What’s Wrong With Her Eye

[Dorkus]

Ok, my son and I have watched this doe at least a half dozen times from the stand, and she appears to be very healthy other than the eye issue. She’s in no danger of being shot as long as she stays on my place.

From the pictures, you should probably shoot a doe or two. It will improve your overall herd.

 

[retrieverman]

From the pictures, you should probably shoot a doe or two. It will improve your overall herd.

How many is too many?

 

[Dorkus]

How many is too many?

An ODWC biologist told me once if the doe harvest isn’t 43% or higher, the herd will continue to grow and the herds need to stabilize and not grow. Quality over quantity is their goal.

Too many does, leads to big bucks not making it through winter due to too many ruts and them not eating. They are just focusing on coochie coo and not survival during the lean months.

I am not saying you are doing anything wrong but based on your post you don’t shoot does. As the ODWC says “hunters in the know, take a doe”.

 

[Louro]

An ODWC biologist told me once if the doe harvest isn’t 43% or higher, the herd will continue to grow and the herds need to stabilize and not grow. Quality over quantity is their goal.

Too many does, leads to big bucks not making it through winter due to too many ruts and them not eating. They are just focusing on coochie coo and not survival during the lean months.

I am not saying you are doing anything wrong but based on your post you don’t shoot does. As the ODWC says “hunters in the know, take a doe”.

Sound advice here.

 

[retrieverman]

An ODWC biologist told me once if the doe harvest isn’t 43% or higher, the herd will continue to grow and the herds need to stabilize and not grow. Quality over quantity is their goal.

Too many does, leads to big bucks not making it through winter due to too many ruts and them not eating. They are just focusing on coochie coo and not survival during the lean months.

I am not saying you are doing anything wrong but based on your post you don’t shoot does. As the ODWC says “hunters in the know, take a doe”.

First off, I’m all for shooting does when there’s a need, and until the ODWC biologist does a count on MY place, I’m going to go by what I actually see in person and on camera and decide for myself. I’m only seeing about 25% of the deer that I saw before the 2011-2013 drought, and I’ll admit there were probably too many at that time. The biological goal has ALWAYS been a 1:1 ratio for a deer herd, and though my place definitely isn’t there, I would estimate it to currently be 4:1. I don’t view that as too bad. I also have a really bad coyote problem due to a feed lot dumping cow carcasses just south of my place, and the fawn livability is probably 25-30% based on what I see in person and on camera. There were a couple years I didn’t see a single fawn. I’ve been letting a local guy hunt coyotes on my place, and it seems to have helped some.
The ODWC also says “hunters in the know let young bucks grow”, but most hunters sure seem to want to ignore that one.

 

[Deer Slayer]

Retrieverman - You are a dedicated steward of the resource and quite aware of the management needs of the property. Unfortunately coyotes are very fond of fawns when they can locate and remove them from the herd. You monitor the buck activity and only remove the mature animals that need to be removed. You, like me, only remove the animals that are mature and allow the young to mature that have excellent genes.

 

[kirk1978]

From the pictures, you should probably shoot a doe or two. It will improve your overall herd.

I see 4 does and a buck in one photo, that's too many does?