Whitetail Forum

[**DONOTDELETE**]

This has nothing to do with Whitetail deer, because their just are not many of them in the woods out here in Oregon. But here is an idea for you. Back in the last few years of my rifle hunting days. It was becoming a "No Challenge" thing to harvest a black tail, or mule deer. So a few of us decided to do a "Call Shot" hunt. You had to hunt your buck with a camera first. Show the picture to the group, then only harvest the same buck you took a picture of. It was great sport guys! It's a great way to limit the amount of small bucks taken. Doing this with a bow and arrow would be extremely challenging.

[longbowman]

They said the same thing about QDM when PA went that way.  The people who didn't (and don't) want change said there would be dead illegal bucks all over the place since people would shoot first and count points later.  I don't know anybody who spends more time in the woods than myself and I can say as of yet the only deer I've found has been two doe that somebody didn't track.  The 4 points to one side thing in my area has produced some great looking buck and the buck:doe ratio is getting good.  I like it.

[wapiti792]

On our lease in Kentucky our group has passed on any buck that isn't mature for the last 5 years. The results have been crazy! In the last two years I have seen 2 booners as well as several that were mature, big whitetails. Most of the landowners have bought in to it, with about 1200 acres in the mix. I am licking my chops for next year.

On my place in Illinois we are doing the same. I only have 180 acres, and so it isn't one of those giant properties that most QDM is based upon. We cull does as much as possible, and it is strickly frowned upon by me to shoot anything less than a 2 year old unless you are a kid, new hunter, or elderly. To say that it doesn't work is a myth in my opinion. 10 years now and I have no real scientific data. Just a house full of good racks and plenty of meat in the freezer from our doe harvests. The neighbors think we are doing something funny, and I've heard rumors we bait, etc.

 Even though I have a great gift of a nice piece of property in a great whitetail state, if I were to whack the first buck I see 2 things would happen: I'd be home when that big one strolls by and that little one I shot won't have a chance to grow into that big one. It's simple: shoot does when you can, pass on younger deer, and shoot a deer you are comfortable with (as long as it's 2 1/2 or older). I love it. The fun now is seeing that young 125 incher at close range, knowing I can kill him, and hoping we'll meet again in the next couple of years! I took my first big whitetail with my recurve last year. I'll never go back to wheels, and I will never quit hunting mature deer.

[Jerry Jeffer]

I would agree QDM is working in PA. I have been seeing better bucks the past couple years. For private property, you have to set standards and stick to them. There is no over night change. I like QDM for better heard health, but if it is all about big racks and nothing more.... forget it.

[SOS]

Guess this got detour to QDM, but I say don't dilute the forums.  I spend my time on PowWow and forget all the other forums except the Georgia site.  Don't have time to scroll through them all.  I'm happy to hear whitetail talk right here!