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Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
#2491118
08/09/11 02:39 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 853
Matagorda Mud Pig
OP
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OP
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Is it better to take more doe off my hill country lease this year, or is it better to shoot none, knowing its a tough year.
On the one hand, the drought is tough and surely will kill some deer. On the other, if there is too many, than maybe if we take a few, it will help the others out. Opinions?
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Matagorda Mud Pig]
#2491147
08/09/11 02:50 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,811
TxAg
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I talked to my local TPWD biologist about this topic. He said this year it's critical to take all does and culls to keep numbers in check. This will benefit overall herd health.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: TxAg]
#2491349
08/09/11 04:28 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 495
ctonsmitty
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Dec 2009
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Agree.....shoot em
I don't think the drought will kill as many deer as one might think. Sure there will some mortality, but we as hunters still need to do our part in keeping the numbers in check....
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Matagorda Mud Pig]
#2491350
08/09/11 04:28 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,832
Texan Til I Die
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I'm going to play it by ear and wait to see what the herd looks like come October. If I'm seeing a lot of deer (which is normal) and they look poor, I'll probably start whacking them. If the numbers are already way low, or if the deer look normal, I won't take as many.
BTW - This is on a large low fence ranch in an area where the deer typically travel long distances to food and water.
Silver spurs and gold tequila keep me hanging on. Pretty girls and old cantinas give me shelter from the storm.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Texan Til I Die]
#2491369
08/09/11 04:37 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,948
don k
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The bad thing about killing them is that you are going to try to take the does that are in the best shape. That leaves the ones that really need to be gotten rid of.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: don k]
#2491376
08/09/11 04:39 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 19,296
pokerj2
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President of American Entitlements LLC Health insurance agency focusing in all ages from ACA plans all the way through Medicare. Office is based in Wylie, TX We have local agents in both Texas and Louisiana 469-814-0289
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: don k]
#2491383
08/09/11 04:42 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
I would not do anything without a survey to tell me what was there. You can't manage numbers by guessing. I would enlist the help of your TPWD biolgist in your county and get his onsight analysis of you exact situation. Hard for anyone else to you what to do based only off of your OP.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: stxranchman]
#2491401
08/09/11 04:50 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,410
Tye
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I would not do anything without a survey to me what was there. You can't manage numbers by guessing. I would enlist the help of your TPWD biolgist in your county and get his onsight analysis of you exact situation. Hard for anyone else to you what to do based only off of your OP. +1. Deer management is site specific. Especially when talking numbers, habitat etc.
Last edited by Tye; 08/09/11 04:52 PM.
If you shoot a young deer because a neighbor will shoot it, you are that neighbor.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: pokerj2]
#2491402
08/09/11 04:50 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,369
blancobuster
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I plan on shooting several
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: stxranchman]
#2491404
08/09/11 04:51 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 853
Matagorda Mud Pig
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Ok, good points its Coryell County, Southeast of Evant near "Bee Cave Road"
I will get in touch with the game biologist.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Matagorda Mud Pig]
#2491407
08/09/11 04:53 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
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Ok, good points its Coryell County, Southeast of Evant near "Bee Cave Road"
I will get in touch with the game biologist. Good plan and do it quick as those guys are loaded down with surveys already. Plan to help him so he can show you how to survey so you can do your own in the future.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: stxranchman]
#2491435
08/09/11 05:04 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,811
TxAg
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Good call Ranchman, definitely site specific.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: ctonsmitty]
#2491536
08/09/11 05:52 PM
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,304
Stump_jumper
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Agree.....shoot em
I don't think the drought will kill as many deer as one might think. Sure there will some mortality, but we as hunters still need to do our part in keeping the numbers in check.... You are correct if we have have a wet and mild fall & winter.
2017 Tundra 5.7 CM 4x4 2006 Champion 2200 Bay Boat
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Stump_jumper]
#2491612
08/09/11 06:30 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,481
redchevy
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I agree with others that you need to do the surveys and so forth to determie your required harvest based on carying capacity, but culling shouldnt be too much different, you are going to want to remove the bottom of the barrel of what you have the inferior will be that much more worse off.
matt
It's hell eatin em live
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: redchevy]
#2491626
08/09/11 06:39 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 495
ctonsmitty
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 495 |
We will continue using game cameras as well as sight/surveys to see what we have.....
We started putting them out 4 weeks ago and we run them through January. We also put them out at the end of the season when we start protein feeding to see which deer "made it"
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: ctonsmitty]
#2491960
08/09/11 09:22 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 825
Spent Brass
Tracker
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Tracker
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I'm going to get my 2 this year. According to trail cams and deer sightings on my place we can stand to cull some. Hopefully the wife and kids can punch some tags this year too. The outcome of this drought on the deer herd won't be seen for a couple years I read on another forum, so gonna try to do my part and fill the freezer at the same time.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Matagorda Mud Pig]
#2492028
08/09/11 09:57 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,832
Texan Til I Die
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Ok, good points its Coryell County, Southeast of Evant near "Bee Cave Road"
I will get in touch with the game biologist. The deer in that area aren't hurting at all....yet. They actually caught a couple of rains back in late May and early June that's made a huge difference.
Silver spurs and gold tequila keep me hanging on. Pretty girls and old cantinas give me shelter from the storm.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Texan Til I Die]
#2492609
08/10/11 01:25 AM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,483
jim1961
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
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We will be taking them in line with our survey but I can see taking more because of the tough conditions
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Texan Til I Die]
#2493654
08/10/11 02:58 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 19,498
Erathkid
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I'm going to play it by ear and wait to see what the herd looks like come October. If I'm seeing a lot of deer (which is normal) and they look poor, I'll probably start whacking them. If the numbers are already way low, or if the deer look normal, I won't take as many.
BTW - This is on a large low fence ranch in an area where the deer typically travel long distances to food and water. This is the approach we will take in Comal cty.and Real cty.
Life is too short, as is. Don't chance it. Don't text and drive.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Erathkid]
#2493688
08/10/11 03:13 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,811
TxAg
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Well, at our place in W. Llano county the deer can be as dense as 6 acres per, though it varies slightly. With low native soil nutrients it's typical that we need to keep numbers in check. This year even more so with lack of any good forbes. That being said, the early Mesquite beans might just save our bacon, if we can ever get just a little rain.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: TxAg]
#2494157
08/10/11 06:14 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 12,214
deerfeeder
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For the places that didn't get adequate rain and your local browse sucks, after you get your numbers down, you should be okay on the does, but when you start talking about culling I can see people start shooting spikes like crazy and you are more than likely taking out 1.5's and 2.5's that would be 4 pts or 6 pts or possibly better in a good year. I'm just saying I'd look at them really close before I pulled the trigger.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Matagorda Mud Pig]
#2494219
08/10/11 06:45 PM
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 703
steve13
Tracker
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Tracker
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saw article from P & W saying fawn survival expected to be low, maybe not as bad a 2009 when some placed in s texas has <10%%
seems best to not kill them IF there is enough food
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: steve13]
#2494245
08/10/11 06:59 PM
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,518
MikeBillington
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
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By the time deer season comes around there may not be any deer for us to shoot on our place. They are all leaving for the river and lake. Haven't seen a deer or tracks in a couple of weeks now.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: Matagorda Mud Pig]
#2494530
08/10/11 08:53 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 853
murph
Tracker
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Tracker
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That decision will be made after we run our annual September survey.
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Re: Shoot more does or shoot none during drought?
[Re: murph]
#2494904
08/10/11 11:32 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,756
jskin
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
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Maybe the AR's will catch a break this season. Now we can blame the drought!
"While we are postponing, life speeds by"
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