Deer management does vs bucks

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RidgeHunter

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I have a very newbie hunter question and I’m hoping someone might be able to direct me to some studies to help me better understand deer management.
Everything I hear (anictdotialy) is that harvesting a doe has a greater impact on populations then harvesting bucks.
In my pea brain, I see if I kill one doe that will take her plus her one or two offspring per year out of the population. But if I take out a buck does that not mean I’m taking many more out of the equation, being that that buck may mate with more then one doe?
I realize another buck will jump right in there to take his place but would that not be the same on the female side of the equation?
I know minds brighter then mine have logic for this rational so I’m hoping someone can point me to some studies to help me better understand this.
 
... If one buck usually mates 2 does. Consider the following.

A: You harvest a buck: Another 2 bucks can just up their offspring by 1 extra to 3 each. Now the dead buck is covered. Now you are at +/- 0 net deer.

B: You harvest a doe. Now there is 1 less doe. No other does can have 2 offspring.... So you are at a net -1 deer.

Also consider that taking out older bucks allows young bucks to breed. So its also good to take older deer vs spikes.
 
There is a study out of USA sorry can not remember name but it stated to have a healthy herd and more bucks was to take 3 does per 100 acres.
 
That is a really interesting question. I generally shoot bucks but have taken a doe on occasion to put meat in the freezer. Your right on the surface it would seem like harvesting does is bad for overall deer numbers but I don't think the science actually supports that conclusion. As I understand it having some does removed from the population and not just bucks is beneficial to the overall makeup. Something to do with the doe to buck ratio I believe????
A few of my hunting buddies would never take a doe because it is in their words " bad for deer numbers" but I don't think that is necessarily the case.
Would like to read some studies/info on this as well.
 
I have always understood that it depends on the population. With high deer numbers, harvesting of does is essential to herd management. When populations are low, it is beneficial to hunt bucks. For this reason, blanket statements about which is better to harvest are hard to make....
 
zackstab said:
... If one buck usually mates 2 does. Consider the following.

A: You harvest a buck: Another 2 bucks can just up their offspring by 1 extra to 3 each. Now the dead buck is covered. Now you are at +/- 0 net deer.

B: You harvest a doe. Now there is 1 less doe. No other does can have 2 offspring.... So you are at a net -1 deer.

Also consider that taking out older bucks allows young bucks to breed. So its also good to take older deer vs spikes.
Click to expand...

I seen plenty of does with twins!
 
shockwave said:
I seen plenty of does with twins!
Click to expand...

I figure if theres lots of twins then my logic still applies lol. -2 deer for a dead doe or -1. Still dont get a negative with less bucks. But this is just the basic logic behind the buck only sentiment. Obviously as others have stated above... We should leave herd management to professionals who better understand if the population needs more or less does or bucks. Ive taken 2 does and 1 spike over 4 years. Only once in the far distance did I see a buck with multiple points. Granted 6N has given me an antlerless tag every year.
 
I've hunted the Boundary Creek area in southern BC for a lot of years. I used to see whitetail deer all over that area. They opened up a doe season their about 7 years ago and now you hardly see any whitetail. I've talked to locals in the area and they say the same thing. Its poor management IMO.
 
zackstab said:
... If one buck usually mates 2 does. Consider the following.

A: You harvest a buck: Another 2 bucks can just up their offspring by 1 extra to 3 each. Now the dead buck is covered. Now you are at +/- 0 net deer.

B: You harvest a doe. Now there is 1 less doe. No other does can have 2 offspring.... So you are at a net -1 deer.

Also consider that taking out older bucks allows young bucks to breed. So its also good to take older deer vs spikes.
Click to expand...

From a mathematicial standpoint this doesn’t make sense to me.
In situation A you’ve added two extra bucks to the equation. To keep the scenarios equal you would then need to add two extra Does to scenario B. You can’t just arbitrarily add animals to one equation and not the other and call them an equal comparison.
 
time4t said:
I have never "harvested" a deer, but have killed plenty. The allowable hunting seasons for both male and females depends largely on the specifics of the targeted herd population. To those who insist on just killing bucks, thats fine, if the buck to doe ratio can support it. Concerning antlerless, if the herd can support it, there is no problem. Do a search on wildlife biology and ungulate herd management, or call and speak to your provincial game biologist. They like to chat their stuff to interested parties.
Click to expand...

Yes this is my understanding of it.
Every region has different herd dynamics, and depends on the number of does per buck etc
 
RidgeHunter said:
From a mathematicial standpoint this doesn’t make sense to me.
In situation A you’ve added two extra bucks to the equation. To keep the scenarios equal you would then need to add two extra Does to scenario B. You can’t just arbitrarily add animals to one equation and not the other and call them an equal comparison.
Click to expand...

I think what is intended is that every doe with the ability to breed will, whereas not every buck will have the opportunity to breed
 
It depends on your hunting area. About six years ago there was a very high population of deer where I hunt so taking a Doe every season was no strain on the deer population.

Fast forward to the last few years, after three winters with deep snows and even worse very cold and wet springs when the Does are fawning the deer population has fallen to very low numbers. So now I wont take any Does until the population rebounds.

Hoping for a warmer spring for fawning here. Good to see you asking a question like this, shows you have good ethics and care about the future of your local deer population, some people just don't give a damn.
 
Thanks Northshore I'm really trying to better understand how the dynamics work to make ethical choices in my hunt and draws i enter in, rather then just go off anecdotal theories
 
Antonino said:
I think what is intended is that every doe with the ability to breed will, whereas not every buck will have the opportunity to breed
Click to expand...

That's an interesting idea. I didn't realise every fertile doe will get pregnant every year. Clearly I'm not a deer expert but that helps explain things a bit.
 
pete dobinson said:
I've hunted the Boundary Creek area in southern BC for a lot of years. I used to see whitetail deer all over that area. They opened up a doe season their about 7 years ago and now you hardly see any whitetail. I've talked to locals in the area and they say the same thing. Its poor management IMO.
Click to expand...

Southern BC still holds a huge population of whitetail does. What I have noticed is their behavior has changed with the continued open season each year. Hunters who have failed to change along with them are usually the ones who claim there are none left.

No longer can you simply drive around for 15 min and tag out, you actually have to work for it.
 
In Ontario, in WMU 60 there is an anterless deer draw for an anterless game seal. If you do not enter the draw you automatically get a buck game seal. Last season there was a 62% success rate for getting an anterless game seal. This is done by the MNR to preserve the deer population.
 
Join QDMA Canada and learn about deer biology, habitat, buck to doe ratios, culling, all kinds of other stuff. It is a great resource of information and can expand your knowledge of the whitetail deer. And it is only like $50 a year!
 
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