the back yard tonight --

[The Dougster]

Here in the Republic of Texas, deer season ended last Sunday... while my hunters each took very nice bucks... 4 8-pointers and one 10-point, once again they neglected to harvest enough doe. It is not unusual for Da Warden and I to see 20 to 30 doe and we both know that if we see that many, there are at least twice that number un-seen.
I am thinking that next hunting season, I will cut my hunters season off two weeks early and then invite as many friends and family as possible out for a doe hunt. The over population of deer is a growing concern to me... a major concern indeed.

 

[jayste]

Here in the Republic of Texas, deer season ended last Sunday... while my hunters each took very nice bucks... 4 8-pointers and one 10-point, once again they neglected to harvest enough doe. It is not unusual for Da Warden and I to see 20 to 30 doe and we both know that if we see that many, there are at least twice that number un-seen.
I am thinking that next hunting season, I will cut my hunters season off two weeks early and then invite as many friends and family as possible out for a doe hunt. The over population of deer is a growing concern to me... a major concern indeed.

Common problem up here north of the Red as well. Not too many generations ago it was "taboo" to shoot does. Now it's needed. They've (Dept. of Wildlife) has created special seasons and increased the number of "doe days". Personally, I like the taste of does! Antlers taste bad anyway and are hard on my teeth! (famous last words of a guy that sees a whole lot more does than bucks)

 

[Redneck in training]

In old Czechoslovakia hunters used to be required to shoot 3 or 5 does (don't remember the exact number since I am 23 years gone from there and I never hunted) before they were allowed to shoot a single buck.
Now we live in Iowa and in about past 15 years every car and motorcycle we owned has a deer damage.
Needles to say I like deer even though they did a lot of expensive damage to my new trees. Now I run electric fence line to almost every tree we planted to protect them. So far they leave them alone.

 

[jayste]

You know? Something just occured to me. I'm a hunter as well as a fan of wildlife. But I have to admit that when I look at deer in pictures I catch myself picking for the best "shot placement"!?

 

[dave1949]

You know? Something just occured to me. I'm a hunter as well as a fan of wildlife. But I have to admit that when I look at deer in pictures I catch myself picking for the best "shot placement"!?

Well, you are a member of a 'super predator' species ya know
Dave.

 

[Mike120]

Here in the Republic of Texas, deer season ended last Sunday... while my hunters each took very nice bucks... 4 8-pointers and one 10-point, once again they neglected to harvest enough doe. It is not unusual for Da Warden and I to see 20 to 30 doe and we both know that if we see that many, there are at least twice that number un-seen.
I am thinking that next hunting season, I will cut my hunters season off two weeks early and then invite as many friends and family as possible out for a doe hunt. The over population of deer is a growing concern to me... a major concern indeed.

As a young lad, I learned that you cannot tell the difference in taste between a buck and a doe. I don't know the rules now, but in those days you could shoot anything that was on your own land.....we ate venison year round.

 

[FSE]

According to the NC Wildlife reports we have a population of 15 deer per acre in the county I live in. Sometime we can't get in the driveway for them and they just stand there and look at you.

 

[jimmyj]

15 per acre! That is crazy! I can't imagine. There must be all sorts of vehicle deer collisions. How on earth can they survive at that density?

 

[FSE]

15 per acre! That is crazy! I can't imagine. There must be all sorts of vehicle deer collisions. How on earth can they survive at that density?

The quantity is high, the quality is very poor. There are a lot of birth defects and a lot of albino deer. There are a lot of road kill also. It is also very hard to have a garden.

 

[FSE]

15 per acre! That is crazy! I can't imagine. There must be all sorts of vehicle deer collisions. How on earth can they survive at that density?

Now that you mentioned it, that does sound like a lot and I remembered reading that several years ago in a NC Game mag. I just looked it up on the wildlife site and it says greater than 45 per square mile. That sounds more realistic.