I'm seriously considering high fencing my 285 acres in Coleman county. If I decide to go forward, I plan to remove all native whitetails and then purchase some deer with better genetics. I wouldn't need ( couldn't afford ) the very best, but would like to buy some that would still be a nice improvement over the native deer. I'm looking for recommendations as far as where I might look into for buying these deer. Thanks in advance.
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Originally posted by buckerup View Post
I’d contact Sierra Mesa ranch about buying some bred does for next season. May be a more viable option. However 285 acres high fences won’t hold many deer
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Contact me if you need help getting rid of the native genetics. Did that for a friend once. Game Warden handed him a stack of tags to use.Comment
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Will be plenty enough deer once it gets established... If its just him and his family and close friends thats plenty of land for deer... Maybe 10- 14 deer a year would need killed.Originally posted by HighwayHunter View PostComment
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Deer are high to buy $. Try to manage yourself and buy a bred doe once very couple years and ear tag her. El Gato on this site started a high fence with native deer and grows monsters...Originally posted by buckerup View PostComment
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I would turn out some bred does and a buck or two with the native deer and cull aggressively as needed. Also start a good feed program.
You’d be surprised what culling and a good feed program, as well as letting the deer grow to maturity will do for a native herd.
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On that size property and in that area, I would not "wipe the slate clean". I would bring in bred does the first year, and then bring in 4-6 2 year old bucks the second year. That combined with active management and culling and you should be fine. I've done this with several ranches with great success.
In 16 years, I have never seen or heard of a GW "handing over a stack of tags," that's not how it works. With MLDP, tags are issued from the biologist based on herd density and goals.Comment
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Agree with above posts... you will need to harvest quite a few deer annually off a well-managed 285-acre HF pasture. Especially if you install a coyote apron on your HF and try to maintain 1 deer per 5 acres. Fawn survival should be high with the predator apron and you will need to remove quite a few doe annually to keep you buck:doe ratio in check.
Also, buy bred does, tag them and let them mix with the native herd. You will get the hardier native genetics mixed in your lines. If you remove the entire native herd this year, you will have no hunting for the next few years until your genetic herd gets established….Comment
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You could work to have the best native herd possible for your area, or a mediocre breeder herd. Breeders aren’t better, they are different.Comment
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I'd reconsider fencing it. If it's for recreational hunting, most get tired of it after a few years, especially the feed bill and the fact you will know every single deer in the pasture, what he looks like and where he likes to spends his time. No element of surprise any more and you develop relationships with the deer where you don't want to shoot them. Most folks with that acreage immediately carry more deer than the habitat can support, which causes a long term plant species composition change and habitat degradation. The deer still do fine because of the feed, but other species are just out of luck. Best case, on 285 acres, you'd want around 19 deer (7 bucks, 7 does, and 5 fawns for example), with a harvest of 5 or 6 deer a year (2 or 3 bucks and 2 or 3 does). But, if the habitat is already not in the best shape, you want even less. Plus, you don't need breeder deer. Many excellent examples of folks actively managing the deer they have and growing exceptional deer. You'll have much more satisfaction in knowing you improved the deer herd through good management rather than buying 'improved' genetics (that will become watered down over time anyway). Just a few thought. I'd known many folks that tried what you're thinking about and immediately regret doing it.Comment
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Also I have a friend that high fenced a place even smaller than that more than ten years ago and to this day hasn't killed every native deer out of the pasture. Good luck getting them all. I agree with other posts just turn some other deer in with them with good feeding program you might be surprised with what the native deer can do. Cull them as you go.Comment
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Don't underestimate how much work a high-fence adds. And I'm not talking about filling protein feeders and making sure clean water is always available. Every storm that passes through will risk washing out your fence or blowing a tree over that takes a section down. I notice you live in Cypress. Do you want to run out there after every storm? Trust me, unexpected things will happen out there and because it's a high fence, you won't have the luxury of waiting around until the weekend to drive out there and check on things.Comment
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So many swings.. so many misses.
His request wasn't really that hard to follow.Comment
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And how exactly is this responsive or in anyway useful to the OP's post?Originally posted by systemnt View Post
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