Qdm

[huntsem]

What is Quality Deer Management?

Quality Deer Management (QDM) is a management philosophy/practice that unites landowners, hunters, and managers in a common goal of producing biologically and socially balanced deer herds within existing environmental, social, and legal constraints. This approach typically involves the protection of young bucks (yearlings and some 2.5 year-olds) combined with an adequate harvest of female deer to maintain a healthy population in balance with existing habitat conditions and landowner desires. This level of deer management involves the production of quality deer (bucks, does, and fawns), quality habitat, quality hunting experiences, and, most importantly, quality hunters....

see entire article here;

https://www.qdma.com/qdm/

[mrex]

What is Quality Deer Management?

Quality Deer Management (QDM) is a management philosophy/practice that unites landowners, hunters, and managers in a common goal of producing biologically and socially balanced deer herds within existing environmental, social, and legal constraints. This approach typically involves the protection of young bucks (yearlings and some 2.5 year-olds) combined with an adequate harvest of female deer to maintain a healthy population in balance with existing habitat conditions and landowner desires. This level of deer management involves the production of quality deer (bucks, does, and fawns), quality habitat, quality hunting experiences, and, most importantly, quality hunters....

see entire article here;

https://www.qdma.com/qdm/
I believe in the premise but my experience has been that it's not as easy as it sounds.

The biggest problem I have, and this is an indictment of trophy hunting in general, not particularly QDM, is that by "passing" on specific deer while looking for that perfect specimen, many bucks slip through the cracks that never develope into superior status. What can happen over time (especially in a one buck/year state) is the herd begins to fill with a disproportionate number of "genetic failures". I've seen this first hand on the property I've tried to manage.

[bowhunter1023]

As with every other philosophy/theory in our world, QDM has its flaws. I think you have to see it executed on a massive scale such as you would find in Texas, to really begin to see the flaws. For a small time manager such as myself, I believe what I am doing is more effective because I do just enough to make a small difference, but I am not trying to control every aspect of the process.

I look at it like this, sometimes when you try to do it all, you run into problems that are created by the scope of your control. But when you find yourself doing just enough, sometimes that proves more effective in the long run.

[CritterGitter]

Hmmmm.......sounds to me as though what you are saying is that you "can not control mature bucks." :whistle:

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. :D

Kyle

[huntrjm]

It seems to me that due to the number of uncontrolable variables in a free ranging herd of whitetails there will always limited success/control over that herd. It sounds like genetic makeup and age structure are the biggest determining factors in the quality of the deer. You can't grow or entice genetics onto your property and through harvest practices you can have some limited effect of the age structure. Are there ways to manipulate the genetics or assure the genetically superior animals are "left to grow"?

[mrex]

It seems to me that due to the number of uncontrolable variables in a free ranging herd of whitetails there will always limited success/control over that herd. It sounds like genetic makeup and age structure are the biggest determining factors in the quality of the deer. You can't grow or entice genetics onto your property and through harvest practices you can have some limited effect of the age structure.

This has been my experience.

[mrex]

Are there ways to manipulate the genetics or assure the genetically superior animals are "left to grow"?
Not that I'm aware of, other than a fence.

[huntsem]

I think that trying to maintain an even doe to buck ratio is a good goal for a healthy deer herd in most circumstances. This includes trying to pass on taking button bucks and younger age bucks. Older bucks are generally much smarter and much more difficult to take so in that way nature plays a big role in helping with the situation of over harvesting the deer with the best genetics. "Best genetics" doesn't necessarily require a perfectly shaped set of antlers.

[bowhunter1023]

I think that trying to maintain an even doe to buck ratio is a good goal for a healthy deer herd in most circumstances.

I have come to realize in the last two years that my hunting tactics need a drastic change. Right now, I am simply a doe killer. But it hasn't been all bad. When we purchased the farm in 2005, I ran cameras all season long and only hunted about 3-4 times in the late season. I guessed the buck-to-doe ratio to be somewhere around 1:5-7. After using all three of my tags to harvest does last year and with the information I gathered from my cameras, I guessed the ratio going into this season to close to 1:3-4. I also think EHD helped in this.

The point is, you can influence the buck-to-ratio which helps create a more frenzied rut in your area. We have taken 7 does and 2 bucks off the farm since 2005. One buck was 125" 3.5 year old 9-point. The other was a 1.5 year old 5-point that was wounded and became my cousins first deer. I alone, have let 12 1.5's, 4 2.5's, and one 3.5 year old walk since 2005. Assuming that the bucks that are thre now make it through to next year, there is a possibility that we will have 6-8 bucks in the 130"+ range using the 500 acre block of land that includes our 80 acres.

[mrex]

Assuming that the bucks that are thre now make it through to next year, there is a possibility that we will have 6-8 bucks in the 130"+ range using the 500 acre block of land that includes our 80 acres.I thought the exact same thing about 15 years ago. What I observed on my place was that this was true for about 10 months out of the year. Once the rut kicked in, the mature bucks didn't tolerate each other very well and dispersed, making my place the "factory" producing mature bucks for my neighbors.

[mrex]

I think that trying to maintain an even doe to buck ratio is a good goal for a healthy deer herd in most circumstances. This includes trying to pass on taking button bucks and younger age bucks. Older bucks are generally much smarter and much more difficult to take so in that way nature plays a big role in helping with the situation of over harvesting the deer with the best genetics. "Best genetics" doesn't necessarily require a perfectly shaped set of antlers.
:yeahthat: .

[Bawana]

1023 what you and then Mrex said is unfortunately too true in many instances. I've only got 48 acres of my own, with about 40-60 acres around me that don't get any or very little pressure. However the rest of the ground around me 400-500 acres gets a little pressure in bow season and then flat out gets hammered in gun season, if it's brown its down. My son killed a nice 10 point during shotgun season, it was a 2 1/2 year old 10 point, biggest deer he has ever harvested. In addition to that around me there were at least 8-10 bucks killed, the biggest being a 1 1/2 eight point. I had a small buck, both body size and rack, (fork on one side and spike on the other) that I saw at least 6-8 times during bow season. Opening morning of gun season he got it. Would he have grown into something worthwhile? Hard to tell, my guess is he wasn't as much a runt as he was a late fawn, possibly a December or January conception date.

[Brutusbeefcake]

i've found out that if you continue to harvest does, pass on young bucks, START A CO-OP WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS that are interested, keep those informed respectfully who are not interested, make your property a haven for deer, and don't get your pants in a wad when the neighbor doesn't do what you're doing, your deer hunting will improve drastically. we've done this in our hunting area and it works! doing what works certainly doesn't come easy but it is worth it! the qdma is the best source of educational info i've ever found. in a research done in a recent North American Whitetail magazine it shows that it will take a spike 4 1/2 years to catch up (rack size) to other deer of the same age. "we'll never know unless we let them grow"

[Patriot1]

i consider myself very lucky to have neighbors that practice QDM

[coonskinner]

the best places and most sucessful buy their deer...bred just like cattle or kentucky thorobreds...high fences are important to keep out the bad genes...:D