Buck to Doe ratio

[mdeiley]

Wondering what everyones thoughts are on the deer herd. I would like to shed some light that may be a little surprising.

I believe we have very close to a 50/50 ratio and here is why. I currently hunt an area the DNR says 24 to 43 deer live per sq mile. I will assume 40 for easy figuring. Given that info I look at the herd as 10 adult males (1 1/2 year old or better) 10 adult does, which give birth to 2 fawns each, 1 doe and 1 buck. Granted there is some assumption going on but this is ideal situation. With that said the true hunting population of harvestable deer would be 3 to 1 antlerless to bucks. Looking at last years kill It appears to be close to this ratio being almost 50/50 kill or 75% antlerless to 25% bucks.

Now to achieve what most people think is 50/50 or(50% bucks to does) then one would have to conclude 20 to be mature bucks, 7 mature does with 14 offspring. This would relate to an actual count of 27 bucks to 14 does. I know we do not have this problem. And the DNR is not allowing 5 deer be harvested to correct this scenerio.

If one assumes 2to1 then this would be the case. 5 bucks 12 does with 24 offspring. reulting an actual 12% to 88% antlerless to buck ratio.

This concludes why a 50/50 herd is why 4 to 1 tags are issued. very few will fill 5 each and most will not fill any. Therfore evening out the kill to maintain the herd at 3 antlerless to 1 antlered.

With that we have a huge mess that would take several years to overcome or the DNR would allow 10 antlerless tags per hunter.

[Dan Wood]

[89Bronco]

I had it until 50/50 was the same as 75% - 25%, then all bets were off.

[Stratosman]

Okay, at the beginning we had a 50/50 ratio and at the end we have almost a 1:10 ratio? And the way you worded it in your 4th paragraph states a 8.8:10 buck to doe ratio? I need a nap after reading that. Not picking on you just need clarification of what you are saying.

[bigbucks]

I'd have to give a definite, sure???

I would probably agree that in our area it seems like the adult deer ratio of bucks to does is about 50/50, if not more bucks than does. I suppose assuming half the fawns are bucks, you could say in reality it is 50/50, but it would by 25/75 from the standpoint of antlered vs. antlerless, which is how the tags are designated.

[orchdork]

I agree with Mr. B and jlm. All this discussion is great and thought provoking but, One bad winter and we are back to bucks only. I remember when the season was closed and then the next year you had to pick a weekend to hunt in Zone 1. (I believe 1969, 1970) Back then there were pictures in the paper of the deer starving to death in Zone 4. The deer herd will rise and fall as Mother Nature dictates not the DNR. During the bad winters the giant bucks are some of the first to die.

I'm for enjoying the deer hunt every year good or bad and counting our blessings when we have the option to take either sex of deer because when the herd is down in numbers it can be tough to get anything.

There is some sense to making an effort to pass on the smaller bucks. As long as the weather holds. Lets not pass legislation that won't hold up when the snow comes.

[echotrail]

Say what?

Does that computation take into account the moon phase? If the opener is on an even or odd numbered day? Leap year and the prime interest rate?

[Tom Linderholm]

LOL

[Dockter]

Wow, umm, that was very confusing...ummm.taking any recreational drugs??

[PerchJerker]

Sorry man, I have no idea where you are going with your reasoning.

But since we're on the subject, I'll say that I believe the buck to doe ratio is about 1 mature buck (1.5 years or older) for 8-10 mature does (same 1.5 years or older).

I've read some interesting articles on how to survey your local deer herd with trail cameras. They have done studies in fenced encloses with collared deer to support how accurately you can survey with trail cameras. The bottom line goes something like this......

Look at your photos and identify the bucks by their antlers, then count how many times the same bucks show up. To keep the math simple, lets say you have 12 photos of bucks and decide that there are 4 different bucks -- that means you got each one an average of 3 times. Now count the number of does you photographed during the same time, and divide. Lets say you got 39 photos of does (don't count fawns) - when you divide by 3, you get 13. If you buy into the logic, you have 4 adult bucks and 13 adult does for a ratio of 1 buck to every 3.25 does.

Some of the key assumptions to being accurate with trail camera surveys were that you needed at least 1 feed station and camera for every 80 acres, that you needed to have the cameras taking photos for at least 2 weeks, and that you weren't doing it during the rut (because the bucks travel so much more).

It makes sense to me. BTW, I have 3 trail cameras over food plots and have never counted how many bucks or does I have, but I have WAY, WAY more does than bucks. That's why I believe the 1 buck to 8-10 doe ratio.

[G_man]

There is approximately one (3" or greater) antlered deer out of every 10 deer total.

Sucks but it is true.

[riverrat56]

ok i agree with everyone that there are way to many does around, but in my 4 years of hunting i have seen 3 adult does and one fawn doe in that same amount of time ive seen 6 antlerd bucks and 2 button bucks ( shot both of those, opps o ya i shot the doe fawn to..... i didnt try to she shouldnt have stepped in front of mom behind that tree...) maybe something with the rut has caused me to see more bucks than does. Sad thing is ive only seen three fawns while hunting and ive shot all those and only one acctual antlered deer. But the way i see it i have 2 days to hunt i might only get one chance so If its brown its down.

[89Bronco]

Hey riverrat56, all we've seen are bucks this year. I've seen four total, my dad has seen three and my brother shot a spike (his first buck). We haven't seen any does at all this year. And I even spent the extra $ to get a management tag for the first anterless I saw. Oh well, back when it was bucks only, all I saw were does. I have one more weekend left and then a few more days with the bow... 'til the lakes freeze over! Then it's back out on the water.

[bigbucks]

G Man, maybe in your area the ratio is 10 - 1, does to bucks, but it's definitely not that high in a lot of areas. If the people around you only shoot bucks, that's why. We don't & neither do most parties around us, so I'd say our ratio is much closer to 50-50, probably not there, but at least 30-70 & I'd bet higher than that. Have to remember at least half the fawns are bucks. I think scientific numbers say more buck fawns are actually born, but am not positive.