MN deer herd

[mntatonka]

Well maybe you need to have more people in your hunting party?? Rather then just giving out more permits? If you have that many deer, I would love to come help you thin them out. I promise, I am a good shot.

Well, we've got 10 or 12 people hunting this weekend, and 15 to 20 during 3b. 3a there's at least 20 that hunt the same land, but they don't shoot as many deer as we do.

[LandDr]

Coach...I mentioned prior that deer were probably coming into the property at first, but now my reproduction probably exceeds so there are deer now moving out to other areas...especially the mid-range bucks that are pushed out by the dominant bucks. I have heard neighbors shooting more 8 pt bucks now...which will be pushed off my property. But you also have to remember that this didn't happen over night...it took a good three years to achieve the increasing carrying capacity and during that time there was reproduction on my property. Also, the neighboring properties had a lot of limiting factors at that time so the deer numbers were really not there as well. I agree there are other variables, but the biggest for my area are weather, habitat and food. I have a lot of coyotes and they take some fawns I am sure...but that is part of the cycle. Wolves...cougars...those are game changing predators and I wouldn't want them on my property. (That is a whole other conversation)

PFloyd...yes, much of this does run counter to what you hear about herd management. I just got back from getting certified by QDMA and I had a long conversation with the instructor. I left him with some things to think about but I did not change his beliefs.

I did not just come up with my philosophies one day...it actually started as a pheasant project. But what I was doing for pheasants was drastically and quickly changing the deer herd. I started to identify limiting factors, what stimulated the deer and what allowed for maximum carrying capacities. Then I developed the formulas and started implemented it into smaller and smaller areas to increase the carrying capacity even more. It has been very interesting and very successful.

What would it be like if this was done on a state wide level...not sure...but I know it will never get state wide because everyone has different goals and objectives for their properties and everyone has different resources available to them. I also know it would never get to that level because the DNR would implement something to reduce it.

Not everyone has to take it to the level I have taken it to. Even half would be impressive...or a third. Anything you can do to increase the carrying capacity will provide you with more opportunity seeing deer or hunting deer. And let the little bucks walk so they can become bigger of course.

[LandDr]

Finally got a chance to sit in the deer stand tonight and seen 22 deer ranging from 100 yds or so out to just under the stand. I didn't see any bucks however...I have seen this over and over when there is a full moon that my bucks move at night. I compare them to college kids that party all night and sleep all day! LOL

I also got busted by another dozen or so deer on the way out of the stand to the truck...one was standing 50 ft from my truck.

One of the things I have wanted to develop more of but just have not had the time or complete solution is to develop better concealment lanes to get in and out of the property. I feel this is critically important but just have not come up with the perfect plan yet.

The stand that I was sitting at, I can observe three doe groups...where they bed and their travel lanes to the food sources. Can pretty much outline their home range. Most of my doe home ranges do not exceed 15 to 20 acres because they have everything they want or need in that area. (carrying capacity)

Here is an analogy that I use in my seminars...

My wife likes to shop at Target, Walmart, Savers, Albertville, etc....she has a LARGE home range. If I was following her, I would also have a large home range that crosses county lines (AKA property lines) which increases my exposure to get shot by neighbors.

Now if I took all of those favorite places my wife likes to shop and put them outside our house...front door, back door, patio, garage door, side door, etc....what have we done to her home range? It is a lot smaller and therefore my home range is also a lot smaller which reduces my exposure to getting shot by neighbors.

That is how I get my dominant bucks through the hunting season so they can get older and bigger. I create "B&talk" for the does! They don't need to go anywhere else but within their 15 to 20 acres...and if the doe group is large enough, the buck won't go anywhere else either.

Something to think about.

[slimngrizzly]

I agree with you to a point. But bucks will roam. You can give them everything they need and more in a small area, but they will range out a couple square miles no matter what during the rut. Its in their nature, they need to explore and disperse their genes.

But, naturally, the more you can provide... the greater % of time they will spend on your property.