Strategy

[Fidgety 8]

Got a question for you pros out there. Have a field with grass and clover, has adjoining woods. There is a big buck (clean), a smaller buck (in velvet) and a few does. The big buck keeps chasing off the smaller one, who now has a yearling doe following him. Who do I shoot first, and why? The assumption is that the landowner wants them all gone. I'd like to be shooting bucks till the end of season.

Edited April 7, 2010 by Fidgety

[brno17 5]

Got a question for you pros out there. Have a field with grass and clover, has adjoining woods. There is a big buck (clean), a smaller buck (in velvet) and a few does. The big buck keeps chasing off the smaller one, who now has a yearling doe follower. Who do I shoot first, and why? The assumption is that the landowner wants them all gone. I'd like to be shooting bucks till the end of season.

 

firstly i'm no pro and others opinion may be different, but the way you plan your cull can have have various effects dependant on what you want to achieve. if you want to limit tree re-stock damage then that big buck can be you best friend as he will defend the territory from all incomers and will do minimal damage, if this is your aim, cull the young beast and leave the big boy to it, but you may not shoot many transient bucks as he will see them all off until beaten. the other option ( again dependant if tree damage is a factor ) is that if you take the big buck this will leave a vacant territory that when the does shed last years young in preparation for this years there will be many juvenile bucks looking for any vacant territory so with the big buck that held the area out of the way you will have many trying to take over the space so you should have more opportunities to take more animals, but this comes with a price, with as many juvenile bucks around damage by fraying can be bad as they try and assert themselves and mark.

 

however, any cull should always have the deer's welfare foremost, if this big buck is in his prime and fathering strong young then you have to ask yourself do you really want to shoot him yet for the sake of extra venison ?

 

thats my tuppence worth anyway.

 

atb

alan.

[2434me 13]

If ,Your stalking area is fairly small.

The wood is mature -ish.

The field will have livestock put on it.

The farmer wants them all gone ?

 

If your stalking is dependant on showing results and the wood is to thick to stalk? Then your only option may be to take them both now. You might not get another chance to do the job when the livestock arrives and the deer are back in the wood or move to someone elses ground .

If the wood is open and you have other area's where the deer will move to then you will be able to take your time a bit more and stretch out your season .

 

brno17's advice is straight enough as well !

It all depends on your situation groundwise ?

[john robbo 30]

all good advise.

[wireviz 8]

Get rid of the big buck if you want more deer in if not leave him .