Every year I see what was once a ratio so badly outnumbered by doe - shift more in favor of bucks. In two plus months of scouting my zone 5 area- I have observed 4 doe and 3 fawns. I have counted 13 different bucks, of which they seem to be primarily 1 & 2 year olds. When I first started hunting this part of Z5 in 2002 I would say the ratio was probably 1 buck to 3 doe. Now looking more like 3 buck to one doe. Another year of unlimited antlerless from 9/10 to 1/31 certainly won't put it back to a more normal and healthy ratio.
What is the buck/doe ratio in your areas?
JackHarris
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Every year I see what was once a ratio so badly outnumbered by doe - shift more in favor of bucks. In two plus months of scouting my zone 5 area- I have observed 4 doe and 3 fawns. I have counted 13 different bucks, of which they seem to be primarily 1 & 2 year olds. When I first started hunting this part of Z5 in 2002 I would say the ratio was probably 1 buck to 3 doe. Now looking more like 3 buck to one doe. Another year of unlimited antlerless from 9/10 to 1/31 certainly won't put it back to a more normal and healthy ratio.
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Studies have shown buck fawns are always born at a higher percentage than doe dawns due to higher overall mortality.
That being said sightings alone will never give you a good idea of buck to doe ratios in any given area.
Pellet counts are somewhat accurate.
The most accurate of course is winter time FLIR counts conducted from helicopters. It's just not cost effective to count every deer...
That being said sightings alone will never give you a good idea of buck to doe ratios in any given area.
Pellet counts are somewhat accurate.
The most accurate of course is winter time FLIR counts conducted from helicopters. It's just not cost effective to count every deer...
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. I do think that if you live among the herd year after year you can get a fairly good idea - I am not talking about a casual observation.
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I've seen several of these video's, I have never been able to tell the Bucks from the does. Tell me how to separate by sex?
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Doe high/Buck low in my area...at least it seems it
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5 bucks to 1 doe
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. I can help you out. All my bucks are 80-110 inch class. Let's do a few hunt swaps.
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buck for bear?
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No bears left in zone 5......
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15-1, you might want to start taking a few. The rut must be nonexistant there.
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Pathman that's a really good article. My continued observations in my area are showing a poor fawn recruitment rate and a over-harvest of does.
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10-1 in the 3 zones I hunt.
Surrounding farms shoot every buck they can tag, and since their freezers are full they dont shoot the does..
also noticing that there are alot more fawns alive through september since they fawns of more mature deer.
seems the more mature does know how to protect their babies from the predators .
maybe in some of the areas showing low fawn survival guys need to spend more time taking care of predators instead of deer hunting .
.
Surrounding farms shoot every buck they can tag, and since their freezers are full they dont shoot the does..
also noticing that there are alot more fawns alive through september since they fawns of more mature deer.
seems the more mature does know how to protect their babies from the predators .
maybe in some of the areas showing low fawn survival guys need to spend more time taking care of predators instead of deer hunting .
.
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