2008 Harvest Goals?

[JPH]

For those of you who QDM, what are your 2008 harvest goals? How many does do you want to take and when do you want to take them? What are you looking for in a buck and how many are you going to allow? Most importantly, why? What are you baising your goals on?

[DeerCamp]

Im hunting an area down south for the early doe season. It's a big farm and we plan on taking about 5+ does out of there during this hunt. Hope it goes to plan. Im only able to hunt for 2 days due to work.

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: DeerCamp

Im hunting an area down south for the early doe season. It's a big farm and we plan on taking about 5+ does out of there during this hunt. Hope it goes to plan. Im only able to hunt for 2 days due to work.

 
When is the season? Is this someplace you have been managing for a while?

[bckklr]

my goal is to take a bigger more mature deer than i have in the past @least 120 & i try to take 3 does to every buck

[JPH]

My goals are a bit complicated b/c I hunt two very different properties in two states. I guess that is what QDM is all about, trying to taylor your management to the specific needs of the property.
 
Iowa:
I hunt a small farm that I have no ability to do habitat mgt. on b/c the owner rents it out for crops and pasture. It does however benifit from being very close to a large and professionaly managed property. There are ample oppertunites for large bucks and an ongoing need for doe control. My plan is to hunt for 3.5 yr old bucks with both my early ML and bow tags. I will take a doe on the last day of ML if need be. Otherwise, I will most likely hold off on does until the Thanksgiving antlerless season, where I hope to take 4-6.
 
Missouri:
I own a micro timber with one clover plot and my cabin. I have worked hard, given my small budget, to make it deer friendly. The timber is very thick and I use most of it as a sanctuary. I only hunt the edges, on favorable winds. There is a poaching problem in the area and I do not see tremendous numbers. In 5 years there, I have taken 6 does and 0 bucks. At times I have taken the wrong does (the old grandma's). And I have taken them too early in the season, removing potential buck magnets. This year I hope to hold for a 3.5 yr. old buck and wait on does (if any) until the late season. 

[dtrain56]

First, i don't know how many hunters this would apply to, you need about a thousand acres to really have QDM,
 
if not deer leave your property with regularity..but my goals personally on my property are to take a buck that is out to the tips of it's ears and also harvest two doe..those are all the tags i have anyway
 
 
 

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: dtrain56

First, i don't know how many hunters this would apply to, you need about a thousand acres to really have QDM,

 
Oh, not true my friend!
 
QDM is not about controling the entire herd. It is about doing what is best for the herd with what you have. You notice that I used the term "mico" in refrence to my property. That is a QDM term to denote very small parcels. In my case, it is 35 acres. I have made that place more wildlife friendly, through thinning trash trees, making brush piles, and planting food plots. I have aided the deer herd by harvesting does and passing on many young bucks. I know more about nature than when I started. And I enjoy my hunts more than ever before.
 
Brother, you can QDM on 5 acres. I wish more people would.

[dtrain56]

I do all that already...I have about 55 acres but..can not control nieghbors or the public land that abutts my land...
 
Apr's have helped stop if its brown its down mentality wish they where a little more strict

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: dtrain56

I do all that already...I have about 55 acres but..can not control nieghbors or the public land that abutts my land...

Apr's have helped stop if its brown its down mentality wish they where a little more strict

 
Welcome to QDM! Many of us simply need to accept a lttle lower standard than what we see on TV.
 
I have had some fun encounters with mature bucks on my place, but I have not yet been able to close the deal. Holding out for 2.5 year olds would be more realistic, but I get my buck fix in Iowa.

[schlupis]

We have 200 acres in northern Wi and have abut 6 acres of food plots this year plan on adding about 2-4 more next year. In the past years the only people from our group that would practice any form of qdm was me and my buddy while the other 5 guys would shoot anything that came by..
 
In the last 4 years myself and my buddy have killed one 124 inch buck he was 2.5 not what we wanted as far as age but nobody is perfect and I misjudged him, LIVE AND LEARN. 3 other bucks that were all 3.5 or older all 130-140 class bucks. 3 of the bucks were killed with bow and one with rifle.
 
Since we have killed these bigger deer the other hunters have surprisingly jumped on board with us and have decided to pass the smaller bucks in hopes of getting a crack at one of the bigger ones. That to me is a HUGE step..
 
Our plan for this year is to take at least 2 does apeace and only bucks 3.5 or older. the only people bowhunting the property is me and my buddy and his dad once in awhile. If everything goes like normal we should kill 6 does, hopefully we can add two, 3.5 year old bucks, (wishfull thinking on 2).
 
We plan to take the does early in the bow season preferably opening weekend or second week. Looking for bucks 3.5 or older. Our goals are based on in the past few years we are seeing on our property a pretty good rise in does, would like to get the does in check again we kind of got away from killing the does with our past sucess on bucks..