Silent Assassin
Senior Member
I posted this in a thread below
I think Wisconsin has the best set up. You must first harvest a doe and bring her in before you can get a buck tag. I think if North GA went back to a 3-2 with this restriction that we would have an even better heard than we have now. I can't find one reason why this would be a problem. 5 deer is a lot of meat for any family. Hunting isn't a recreational sport set up to produce a years worth of groceries for 7 people. In South GA I think the current limit is fine right now. A 3-2 limit like we used to have along with a doe to get a buck tag in place would greatly benefit the North Ga deer herd. Hunters who have trouble noticing any rut activity or think it has passed or not happened yet more than likely have too many does. I have been there. When there are many more does than bucks then only a few does actually get bred in November. Then 28 days later some more get bred. Then 28 days later some more get bred along with healthy 1st year fawns. This is not good for the herd or the rut. When doe competition is high due to a balanced herd the bucks have a much fiercer competition. They will be on their feet much longer and they will be actively pursuing much longer. With too many does there is no need to wander much. You can lay up with one for days and then find another with ease. When does start getting bred in December, January, and sometimes February it really screws everything up. Predators such as coyotes have less targets each fawning month and can wipe out each months fawn crop easier than they could if the majority were born at once. On 500 acres if you had 4 fawns born a month for three months you might be looking at 90% fawn mortality. Any bucks born from February breeding will face an uphill battle due to summer drought reducing food sources needed. A doe for a buck system would insure that doe harvest happen early in the season which would provide a much better rut for hunters.
I think Wisconsin has the best set up. You must first harvest a doe and bring her in before you can get a buck tag. I think if North GA went back to a 3-2 with this restriction that we would have an even better heard than we have now. I can't find one reason why this would be a problem. 5 deer is a lot of meat for any family. Hunting isn't a recreational sport set up to produce a years worth of groceries for 7 people. In South GA I think the current limit is fine right now. A 3-2 limit like we used to have along with a doe to get a buck tag in place would greatly benefit the North Ga deer herd. Hunters who have trouble noticing any rut activity or think it has passed or not happened yet more than likely have too many does. I have been there. When there are many more does than bucks then only a few does actually get bred in November. Then 28 days later some more get bred. Then 28 days later some more get bred along with healthy 1st year fawns. This is not good for the herd or the rut. When doe competition is high due to a balanced herd the bucks have a much fiercer competition. They will be on their feet much longer and they will be actively pursuing much longer. With too many does there is no need to wander much. You can lay up with one for days and then find another with ease. When does start getting bred in December, January, and sometimes February it really screws everything up. Predators such as coyotes have less targets each fawning month and can wipe out each months fawn crop easier than they could if the majority were born at once. On 500 acres if you had 4 fawns born a month for three months you might be looking at 90% fawn mortality. Any bucks born from February breeding will face an uphill battle due to summer drought reducing food sources needed. A doe for a buck system would insure that doe harvest happen early in the season which would provide a much better rut for hunters.