Managing big bucks on your property
- Thread starter MK111
- Start date
In my younger years I did some questionable things but as I've aged, I've learned and now walk a much straighter path. People can change and you can't hang something they have done over them forever. At least that's how I look at things. With trail cameras and big bucks in such high demand (people watching every move around them) I think most walk the straight and narrow.... I'll give them the benifit of doubt before I condemned them for what they may have done in the past. Again, I'm not friends with them but I've seen the ugly head of jealousy and rumor mills when you kill a nice buck or couple 200s.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
I recall the same thing being true on most of those bucks I believe from the stories they told, that they were spotted and they did anything and everything to get permission to hunt them. Not like they had the land to hunt for years and passed Jr. until he was a giant or something. Also recall what Joe posted too about all the expunged records, not something you can do easily unless you have $$.
As far as the management side of things go I think we all know you can make many improvements to your properties to try to help hold deer longer throughout the season whether it's improve the 4 basics: food, cover, water and lack of pressure. Add in deciding what to shoot and what not to shoot based on your 'local herd' at least gives you the chance of improving things. In our situation we haven't shot does for a number of years and now it looks like it just may be paying off. We still have a lot of young bucks hanging around which to me means our property is a good displacement area which also means to me we have still too few of does even yet. As far as young bucks being shot, well I hope my kids have fun deciding what they want to shoot in the coming years. For me I think I'm done shooting decent bucks and looking more at getting the kids their experience. If a giant walks by when I'm in the stand alone I just hope I can make a quick clean kill LOL.
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No jealousy here buddy. And no rumor mill or "may" have to it. Just plain facts of the matter. I've seen the cases files prior to expungement with my own two eyes. At one point someone mailed a buddy of mine who is in a position I won't mention a stack of dockets on the group. As for things hanging over you forever, the one guy I spoke of earlier that posted here got busted twice illegally hunting in a metro park over a bait pile with a crossbow. While he managed to get it expunged after pleading guilty and a short loss of his license it is absolutely something that should hang over you forever. Especially when he also got ran off another property a couple time by a landowner also within the city limits of Columbus. All I'm saying to you is there is far more to the story that what you read about a new 200+ being shot in Columbus. There is a longstanding pattern of less than ethical and illegal happenings. And while you're right about the past being the past One must ask themselves did they get on the straight and narrow, or just get better at not getting caught. Either way matters not to me as their credibility has been ruined forever in my eyes.
ajupsman
*Supporting Member*
I hope this doesn't hijack this thread but here goes. Hunting big bucks only has changed this sport and not for the better. Some people will do anything to shoot a buck they can brag about. It's caused gaining permission to hunt land for free almost impossible and the cost of leasing land to go through the roof. I've heard of people around here like the Eskers who have repeatedly broke the rules to shoot a big buck just so they can call themselves a trophy hunter. Then they look down on fellow hunters who choose to shoot a smaller or younger buck. I know it's hard to hunt mature whitetail bucks and managing property to try and grow them is even harder. I just don't like what less scrupulous people will do to shoot one. A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. For you it may be 180 inch whopper. For others it may be any buck regardless of size.
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My deer management has been quite simple for the last 49 yrs. Being a meat hunter I shot the 1st deer I seen.
Then in 2012 I started to bow hunt seriously I started passing on smaller bucks as I wanted my 1st bow harvest buck to be a nice large one. I shot a nice 8 pt. buck in 2013 so now I pass on smaller bucks to harvest a slightly larger buck than the last one.
I take a doe each year because in 2012 I started planting 3.0 plus acres of food plots which is being expanded year year and draw in 15 plus does at times so I see no harm in harvesting a mature doe out of that number.
So you see I now keep it simple because I know all nearby hunters it's just 'if it's brown it's down' just as I was in the past.
Then in 2012 I started to bow hunt seriously I started passing on smaller bucks as I wanted my 1st bow harvest buck to be a nice large one. I shot a nice 8 pt. buck in 2013 so now I pass on smaller bucks to harvest a slightly larger buck than the last one.
I take a doe each year because in 2012 I started planting 3.0 plus acres of food plots which is being expanded year year and draw in 15 plus does at times so I see no harm in harvesting a mature doe out of that number.
So you see I now keep it simple because I know all nearby hunters it's just 'if it's brown it's down' just as I was in the past.
Amen! For me I enjoy the later more. I hope one of bucks I have on my farm lives a few years and I can pick up sheds and eventually harvest him. That's a achievement not easily obtained, but in my eyes possible with QDM practices.
ajupsman
*Supporting Member*
Wow, that's the sentence you pulled out of my comments? My point was hunting big bucks is not the only way to hunt. A lot of people just like to hunt deer, regardless of size. Guess we know where you stand.
You know I go deer hunting , if I get a deer it was a successful hunt. If I get a wall hanger that's great, if i get an antlerless on the last day that's great , meat in the freezer. If I get nothing great because I had a week with my son , and grand kids and maybe some friends! I go hunting for the adventure not to get something to brag about , but if I do I will brag with the best of them[emoji2]
ajupsman
*Supporting Member*
That is where I stand. I'm a trophy hunter first and foremost. Yes, I meet hunt too. Yes, also hunt for the family traditions snd the good times we have. But my priority is to kill a nice buck each season. Someday I might get more enjoyment out of passing on the tradition to my son and it won't be that important to me....but today ain't that day. Matter of fact I would guess everyone on this forum (or a very high percentage ) would shoot the 180 inch buck before a mature doe IF they were standing side by side.....if so, youre a rack hunter first aswell.
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I don't think that would make someone a rack hunter, more so an opportunist. To me a rack hunter is someone who makes it their focus, everything they do is purposefully designed to kill a specific buck or a buck over a certain age or score. I'm a rack hunter, on the properties I hunt, I've shot 1 deer in 4 years and it was the buck I killed last year. But I also enjoy taking Travis and Jessica out. I can still be a rack hunter and enjoy setting Travis up on a slammer buck. To me it doesn't matter who sends an arrow through a slob long as we got it done.
ajupsman
*Supporting Member*
Of course most people would shoot a 180 if it was standing side by side with a doe. That does not make them a trophy hunter. As Joe said that makes them an opportunist. A trophy hunter would pass on the doe one day in hopes of shooting the 180 the next day. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm just saying the pursuit of trophy deer by any means is wrong. If you shoot a 180 every year legally and ethically, more power to you.
180" buck probably has more meat than the doe. So that's a no brainer if you still have a buck tag.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
I'd venture to say anyone who deer hunts would shoot the 180, if not then what's the point?! I know many who would shoot a spike too over a doe. Does that make them a rack hunter if they don't want to lower their doe numbers any further or have a buck-only tag (Mich) they want to fill?
No, I would argue they are very in tune with deer numbers and genuinely concerned about deer numbers. Of course then maybe they shouldn't shoot anything in that area and hunt somewhere deer density is higher.
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There's a problem with the "hunt somewhere the deer numbers are higher" theory, if hunters migrate out of low population areas to a higher population areas it doesn't take long before it's a low population area too. The ones that don't migrate usually keep the now decreased deer numbers low in the previous area; while the new area is also decimated. A swarm of ants that devours a cookie and moves to the next cookie doesn't solve the problem of only having two cookies. Sure they got a whole new cookie but the problem still exists and soon they'll be in the same boat again. The ants need to slow down on the cookies. But that's hard when the homeowner is doing everything within his power to get more ants eating cookies.
A lot of different idea on the subject. Almost sorry I posted the link now. Like I said almost but glad I still did. Keep it up guys.
Take it easy with all that making sense stuff.
Seriously though, if chasing racks makes you happy Corey, more power to you. I have enjoyed following your quest over the years. You may do things a little different then I would or for different reasons, but that's part of the fun in this game.
