Thought on QDM

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The ? I have for those who currently pratice QDM is are they shooting enough Does each season to keep the #’s down and to prevent inbreeding.

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Unless I am wrong: The defination of QDM includes harvesting does to get the buck:doe ratio a close to 1:1 as we can.

That’s a QDM rule that we follow. In Iowa, if you draw a buck tag, you are required to buy a doe tag as well. Is probably just a money thing, but I like the idea.

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I know in theory that QDM suggest keeping the Ratio at or near 1 to 1. But I’d like to know how many people who say they pratice QDM are really shooting enough Does to keep it near this Ratio. I know the groups that I know of do not have the herd anywhere near this kind of a ratio. The other ? I have is in some area’s in minnesota it is One deer only per season ( It sounds like many more areas to follow next season – Info. from someone I know who works for Minnesota DNR ) Given that situation do you use your one deer only to shoot a doe to help with the ratio issue or do you use it to shoot that 150- 170 class buck that you have praticed QDM for many years to get the chance at. Don’t get me wrong I’m not tring to Bash QDM in ant way. I just am tring to answer a few ? I’ve thought about to help me if I ever try to start the pratice.

We have 300 acre next to state land and it is very difficult to get our deer bigger……the brown it’s down kills us on the state land….We’ve been practicing QDM for about 5 years will a little success. We also have private land around us and I’ve tried talking with them to let the smaller bucks walk. Not working out so good. We try and stay off the back 4, forty’s to let the deer filter in and not pressure them off and back to the neighbors for opening weekend slotter. We just sit in order to try and keep the deer on ours….. We’ve seen some small improvement but until I can get the neighbors on board I think I’m SOL on harvesting a 150+ inch deer. I bring the camera along and take a picture….so when I go to the local watering hole I can show pictures of the smaller deer I released….. It’s a great feeling knowing you could have harvested a buck but decided to let it walk…. I leave my camera in my duffel bag…and I force myself to get it out without alarming the deer. It’s my own little game to see what movement I can get away with.
Sometimes they come in from behind and you don’t get a shot….(photo) or the bust you and don’t get the picture….Those are the deer a call(The ones that got away) it’s just as fun as pulling the trigger on a smaller immature buck in my book. Besides a doe eats way better than a buck that been running wild for three weeks during the rut.

This 4 point I saw twice…he would be dead if I decided to pull the trigger… I know he’s still out there and has a chance to grow…. The one that got away A nice size spike….He came through and I couldn’t get the camera out fast enough to get a shot(With the camera) he got away…… I could have shot him with the bow at 10 feet…if I’d decided to…..but I still consider him the one that got away I was unable to get the camera out and get a shot before he was out of sight. Try my game it’s fun the more people we can convince to shot the smaller deer with the camera we’ll all see bigger deer…. and like most have stated it only takes about three years of letting them walk and you will see benefits if very one gets on board.
The last picture is of my deer this year……It may not be a MONSTER but it is an improvement over the small spikes and 4 and 6 pointers that we typically only see. Maybe I should have let him walk one more year…I wish my neighbors were on board.
You can make a difference you have to be disciplined.

Whatsa

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Try my game it’s fun the more people we can convince to shot the smaller deer with the camera we’ll all see bigger deer…. and like most have stated it only takes about three years of letting them walk and you will see benefits if very one gets on board.

You can make a difference you have to be disciplined.

Whatsa

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I agree. Shooting with a camera, you still beat them and have achieved sucess. That’s exactly how I look at it as well. Then shoot baldies to fill the freezer.

Saw over 50 deer in Montana this year. 25 were bucks. All 50 were killable. However we had 2 really nice bucks (25″+or-) inside spread. They were the one’s that “got away” from my camera. Got to love selective harvest.

I always stated the common obstacle being, what we want to bring home is dictated by the days we can hunt and what the location of the land has for numbers and age and honest pressure from the other hunters around you in the woods. With a limited amount of time to hunt and a lot of public pressure you need to take what you can get so you have some meat at home, this without a doubt is what a lot of folks have to deal with, thank god you still had the chance to get out and enjoy the outdoors and or continue a family pastime that many of us look forward to every year.

You can’t blame some for trying to better their challenge or trying to harvest an older wiser buck by putting the challenge on themselves.

I really hope we can all here enjoy the sport no matter where we are able to hunt and what our personal goals may be.

A couple of friends of mine actually went out and started knocking on some property owners doors and were able to get a nice piece of land to hunt by just asking, I think a lot of folks have given up the idea of stopping and asking, thinking the norm is a door slam in the face No. But there are folks out there that would be happy to take you in and show you around, you may have to give them a hand with mowing, fence work and maybe some planting during the year. But that’s how I became lucky enough to hunt where I am.

Good Luck with the season

Hey Guys,
First I would like to say that hunting is suppose to be fun. But for us here in Minnesota we have the gun season during the rut and alot of people shoot small bucks and don’t care about deer management. I know that not everybody
wants too shoot big bucks which is fine, But there are guys
out there that ridicule the DNR and say they don’t know how
to manage a deer herd. I would like to see the dnr put some
restrictions out to protect some the small bucks. I’ve passed on 8 small bucks this year because I want to shoot
3 year old or older bucks.

I personally believe that our first mn gun season is not in that bad of spot. I think its set during the chase phase which all the dink bucks get in on. I think the week in between seasons is the actual breeding period as a rule and the 2nd season, just like wi is when the big pigs get whacked. So I feel its the same.

Congrats on the nice buck Whatsa! That’s QDM right there bud, every property has different potential based on neighboring pressure, habitat etc. but taking a buck in the upper age class for YOUR particular area is what QDM is all about.
I’m a supporter of QDM mainly by default, I enjoy hunting and once my tag is filled the fun is over. Does get me just as jacked up as a buck and two of the three farms I hunt can handle high doe harvests, so I get my shooting in whether I get a crack at a buck or not.

I practice QDM on my 21 acres…some of my neighbors practice some form of QDM, other don’t. Quite frankly I don’t really care if I pass a 2 1/2 yr. old and my neighbor shoots it. They all stand a chance at making it when you pass them. If you shoot them then they definitely don’t get to see their next birthday.

Good post, I’m happy to see it staying so civil….definitely a topic that can go south in a hurry.

Some very good points here on whether or not you believe in QDM. I believe and practice QDM.

However I do want to point out something that I’ve recently experienced. My dad is a meat hunter and could truly care less about mounting a huge buck. He grew up very poor and has 12 brothers and sisters. If it wasn’t for his hunting skills, they probably would have started to death and that is the truth.

I used to show my dad trail camera photos and lectured him not to shoot this buck or this buck or this buck. He would look at me with a blank stare and just shake his head. Every year he would still shoot a 100-120 inch buck stating that he thought it looked bigger. I used to get so mad at him…

However, I now have a completely different attitude. You see my dad is 72 and I know that his hunting time is limited. Who am I to say when he can shoot his last buck? I actually am starting to want him to shoot a buck regardless of how big it is because I know how happy it makes him feel. Please keep this in mind and be sensitive to all hunters whether or not they believe in QDM. I highly encourage a first time hunter to shoot any sized buck! Hopefully they will get the fever and passion to continue to hunt and pass down the tradition to their children. And don’t forget about the old timers too. Someday we will be in their shoes and our hunting days will end too.

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Welcome to Europe to the select few who have access to prime private property. The area we hunt by Itasca state park has some nice bucks but you dont hold out for trophys only or does. I had a doe permit so I took my doe my deer for the year. The day before I watched a 130-140 class buck less than a half mile from my stand, there are bigger deer in the area by why hold out for this guy if a smaller 8 had come by he would have gone on the meat pole too you can not eat antlers size does not matter. My thinking was if the big one that we saw on Friday had come by my stand I may have passed so he could have passed his genes along once the breeding had begun in our area, which is finally going on now. If you shoot a big deer good for you I hpoe it makes you happy I used to hunt zone 3 unit 341 and 343 and it makes me sick how the state has buckled to a select few butt heads who are trying to impose their crap on the rest of the deer hunters in this state time to fire Lou and run Micheal Seive and the rest of the bluffland whitetails organization out of here and return zone 3 to bucks ony for nine consecutive days with no antler point restrictions and the second season to 7 days and if you have doe permit you can only shoot a doe.

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Not being associated to Bluffland in any way but a lifetime hunter of 341 and among the “new majority” becoming QDM advocates, the hunt areas you list are the most populated areas of the state. If you need more time to take your deer than whats wrong with having antler point restriction as you must be waiting for the big boy? If you dont care about the antlers than how much time do you need? How about 30 days, after the rut? On another note, there are a good plenty of farmers in that zone that would welcome you on there property to hunt if you ask cordially and respect their herd. We had a Granite Falls fellow come down and get permission to hunt a 10 acre pasture next door. Day 2 him and his young girl walk out with a dandy 12 that was 100% born and bred on QDM thanks to yours truly and as hard as it was to see him sit on the edge of the driveway, we personally commended them for taking the right animal and respecting the property. I dont know them but imagine they just joined the other side. No pun intended, just listing some observations from the other side.

mmm doe jerky

heck ya QDM works if you let it. can’t argue about that fact. can only argue with people who don’t practice it. buying a tag allows us to harvest a deer, any deer. that’s fine, personal choices. I like to hold out for a good buck, but it seems usually end up culling a wounded one, or take a few does. gotta thin them does out, love that doe jerky