 By
July most of the does should be done fawning. The fawns should be growing
and following their mothers some of the time. The bucks are growing racks,
and all the deer should be feeding on preferred foods.
Planning Ahead
Any type of deer management should take
into account several different factors; herd size, buck to doe ratio, age
structure of the herd, fawning rates, type of habitat, available food sources,
seasonal use of the habitat; and hunting success by age, and sex. One of
the first steps in deer management should be to determine the size and
makeup of the herd. A fairly accurate count of all the animals should be
taken to determine buck:doe ratio and fawning rates; to determine if the
herd is in balance with the available habitat, so that overuse of the habitat
by the deer does not occur; which could resulting in habitat destruction,
poor nutrition, starvation, disease, stress, and poor reproduction and
growth of the deer herd. You can start to produce a socially balanced deer
herd: 1. By keeping the herd at or below the carrying capacity of the habitat.
2. By balancing the buck to doe ratio of the herd. 3. By ensuring that
there are adequate numbers of both sexes and all ages classes of deer in
the herd, so that maximum breeding occurs at the appropriate time of the
year.
You can find out how many deer there are in
the area by having several different people counting deer in different
areas, at the same times, on several different days or nights. Be sure
to determine the sex of all adult deer, and count all of the fawns. While
you may miss some deer using this method, if you use the highest number
of deer seen during any one time, you will have a fairly good estimation
of the size and makeup of the deer herd n your area. You can also ask your
local game managers how many deer they believe there are per square mile
in your area. The game manager should also be able to tell you the carrying
capacity of the land.
In order for any deer management program to work hunters and game managers
must realize that:
1. The habitat can carry only so many deer, it makes no difference whether
they are bucks or does. Once the number of deer exceeds the carrying capacity
of the habitat there will eventually be habitat destruction, which can
lead to disease, stress, and starvation of the deer. Or the deer, particularly
younger bucks, will leave to find more suitable habitat, making them susceptible
to injury and death by natural causes, hunting, or vehicle collisions.
2. Once the carrying capacity of the habitat has been determined, the
total number of deer should be kept below that capacity, so that there
is adequate nutrition in winter, and in case of forage and habitat loss
due to natural causes.
3. Because the habitat can carry only so many deer, and one of the goals
of deer management should be to ensure that there are appropriate numbers
of both sexes, and all age classes of deer, one of the first objectives
should be to balance the buck to doe ratio of the herd. The best way to
increase the buck:doe ratio is to remove some of the does. In order to
keep the buck:doe ratio stabilized an appropriate number of both bucks
and does should be removed every year.
4. To increase the average age of the bucks in the herd younger bucks
must be allowed to reach four to five years of age, which is when they
should be the dominant breeding bucks. It may be four to five years before
there are significant numbers of older bucks available to achieve all the
breeding at the proper time.
5. The oldest and youngest deer, and bucks that are exhausted from the
rut, are usually the weakest and the first to die. In order to keep weaker
deer alive when they are under stress their health needs must be provided
for. With the threat of infectious diseases, the best way to provide for
the nutritional needs of the deer is through habitat improvement, and food
plots; not through supplemental feeding.
6. Increased deer attraction to a particular property, improved survival
and fawning rates, and increased body and antler size can be achieved by
providing adequate cover and water, planting deer forage and browse, and
providing year round minerals. Supplemental feed can be supplied (only
where CWD and TB are not a concern) in the winter and early spring when
deer are stressed.
This article is adapted from The Deer Manager's Manual, and the Deer
Addict's Manual, Volume 1.
If you have questions about deer, elk, turkey,
duck or goose biology or behavior, or want advice on hunting those species
e-mail me: trmichels@yahoo.com.
Hunt safe, hunt ethical and God bless you and yours,
T.R.
| To
List Of T.R. Michels Articles:
T.R. Michels
T.R. Michels is a nationally
recognized wildlife behaviorist, outdoor writer and speaker. He is the
author of the Whitetail, Elk, Turkey and Goose Addict's Manuals, and the
Deer Addict's Manuals. He is the innovator of the Moon Indicator, which
predicts peak monthly movement of deer and elk, based on the forces of
the moon. T.R.'s latest products are the 2002 Revised Edition of the Whitetail
Addict's Manual, the 2002 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and
Whitetail Notes and Activity Factors.
For a catalog of books
and other hunting aids contact:
T.R. Michels
Trinity Mountain Outdoors
PO Box 284
Wanamingo, MN 55983
507-824-3296
E-mail: trmichels@yahoo.com
Web: www.TRMichels.com |
|
| To
List Of T.R. Michels Articles:
T.R. Michels
T.R. Michels is a nationally
recognized big game researcher, speaker and writer. He is the author of
the series Whitetail, Elk, Turkey and Goose & Deer Addict's Manuals
and the innovator of the Moon Indicator.
T.R.'s latest books, available
for 2001, are the Deer Addict's Manual, Volume 7: Hunting Tactic; the Scrape
Addicts Manual; and the Outdoorsman's Cookbook, Volume 1 and 2.
Contact:
T.R. Michels
Trinity Mountain Outdoors
PO Box 284
Wanamingo, MN 55983
507-824-3296
Web: www.TRMichels.com
E-mail: trmichels@yahoo.com |
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