Is Joe Kurz worth it?

[cam88]

Got drawn for second hunt!!

 

[Gl4di4torRr]

Got drawn for second hunt!!

See you there!

 

[NickDeer]

I went on the October hunt last year. It was alright. I freezed in the tent saturday night though lol. I used to hunt a club that was the bordering property across the river. There is a lot of potential due to the clubs and farms around the area. The only thing I don't like is how much open area's there are. Wish there was more timber.

 

[C.Killmaster]

Plenty of deer there. I enjoy going when I get drawn. I wished they’d go back to the old rules though. Lots of 2.5y/o 8pts get killed now on that WMA.

Looking at a data set from 2003 to present, I averaged the age of all the antlered bucks killed on Joe Kurz before the change in antler restrictions and after the change. Here are the average ages:

2003-2011=3.35 years old
2012-2020=3.24 years old

Number of bucks killed:
2003-2011= 104 bucks 3.5 or older
2012-2020= 103 bucks 3.5 or older

 

[toolmkr20]

Looking at a data set from 2003 to present, I averaged the age of all the antlered bucks killed on Joe Kurz before the change in antler restrictions and after the change. Here are the average ages:

2003-2011=3.35 years old
2012-2020=3.24 years old

Number of bucks killed:
2003-2011= 104 bucks 3.5 or older
2012-2020= 103 bucks 3.5 or older

Guess I need to brush up on my age judging based on eye sight. There’s been several bucks I’ve seen that supposedly came from Kurz that looked awfully small to be 3.5+.

 

[C.Killmaster]

Guess I need to brush up on my age judging based on eye sight. There’s been several bucks I’ve seen that supposedly came from Kurz that looked awfully small to be 3.5+.

Those are averages, so there were a number of 2.5 year olds in the harvest and you probably did see them. There were a number of 2.5s killed before and after the regulation change, but the bottom line is that the impact from the regulation change on overall age structure was minimal.

 

[ABBYS DAD]

Looking at a data set from 2003 to present, I averaged the age of all the antlered bucks killed on Joe Kurz before the change in antler restrictions and after the change. Here are the average ages:

2003-2011=3.35 years old
2012-2020=3.24 years old

Number of bucks killed:
2003-2011= 104 bucks 3.5 or older
2012-2020= 103 bucks 3.5 or older

Thanks for the data Charlie. Hope to add to that data this coming October.

 

[Bowdawg]

Guess I need to brush up on my age judging based on eye sight. There’s been several bucks I’ve seen that supposedly came from Kurz that looked awfully small to be 3.5+.

Year before last I went to the check station and watched a guy( who said he wasnt a biologist ) age 4 bucks that came in. 3 out of the 4 were barely 100 inches if that and he aged all of them in the 3 to 4 year range. I know im arm chair quarter backing here but theres no way any of the bucks I saw were over 2 1/2 . In that county with those genetics and the surrounding properties mainly being trophy clubs a 4 year old is a hoss that rarely is seen during daylight hours.

 

[dang]

I’ll be on the first hunt in two weeks. Haven’t made it down there yet this year. Hopefully in the next week or so I’ll wander down that way

 

[sweatequity]

Got drawn for the first hunt.

I got drawn for the first hunt. Havent had time to make it down to scout either. I hope to wing it and avoid as many hunters as possible. Something different.

 

[dang]

I got drawn for the first hunt. Havent had time to make it down to scout either. I hope to wing it and avoid as many hunters as possible. Something different.

I’ll be there

 

[kevin17]

Good luck and leave some bucks for the second hunt. Let us know how the first hunt goes.

 

[Gl4di4torRr]

Best of luck to everyone the next 3 days for the first hunt!

 

[kevin17]

How was the hunt?

 

[Gl4di4torRr]

How was the hunt?

I just stopped by the check station to see. Lots of does seen but not a lot of bucks.

 

[gawildlife]

I just stopped by the check station to see. Lots of does seen but not a lot of bucks.

Still a little to warm for major movement yet. Maybe this evening temps will get them to moving.

 

[dang]

Yesterday around noon I talked to the biologist and there was only one buck killed to that point. Only deer checked in. Not sure what happened since

 

[kevin17]

They keep moving the hunts earlier father away from the rut. The second gun hunt is now when the first gun hunt used to be.

 

[Long Cut]

The WMA has potential to be very good, the serious problem is that the deer are getting “high graded” meaning the best genetically 1.5-3.5 YO are either getting killed or run off the property from all the small game/ big game hunting pressure.

When all the basket 8’s and 10’s get shot at 2.5 YO, you allow the 4pt and 6pt’s that are the same age to grow where their genetic antler peak might only be 120” as opposed to +140”...

It’s a shame, a lot of folks get greedy and feel they used priority points so they’re going to kill something. I’ve scouted Kurz heavily and found many dead basket 6’s I feel hunters left to rot because they wouldn’t make the antler reg cut...

 

[BamaGeorgialine]

The WMA has potential to be very good, the serious problem is that the deer are getting “high graded” meaning the best genetically 1.5-3.5 YO are either getting killed or run off the property from all the small game/ big game hunting pressure.

When all the basket 8’s and 10’s get shot at 2.5 YO, you allow the 4pt and 6pt’s that are the same age to grow where their genetic antler peak might only be 120” as opposed to +140”...

It’s a shame, a lot of folks get greedy and feel they used priority points so they’re going to kill something. I’ve scouted Kurz heavily and found many dead basket 6’s I feel hunters left to rot because they wouldn’t make the antler reg cut...

While I agree with you to some degree, it is a WMA and they are legal. I'm not interested in a basket rack 8 pointer myself but, I completely understand that most folks who sign up to hunt them are going to shoot the first legal buck they see.