stinks for the pheasant hunters, and the 1st season shotgun hunters. And they added a rifle season to southern Iowa. All the details are on the Iowa DNR site.

They added a doe only season the weekend of thanksgiving. Sure stinks for the pheasant hunters, and the 1st season shotgun hunters. And they added a rifle season to southern Iowa. All the details are on the Iowa DNR site.

I agree whole heardetly with the responses. 4 years ago we allowed a bowhunter onto our farm and he harvested 2 6-pointers and the last year he took a 10 pointer that scored 150+ and had the neck of a horse on it. That was the last big deer we saw for 4 years! Last year I had been watching a large bodied deer in the summer and watched him all through velvet. I finally got my chance while hunting the doe season. He scored 135 and to date this is the largest and only buck that i have shot. (Besides button bucks when i was younger)
QDM is key just as it is with the fishing scene.

I agree whole heardetly with the responses. 4 years ago we allowed a bowhunter onto our farm and he harvested 2 6-pointers and the last year he took a 10 pointer that scored 150+ and had the neck of a horse on it. That was the last big deer we saw for 4 years! Last year I had been watching a large bodied deer in the summer and watched him all through velvet. I finally got my chance while hunting the doe season. He scored 135 and to date this is the largest and only buck that i have shot. (Besides button bucks when i was younger)
QDM is key just as it is with the fishing scene.

I agree with QDM but what about the hunters that hunt public land. It is awfully hard to let that little guy go when you no in about 150yds. he gonna get it any way. Every year come deer season I run this through my head. I wish it were an easy clear cut decision but its not After you get a million hunters through the public land the deer become a little smarter and seeing them becomes a little harder, so if one does want some meat to take home some times its a hard decision. It would be nice to have to buy a deer lic. then have to purchase a buck lic. on top of that. The smaller the buck the more it cost, say 500.00 for spike .

I agree with QDM but what about the hunters that hunt public land. It is awfully hard to let that little guy go when you no in about 150yds. he gonna get it any way. Every year come deer season I run this through my head. I wish it were an easy clear cut decision but its not After you get a million hunters through the public land the deer become a little smarter and seeing them becomes a little harder, so if one does want some meat to take home some times its a hard decision. It would be nice to have to buy a deer lic. then have to purchase a buck lic. on top of that. The smaller the buck the more it cost, say 500.00 for spike .

could agree more fellas! each year I preach to my older relatives, I suppose its tough for them to think that way after 50 years of doing it there way

I have a couple great bow spots in the city that I share with 3 other people…. if it doesn’t score 140 you pay everyone else $100, That just makes a point for us to really make good judgement calls and then next year

two years ago I shot a 145 1/2 and last year one of my partners shot a 152 7/8 we don’t see a lot of deer but the ones we do are usually high quality

could agree more fellas! each year I preach to my older relatives, I suppose its tough for them to think that way after 50 years of doing it there way

I have a couple great bow spots in the city that I share with 3 other people…. if it doesn’t score 140 you pay everyone else $100, That just makes a point for us to really make good judgement calls and then next year

two years ago I shot a 145 1/2 and last year one of my partners shot a 152 7/8 we don’t see a lot of deer but the ones we do are usually high quality

QDM most definitely worked in the area I’m from in eastern Kansas. I’ve commented on here about it before. Hard to get it started, but once a majority of an area’s hunters participate, the results are outstanding. Having the option of passing on nice 12-pointers is way more fun than picking between spikes!

Mark

QDM most definitely worked in the area I’m from in eastern Kansas. I’ve commented on here about it before. Hard to get it started, but once a majority of an area’s hunters participate, the results are outstanding. Having the option of passing on nice 12-pointers is way more fun than picking between spikes!

Mark

ok guys, question for ya? SUppose the farmer that is kind enough to let you hunt his property says he is having lots of damage, shoot whatever comes by. Now you have to make a decision, if I let deer go, will he allow me to hunt here again? With that in mind and the difficulty of securing land to hunt what is the best approach? –John

ok guys, question for ya? SUppose the farmer that is kind enough to let you hunt his property says he is having lots of damage, shoot whatever comes by. Now you have to make a decision, if I let deer go, will he allow me to hunt here again? With that in mind and the difficulty of securing land to hunt what is the best approach? –John

John R-

My suggestion would be load up on as many doe tags as you can. They are the ones that control the population. We all know that one buck can handle/breed… well lets just say a lot of does . So killing one immature buck will not do anything to control the population. Chances are he will not even breed any way. But harvesting a mature doe will take out 3 deer ( doe plus two offspring) form the herd. The optimum ratio is 2 to 1 or 1 to 1 doe to buck. We all know most areas are far away from that. So by you passing up that smaller buck and harvesting a mature doe or two is actually cutting the population down a lot farther.

Small buck = 1 deer

doe = 3 deer (3 times as many) I would explain this to the farmer, if he questions it or not. I would bring this up and tell him your plan of “deer managment” for his property. After and during filling all my doe tags if the monster steps out in the clear…. by all means Drop the Hammmer

I have came across this same thing and the farmers all seem to understand. Just remember to respect their wishes and go out of your way to help him out, keep things better than when you found them and the keeping premission thing should work out just fine!

John R-

My suggestion would be load up on as many doe tags as you can. They are the ones that control the population. We all know that one buck can handle/breed… well lets just say a lot of does . So killing one immature buck will not do anything to control the population. Chances are he will not even breed any way. But harvesting a mature doe will take out 3 deer ( doe plus two offspring) form the herd. The optimum ratio is 2 to 1 or 1 to 1 doe to buck. We all know most areas are far away from that. So by you passing up that smaller buck and harvesting a mature doe or two is actually cutting the population down a lot farther.

Small buck = 1 deer

doe = 3 deer (3 times as many) I would explain this to the farmer, if he questions it or not. I would bring this up and tell him your plan of “deer managment” for his property. After and during filling all my doe tags if the monster steps out in the clear…. by all means Drop the Hammmer

I have came across this same thing and the farmers all seem to understand. Just remember to respect their wishes and go out of your way to help him out, keep things better than when you found them and the keeping premission thing should work out just fine!

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years ago we allowed a bowhunter onto our farm

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18 Fisher, still taking applications

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years ago we allowed a bowhunter onto our farm

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18 Fisher, still taking applications

sorry LIP im selfish!!!

sorry LIP im selfish!!!

I agree with Lip Ripper as far as harvesting does. I often use this when approaching landowners about permission, that I will harvest does or a big buck. I will ONLY harvest doe to eat and bucks above 130 if presented the oportunity, and many landowners respect that. I have had some want me to check back with them after season and let them know what was removed from breeding stock, and I also like to bring them a couple packages or meat or something else as a small thank you. (Does eat better anyways) Helps greatly with landowner relations. Until I can high fence all the land I hunt however, I need to convinve everyone else of these ideals also.