What is best for your deer herd?

[ugajay]

My place in Washington county, I'd say is about right. I don't see many deer but it's covered up with sign, further proving I ain't so smart.

My buddy's place in Johnson county is covered up with deer. That's gonna chance soon I believe as he has 3 sons within two years of being turned loose

 

[elfiii]

I can still clearly remember all the knuckleheads preaching about the way to seeing and killing big bucks was shooting a bunch of does. In my area, that just means seeing nothing afterwards. No thanks.

Seems like common sense to me. Turns out it's not as common as once I thought it was.

 

[JB0704]

These are different things I have planted at my place in Heard: sunflowers, iron clay peas, buckwheat, corn, etc. i don’t need an exclusion fence. There just ain’t enough deer to worry about. Between this, cameras, stand sightings, knowing all the neighbors, etc I can safely say we don’t have an over population problem. We have some deer, but not tons.

 

[buckpasser]

These are different things I have planted at my place in Heard: sunflowers, iron clay peas, buckwheat, corn, etc. i don’t need an exclusion fence. There just ain’t enough deer to worry about. Between this, cameras, stand sightings, knowing all the neighbors, etc I can safely say we don’t have an over population problem. We have some deer, but not tons.




View attachment 1223489View attachment 1223490View attachment 1223491

If they let sunflowers and cowpeas make a good stand, you need more.

 

[JB0704]

If they let sunflowers and cowpeas make a good stand, you need more.

Yep. The second pic is the cow peas. They grew and the actual peas didn't all get eaten either. I can grow sunflowers that thick any time. This is why I keep tryna say we could use some more here.......or, at least not have any more killed.

 

[JB0704]

.......it does work in my favor for doves though when there aren't enough deer to bother my sunflowers.

 

[buckpasser]

.......it does work in my favor for doves though when there aren't enough deer to bother my sunflowers.

That’s good but I wouldn’t trade you a doe for 10,000 doves! Haha

 

[Nicodemus]

That’s good but I wouldn’t trade you a doe for 10,000 doves! Haha

I would.

 

[buckpasser]

I would

There was a time, but dove hunting for me is right under fishing for mud fish and just above swimming in real cold water. I’m not into sweating, dodging bird shot, and finding ant beds to sit by while blowing off gnats.

When the weather is right there are much better animals to hunt!

 

[Nicodemus]

There was a time, but dove hunting for me is right under fishing for mud fish and just above swimming in real cold water. I’m not into sweating, dodging bird shot, and finding ant beds to sit by while blowing off gnats.

When the weather is right there are much better animals to hunt!

You`re not going on the right shoots, and not watching where you sit.

 

[JB0704]

There was a time, but dove hunting for me is right under fishing for mud fish and just above swimming in real cold water. I’m not into sweating, dodging bird shot, and finding ant beds to sit by while blowing off gnats.

When the weather is right there are much better animals to hunt!

At this point in my life I would take a great dove hunt over a deer hunt anytime. I'm just measuring the quality of the time spent out there. I enjoy deer hunting, but if there's a good field to shoot, with good friends, the deer can wait. I discovered doves and ducks later than most, mid -30's, and hate I didn't discover it much sooner. But, when I was looking for a place to buy, a dove field was a "must have" and deer were way down on the list of things I wanted......and it works out I guess, cause I ain't got that many deer but I can occasionally host a pert good dove shoot.

 

[JB0704]

I have had some dumb deer walk out in that field in the middle of a dove shoot and eat a while. I would definitely like to have more of em. But, I don't think it's GON happen anytime soon.

 

[buckpasser]

You`re not going on the right shoots, and not watching where you sit.

Agreed.

 

[ddd-shooter]

60/40 split between maintaining the status quo or reducing deer and having more deer.

So more than half the respondents align with the state’s goal of more doe harvest.

The rest obviously seems to stand opposed.

 

[Nicodemus]

60/40 split between maintaining the status quo or reducing deer and having more deer.

So more than half the respondents align with the state’s goal of more doe harvest.

The rest obviously seems to stand opposed.

I didn`t vote. What I want for our deer herd is for it to be healthy and the population to fit in with what the land will support, without the help or interference of man. As it was and as it should be.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I didn`t vote. What I want for our deer herd is for it to be healthy and the population to fit in with what the land will support, without the help or interference of man. As it was and as it should be.

Same here. I don't "manage" "my herd."

 

[NCHillbilly]

At this point in my life I would take a great dove hunt over a deer hunt anytime. I'm just measuring the quality of the time spent out there. I enjoy deer hunting, but if there's a good field to shoot, with good friends, the deer can wait. I discovered doves and ducks later than most, mid -30's, and hate I didn't discover it much sooner. But, when I was looking for a place to buy, a dove field was a "must have" and deer were way down on the list of things I wanted......and it works out I guess, cause I ain't got that many deer but I can occasionally host a pert good dove shoot.

A dove hunt when they're flying good is about as much fun as you can have with britches on.

 

[JB0704]

A dove hunt when they're flying good is about as much fun as you can have with britches on.

Yep, definitely agree.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Yep, definitely agree.

I can't hit them, but I have a lot of fun missing them.

 

[Jim Boyd]

When you can’t grow food plots and deer are skinny and unhealthy looking, you have too many does.

What about when it is hard to grow food plots but deer are fat and sassy (most of the year)?