Doe limit for hunting clubs

[coastalredneck]

average 1-3 bucks a year on 500 acres. 4-6 does.. This over the past 10-12 years.. We encourage our kids to kill whatever they want (6 kids mostly girls) but they hold out.. I wish they wouldnt but its their decision. Only thing i have noticed on this property that ive been hunting for 26 years is the body size has suffered It holds a lot of deer.. mostly longleaf pine plantation. Even the mature bucks at 3.5-4.5 are around 150lbs.. we need to do something different but just havent pulled the trigger on that. Evans County

 

[Son]

We currently have plenty does, see them in herds, sometimes as many as 8 or so. Plenty young bucks, which we don't take. We do have a hog population that needs to be eliminated, but doubt that's possible. So, we are currently thinning the hogs as much as possible. Last sow was over 300 pounds. I tell my members, when hogs show up, shoot the sow first. Our management is sound, it's been working since 1975 when we first began leasing. Loss of habitat is our major problem. Secondly, we can't manage those who hunt around our fence line. Been hunting deer since I was about 7 years old, and will be 81 come March. I may not know everything, but I would match wits with anyone when it comes to deer hunting.

 

[kmckinnie]

I want to see sone dead hog pics this off season. And lots of them.

 

[uturn]

You can’t kill to justify the expense…low impact on the herd and attention to habitat will reward the effort on both..loss of sanctuary is a killer no matter what you do!

 

[buckpasser]

We currently have plenty does, see them in herds, sometimes as many as 8 or so. Plenty young bucks, which we don't take. We do have a hog population that needs to be eliminated, but doubt that's possible. So, we are currently thinning the hogs as much as possible. Last sow was over 300 pounds. I tell my members, when hogs show up, shoot the sow first. Our management is sound, it's been working since 1975 when we first began leasing. Loss of habitat is our major problem. Secondly, we can't manage those who hunt around our fence line. Been hunting deer since I was about 7 years old, and will be 81 come March. I may not know everything, but I would match wits with anyone when it comes to deer hunting.

Are you saying you don’t want to limit doe kills then?

 

[Gadestroyer74]

Sometimes people have done things for so many years that they feel they know what to do. That may work most of the time. What starts things going down hill is being closed minded and not willing to change things. Sitting back hoping it will change and being reactive is not going to change. Things have changed around properties and so have the wildlife. So you have to have fresh eyes a willingness to adapt and make changes that will work and head in a different direction than what you have always done. I have recognized this in older established clubs with older members who are sat in their ways.

 

[Son]

Are you saying you don’t want to limit doe kills then?

Only if necessary to manage. A ten doe limit allows management when needed.

 

[Son]

Sometimes people have done things for so many years that they feel they know what to do. That may work most of the time. What starts things going down hill is being closed minded and not willing to change things. Sitting back hoping it will change and being reactive is not going to change. Things have changed around properties and so have the wildlife. So you have to have fresh eyes a willingness to adapt and make changes that will work and head in a different direction than what you have always done. I have recognized this in older established clubs with older members who are sat in their ways.

I doubt we are set in our ways, we manage year round

 

[Gadestroyer74]

I doubt we are set in our ways, we manage year round

it all depends on how much time money and dedication you are willing to spend.. lots of us manage year round.. if your goal is to harvest older bucks with bigger racks and your not getting them now and you was. What has changed ? You already pointed out habitat neighbors loss of land etc ? Can you control and of that ? No you can’t. What can you control ? Your fingers pulling the trigger on 3.5 year old deer food cover pressure etc.. you can control those things aswell as move lands to another area where you have habitat land less pressure etc. see most of y’all are older and aren’t willing to change as you have been there so long and set up you don’t want to change and start over. Can’t say I blame you there lots of memories and time invested. However you aren’t going to change what is happening unless you are willing to make changes.. lots of us that have posted here and made suggestions and you have wrote them off.. so it seems you are set in your ways and thinking.. happens with age for sure we all do that. If you want different results you need to be willing to adapt

 

[Son]

it all depends on how much time money and dedication you are willing to spend.. lots of us manage year round.. if your goal is to harvest older bucks with bigger racks and your not getting them now and you was. What has changed ? You already pointed out habitat neighbors loss of land etc ? Can you control and of that ? No you can’t. What can you control ? Your fingers pulling the trigger on 3.5 year old deer food cover pressure etc.. you can control those things aswell as move lands to another area where you have habitat land less pressure etc. see most of y’all are older and aren’t willing to change as you have been there so long and set up you don’t want to change and start over. Can’t say I blame you there lots of memories and time invested. However you aren’t going to change what is happening unless you are willing to make changes.. lots of us that have posted here and made suggestions and you have wrote them off.. so it seems you are set in your ways and thinking.. happens with age for sure we all do that. If you want different results you need to be willing to adapt

Yep, age has lots to do with what can or will be done. I may just have to give it up eventually as many I know have already done. You have many good suggestions for those with the youth to do those things. I'm very fortunate to be able to do what I do these days at my age. My dad always said, hunting will become a rich mans sport, and it's coming to that in leaps and bounds.

 

[Gator89]

I can see pasture land being not so good for deer hunting.

But if folks are planting crops that deer will eat, corn, peanuts, etc. that can be good for deer nutrition. as long as there are some woods or other cover areas around for bedding.

 

[Gadestroyer74]

Yep, age has lots to do with what can or will be done. I may just have to give it up eventually as many I know have already done. You have many good suggestions for those with the youth to do those things. I'm very fortunate to be able to do what I do these days at my age. My dad always said, hunting will become a rich mans sport, and it's coming to that in leaps and bounds.

Yes sir it has ! I admire you for your efforts and continuing at 80 years old. I hope I live that long much less be able to hunt and do what you still can do.. I’m 48 myself and surely can see the aging process going on and me slowing down. I doubt I will be able to do as you at 80. It certainly has become a money pit and turning into the rich man like you mentioned. I will do it aslong as I can afford to and sit back after that and relive the memories till I pass on

 

[Jim Boyd]

We only got 2 fawns on cameras during the Summer but the number of individual does has increased. Instead of seeing 2 or 3 yearlings together we are seeing 6 and 7 at a time with a good age distribution - a couple of 3 y/o nannies, 2 or 3 2 y/o's and fawn or 2. It's almost becoming encouraging again!

Good observing!

 

[elfiii]

Yes sir it has ! I admire you for your efforts and continuing at 80 years old. I hope I live that long much less be able to hunt and do what you still can do.. I’m 48 myself and surely can see the aging process going on and me slowing down. I doubt I will be able to do as you at 80. It certainly has become a money pit and turning into the rich man like you mentioned. I will do it aslong as I can afford to and sit back after that and relive the memories till I pass on

I'll die and go to Hades with a broke back before I'll quit deer hunting.

 

[Gadestroyer74]

I'll die and go to Hades with a broke back before I'll quit deer hunting.

You got that right !

 

[saltysenior]

I'll die and go to Hades with a broke back before I'll quit deer hunting.

but your desire to kill will diminish...........also the discussion on carrying capacities and management fails to bring up a very major factor.............dirt.

 

[Son]

I continue to hang in there like a hair in a biscuit. I do more watching than killing these days. And I'm famous for taking naps in the blind. And I get a little hog now and then.

 

[Gadestroyer74]

I tell ya that’s some more kind a little hog ! Lol keep smacking em

 

[uturn]

Until this year we've been 0 does for over a decade. I let a friend of mine who has been hunting with me since I started deer hunting kill a doe this year. It was his first deer.

Same here let a buddy kill one last year…I just don’t!

 

[ucfireman]

Everyone wants to see big bucks but VERY VERY few do what it takes to consistently see them.

Well said