Herd management example and strategies

[Mikege1174]

Great information. Thanks for sharing. I am just not sure about shooting doe fawns. Even though I have done it in the past by accident.

[FCTrapper]

If I am reading correctly, you are killing 50 percent of your deer surveyed 4.5 and older. Looks like a decrease in yr 2 numbers. I would be concerned about shooting too many older deer. I'm not an expert but would you maybe consider shooting more younger deer to thin the herd if needed to thin. Looks like you need more deer to get older. Try cull less superior genetics in each age class. Spread the culling around and of just shoot all your old deer.

??Please explain Your thoughts. I'm not following you whatsoever.

Killing bucks at a younger age only keeps them from becoming older.( thats the only guarantee in deer mgt lol)

[FCTrapper]

Great information. Thanks for sharing. I am just not sure about shooting doe fawns. Even though I have done it in the past by accident.

It doesn't work for everyone. In any given program you can't look at any one style or method as a formula for success. There are a ton of turns and misdirections due to factors out of our control. Such as drought, predation and poor fawn crops. It all goes back to knowing your herd. It's true deer management not typical deer leases or hunting clubs.

[HappyM]

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I have 120" mature 8 points...

We had 2 "reverts" this year. 3 or 4 year old bucks that score less than 100". Dinka by any standard especially on an intensively managed ranch.

[8pointer]

Looks pretty darn good to me.... maybe shoot more management bucks at 3 and 4 and pass on the 5 year olds to get your mature numbers up, not shooting trophies until 6.5

[HappyM]

I have been thinking about the feeder density suggestions above, I am curious how much protein feed you believe you are feeding per adult deer ? I am curious if their is actually more consumption per deer due to more availability or less bullying, or is there a max amount they will/can eat and beyond that more feeders are not beneficial?

Would really appreciate hearing from you guys that have high feeder density or breeders to know what quantity they will eat. I have a feeder station on 250 acres/ feeder density, use about 30 tons per year on average for last few years , have about 200 adult deer based upon surveys and feed about roughly 9 months out of the year free choice. That
would be about 1.1 lbs per day per deer. Our KR lease the same method would yield 1.2 lbs/deer/day and the feeder density is a feed per 1000 acres.

I know not all deer use the feeders so not sure this is meaningful but was just thinking.....

[HappyM]

TTT. Anybody want to chip in with info?

[STGS]

With regards to how much protein a deer will eat, it varies a fair bit from does to bucks to fawns and it very dependent on range conditions.

I currently have a pen of 23 deer with 11 does, 11 fawns and 1 mature buck. They currently eat approx 450 lbs every 7 days plus 80 lbs of alfalfa. That equates to 65 lbs of protein per day or just under 3 lbs per animal. I am sure the 200 lb buck is consuming much more per day than the 70 lb fawns.

I also have pens only containing bucks ranging in age from 1.5 to 5.5. They consume an average of 4 lbs per animal. They do consume brush in the pens, but it is likely not more than 10-15% of their diet.

Lastly, all of the deer in the pasture (est to be 140 plus fawns) consume about 7000 lbs per month on average. That equates to 50 lbs per deer per month, or 1.667 lbs per day per deer. Assuming some loss to birds and rabbits, that # is closer to 1.5 lbs per deer.

These are just averages I have calculated over the past few years. It varies month to month and even year to year.

Good thread and hope it helps!!!

[TexasTK]

One of the key components of the feed usage is habitat. 70% of my place is riparian, creek and river bottom habitat. I run close to the same deer numbers as you HM but have 1 feeder per 100 acs and a water source every 75acres. I go through on average 25 to 30 tons per year plus 7 tons cottonseed. My phiplosphy is give them more than they need as far as feed and water. Of course the bigger the place the more expense and that is usually the limiting factor.

[BIG BONE]

good read

[HappyM]

Thanks for the good info. I have free choice feeders so they get all they want and there is water nearby all of them. Seems like the differences are really density of feeders and what per deer consumption might be.

A for instance , our deer consumed 10 tons less protein this past year than they did the year before. Same availability, just substantially more favorable range conditions. That is why I am not sure a lot more density would have a greet impact on consumption and was curious what others had seen.

[HappyM]

Ttt

[HappyM]

Decided to run an experiment with higher density feeders in half my place and the same as I have been using in the other half. Not sure it is scientific but will give me a good idea if further feeder density would make a difference. Going to keep track of total tonnage through each and see if the per acre consumption varies.

[Peyton]

Here's some light reading on the subject.

http://www.ckwri.tamuk.edu/research-programs/deer-research-program/research/comanche-faith-study/

[Txbobcat19]

He could actually carry less doe and fawn % would go up recruiting just as many buck with less mouths to feed.