Management efforts are paying off!

Little background…hunted the same property now for 20 years and only until the last 5 years or so have we begun to adopt some QDM philosophies.

Now either by sheer luck or because we are practicing what we preach we are seeing the benefits from passing on smaller bucks, and targeting mature bucks…the ones that make your heart go pitter/patter.

Yes this year was a struggle with very wet conditions as well a lot of corn and while I didn’t pull the trigger during rifle season I managed to see two 3 1/2 year old bucks that by next year should be really be worthy of taking. I have even got my brother and father convinced in QDM as all three of us passed up shots on the same 2 1/2 year old buck within 24 hours.

All things considered we had another successful year as my father took the largest buck of his life just 1 year after taking a very nice 8 last year, and 2 years after my brother took a 160-170″ class 9 pointer. Here is a pic of my dad’s 2008 buck:

Good luck to all headed out for late season bow and muzzleloader.

very nice and congrats! It sure increases your hopes of seeing big bucks, and altogether makes hunting in that area more fun!

Very nice buck!!

Awesome Buck!!!
Just goes to show that QDM & Selective Harvest can and does work.

Awesome deer!!

Congrats on your QDM working and congrats to your dad on a great buck.

Congrats…there is no doubt QDM works, no matter how strict you are with it. If you let the small ones go you get bigger ones

Congrats to your dad, that is a great Buck!!!

SUNNYD-
Nice work!!! it’s great to hear others in Central,MN working on QDM. I know of more and more hunters and hunting parties in the area that are working on the same goal…. BIG BUCKS.
Congrats and good luck during late season

Ditto what Gobbler said…. Nice job with it

big G

Way to go SunnyD

I love to see those management efforts working out. It also helps to have a understanding with surrounding hunters to keep the young ones alive, and pictures like that sure help convince people.

You would think your Dad could smile though

Yeh…you think he would smile. He had some work to retrieve the deer and likely knew we had work yet to do to prep for the taxidermist…either way I know he was very happy and I was thrilled for him!

I agree that it would even be better to have all the local hunters aboard on QDM, but for now I am pleased with the results on the 320 acres we hunt. We don’t push our deer either so hopefully the bigger bucks feel a level of comfort on our property that they don’t get from other properties.

Sunny D….I agree with you completely, and my story is almost identical to yours. We do not push the deer, pass on the small shooters (I had a small 10 and 8 come by this year) This picture is the neighbors wife. This buck came out of our swamp, and onto their land. It was her first deer, they called us right after she shot it. It was awesome to see her face and her excitement, she was actually crying. We have some real @$$hole hunters around us,(that’s a story in itself) which made it even more rewarding that she got this buck.

The GREAT thing about it….I saw 2 other bucks that were bigger yet. I figure we spotted 4 or 5 “shooter” bucks this year. Bring on muzzle loader. No one else goes but me…I get the 380 acres all to myself. Now I just have to figure out what stand to go to.

If only the entire world would read this post.

Congrats on your success! Tell your dad that’s a great looking buck!

Congrats on your efforts guys and glad to see they are paying dividens.

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Way to go SunnyD

You would think your Dad could smile though

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I was thinking the same thing! You would have to the off my face if I got a deer like that!

Congrats!!!