As I'm sitting here typing this I see that the state just emailed us what the harvest is year to date. 112k antlered and 58k anterless. I see some of the southern counties with huge populations that I am familiar with are running about double buck harvest to does.

Grandpa was a Yooper. He always said leave the does and small bucks alone. He move up here in the mid 1930’s and held on to the deer management he grew up with.

I settled on the theory that you cannot simply groom a herd by hunting harvest, or lack of. You could pass on dozens of smaller deer only to have winter wipe out 80% of the herd.

I would shoot a big buck if I saw one. But, I'm a meat hunter and for eating a doe or younger deer is better eating than a big buck.

That is my preference. My point was that, although we can shoot up to 5 does, the either sex days are rather severely restricted during the ML and firearms seasons. Not so for archery where there is a total of 75 days of season and you can take a doe any day. For that reason I got a crossbow a few years ago so I had a much better chance of taking does and could fill my freezer w/o having to take dink bucks.

Great post! Spot on.

Although, it isn’t trophy hunting, that isn’t legal. They still have to utilize the meat. They are just hunters who really like big hard objects (antlers) in their hands.

My only point about shooting a doe instead of a spike is what have you got if you kill the spike? Knife handles? That applies to different areas of course. If trying to increase the herd and want meat of course shoot the dink.
Deer harvest is never a one size fits all

Correct. I think a lot of folks base their opinion on their region. And every region, state and heck property can be different.

Have to base your goals on your individual herd.

Only have a couple days to hunt, shoot whatever you have a tag for.

Trying to manage 1,000 acres, so what you want. Only shoot does, and let every buck grow. Just don’t have so many and only a couple does, they will leave.

If a doe and a spike walk out, I’m shooting the doe.

In some pretend world and I’ve not shot a deer all season, and it’s the last day. I’m shooting the first dang deer that steps out.

Almost no fat to trim on them little bucks as opposed to any doe around here. There's a layer of fat that covers near the whole doe, adds some time to the processing. That's the only advantage to it IMO, other than if the doe has a yearling or two with it. I hate to shoot her and then have to shoo off them little ones. We don't have unlimited tags here.

That's why I buy two extra doe tags for my county. I shoot the doe then the twins.

https://www.facebook.com/MossyOak/videos/tk-mike-mossy-oak-go/575124080624642/

^^^^ video of me and my buddy mentoring a kid on hunting

To add one more dimension to the topic. We had a major tragedy on the stretch of highway that I "kill all size deer" this year. Couple months ago a car hit a deer and sent it into the air and through the windshield of the van behind it. The driver's neck was broke and he died on the scene. It is not just about property damage. Although a freak accident there are locations where deer need to be thinned. This accident happened in broad daylight were the speed limit was slowing as you entered town.

Great post. Funny story I hated the song Fred Bear by Ted Nugent! I used to be a part time disc jockey when the song came out. Everyone would request it and just stand there while it played. Not a fast or slow song to dance to and it went on forever! Buzz kill most times but I would get cursed out if I did not play it.

Lol......love that song

fill the freezer with what you can eat....Can't eat horns

If it's brown it's down is my attitude.

I respect the matching wits with an old bruiser and providing the best you can to grow them big but don't come at me with some sort of elitist BS attitude. Your land do what you want.

I make the decision as to what I am going to shoot at or try to take before I set foot in the woods. I learned that the hard way. 30 years ago I would pass up full sized does early in the season because I wanted to shoot a buck. Many years I would not get back in the woods or would not see an anterless deer. So now I make the decision pror to the season. This year my opening days will be in an area where we can shoot 2 antlerless deer if we choose to, so I am open to whatever gives me the best, safest shot.

Bryce

I take whatever first legal deer I see here in Maine.Might be the only shot I get all year.

Yup

I started hunting in 2002 and killed my first doe in 2007 to the chagrin of my entire family. Here in southern Michigan the deer population has exploded since I started hunting. I’d estimate 60+ deer per square mile but that’s probably low. Ballpark doe to buck ratio is 7:1. From a management perspective, we need to see does harvested to prevent agricultural damage and reduce car/deer collisions, amongst many issues.

My hunting approach has evolved and if I want meat I’ll take a doe in early season. They’re relaxed, fat, and happy. I like to chase big, rutting bucks with my bow, but believe that quality habitat will influence the presence of big bucks before any sort of harvest scenario. No cover, water, food = no deer and especially no big bucks.

For me, I enjoy the overlap of herd management with putting food on the table.