The doe harvesting in this state has been like a pendulum swinging back and forth going a little too far in each direction. I think over the next few years we'll see the pendulum settle more in the middle. I personally think changing back to one doe per day would help change the perception of the general hunting public in the same way public perception was effected when they switched to two a day. However, on the other hand, I kinda like the two doe a day rule because it allows me the opportunity to take out the does that I do need to harvest in a swift manner. If my goal is to take out 4....I would much rather do it in two hunts rather than four. Its kind of a luxury though that wouldn't bother me if they changed, if it were doing it for the betterment of the whole. I think the vast majority of properties could probably still be managed just the same under a one doe per day rule.

Do any of you all check the weight and condition of your does that you killed?

What is the weight and condition are those fawn rearing does?

Over a period of years, how much does the weights and condition fluctuate ?



Your bucks should be in better condition since all they do is eat til time for the rut.

What is the overall condition of the deer herd and when does your browse lines show up.

Seeing deer would be the last criteria for not enough or too many deer and or does.

I am currently hunting a friends 10 acre track and normally see anywhere from 5 to 7 does on a regular basis. Yes I said 10 acres. I have killed 2 mature does this year. Both of them weighed in the 100 - 120 lb range. Neither had little ones with them. I've got game camera pics to suggest I'm not seeing all of the deer currently crossing his property. I have a huge 8 pointer on film but haven't met up with him yet. There's a lot to managing our deer herds properly. A lot of folks think they have to kill something every time they go and that simply isn't true. I personally won't shoot a buck unless he is going on the wall. I've been hunting for over 38 years and have 7 set of horns on the wall. I've been blessed for sure. As for killing does, you have to know and understand the land you're hunting and manage it accordingly. Shoot the mature deer and let the little ones grow up. If it means not killing a lot of deer for a few years so be it. The rewards later will be worth it. Just saying. Off of my soap box now.

Exactly the only time you need to kill does is if the herd has grown to the point that the deer are not in good health. To do that you need to have weights and age of does killed over several years. If you hunt a piece of property where you are killing mature 3.5+ does that are averaging 110lb or better on a scale not a guess you do not have to many deer and biologolicly there is no reason to kill any does on that property. The problem is most people don't take the time to gather the information to be able to make the right decisions.

Very true.

I personally believe the overall deer population is in jeopardy of not recovering if there isn't some serious reversal of the liberal doe harvest rules we have in place in the majority of the state....and SOON! With ever increasing coyotes--trigger happy "hunters"--and lazy dumb ass biologists there is little chance for the population to sustain itself. Read the latest study done at Ft. Rucker for all the doubters. Max harvest of over 600 deer in one season and was only 50 last year. This has been one of the most consistently cold winters with a below average acorn crop yet I can go days without seeing a single deer. I know- I know it's just me and I don't have a clue what I'm talking about.

does have certainly changed their behavior over the last 20 years. Before the doe/day limit I would see large groups of does traveling together, as many as 20+ at times, but not any longer, the biggest group you might see is 3 maybe 4. I believe our doe population is down from what it has been but I know they are a lot harder to hunt these days.

I think those large family groups you are talking about just don't exist anymore in most places anyway.

I asked my neighbor how many he had killed this year and he said two doe. Then I asked how many deer have you seen, he replied two. Yes we have a trigger happy problem in this state.

Then every time I turn on the TV and watch a show some guy is preaching QDM about how to grow bigger bucks and better for the herd.Then they turn the camera around and there's twenty five does standing in the plot. I could total up the last three seasons and not come up with twenty five. Correct if I'm wrong but seeing deer and being entertained by them is a lot more enjoyable than sitting there freezing staring at an empty green field. Something needs to change in our state!

We do all of the above........and I can assure you that our deer herd is WAY below the carrying capacity.

Yep. I'd rather see a lot and not shoot than see one and shoot one.

This is sad but true....

I have neighbors just like that

The idea behind QDM is a balanced deer herd, nothing more, nothing less.

spot on

Pretty much sums up the entire situation in my opinion.

ALFA has more influence over our game and bag limit laws in AL than the biologist. Thats why we are going through a extermination of our deer population.

BINGO!

What's interesting about this conversation is the number of Alabama hunters who travel out of state, or would like to travel out of state to try their luck with a buck of a lifetime. States like Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, etc. All of these states have quality hunting due to their excellent soil, genetics, habitat, available food and an intense rut. One other thing these states have is a much more balanced population. I have hunted all 3 of these states as well as many others and there are pockets where you will see lots of deer, primarily where the habitat forces them to concentrate on specific area of a farm. But for the most part, their populations are WELL below what we have here, even though their habitat, soil and available food is exponentially better than ours.

If you truly want quality hunting where all different age classes exist in your area, you should be in favor of populations based on the carrying capacity of the habitat.

I guess it all depends on what your goals are. If you simply want to see a lot of deer and don't really care about the quality, then your opinion of deer hunting in the future may be that the overall experience is worse than what it is now. If you are more interested in increasing your chances of killing a mature deer, the idea of keeping populations of deer within the carrying capacity of the habitat they live on should excite you and be a priority on the property that you hunt.