Why have there been so many more bucks

[slickhead slayer]

I think it's EHD. We have killed 8-15 does off our farm for probably 10 straight years. This year we killed 3. They just aren't there to kill. Blue tongue even forced some counties to go to more restrictive zones.
I don't buy this sillyness that all of a sudden, just in two years all the hunters got lazy. That doesn't make sense to me.

 

[325WSM]

I help out a small resturaunt and fireworks seller in kenton county and all of our bar crowd regulars have told me many stories about alot of nice deer bein taken in the county

Small restaurant and fireworks seller? You must be talking about Vito's and Nick's Grove.

 

[Captain Farrel]

Small restaurant and fireworks seller? You must be talking about Vito's and Nick's Grove.

Yes sir, sure am

 

[naturalelite]

I think it's EHD. We have killed 8-15 does off our farm for probably 10 straight years. This year we killed 3. They just aren't there to kill. Blue tongue even forced some counties to go to more restrictive zones.
I don't buy this sillyness that all of a sudden, just in two years all the hunters got lazy. That doesn't make sense to me.

How many of those have you killed this year? Oh yeah you would fall into the ANTLER worship group.LOL

Maybe it isn't that hunters are lazy per my statement but maybe they just don't feel like doing all of that work. Or it could be EHD I was just voicing what I personally think are the issues.

 

[buckfever]

I think it's EHD. We have killed 8-15 does off our farm for probably 10 straight years. This year we killed 3. They just aren't there to kill. Blue tongue even forced some counties to go to more restrictive zones.
I don't buy this sillyness that all of a sudden, just in two years all the hunters got lazy. That doesn't make sense to me.

I think it's a combination of factors:

1. Could be EHD, but I doubt it. Unless I'm mistaken, the EHD strain that hit KY in 2007 was especially hard on mature bucks (for some unknown reason). Our farm didn't get hit hard at all, but from what I saw at other locations, I think this was really true. Seemed like bucks got zapped a lot harder than does, maybe 2 or 3 bucks per doe.

2. Laziness might not be the right word for it, but I'd guess that "antler mania" may play a role. Lots of hunters, especially the younger ones, watch the outdoor channel and see show after show after show depicting the exact same thing. The hunters drive their trucks through the middle of the night to get to their hunting destination. While on stand, the footage shows 4-5 does and a couple of young bucks. The hunters never shoot the does. They just wait on the bucks.

These shows all pay passing lip-service to "deer management", but they certainly don't show on tape what they preach. It's all bucks, all the time on virutally every one of these shows. IMO, there are lots of hunters that get the message that you've gotta pass little bucks to shoot big ones, but very, very few recognize that doe mgmt is actually more important than buck mgmt.

3. A third possibility is that Ky hunters have done a good job in harvesting does, which has reduced deer Ky's overall deer numbers and allowed them to focus a little bit more on bucks. Yep, I agree, probably not.

 

[wilkersonhunter]

it might have something to do with the kind of year we had last year with all the acorns and the deer didnt have to travel much to find food. this year there wasnt many acorns and they had to travel much more

 

[forddeerslayer]

I don't know about a trend as this was my second year of hunting full season in ky. I do get to talk to alot of hunters where I work and have heard and seen about alot of bucks alot of them very good bucks being killed this year. I figured it was because of the acorns crop last year.

 

[KYBH4Life]

Just to add my 2 cents....with most of the guys on here, I would think that maybe 75% process their own deer. I could be way off though. I had one taken to a processor in 1992 when I was in college and didn't have time to do it myself. Never again. I process everything but the salami and plan on doing that next year.

As for buck harvest being larger...I have seen many more bucks this year vs does and obviously so have many more people on here. Doe numbers appear to be down currently.

 

[raidergson]

We must be close to a 1:1 BDR in the zones 1,2,&3., and zone 4 counties are buck only during MG. Meat hunters are seeing as many, if not more, bucks as does. By probability, as well as shooting the first deer that some see, it makes sense that just as many bucks as does are taken with a deer population at a 1:1 BDR. And, we all know this is true because MG is during the rut.

 

[zone1]

The unlimited doe tags work in Zone1. I see about 4 bucks for every doe.

 

[slickhead slayer]

How many of those have you killed this year? Oh yeah you would fall into the ANTLER worship group.LOL

Maybe it isn't that hunters are lazy per my statement but maybe they just don't feel like doing all of that work. Or it could be EHD I was just voicing what I personally think are the issues.

I kill my share of does every year, always have. I didn't this year because they weren't there to shoot. It has nothing to do with being being lazy or having antler envy. Biologist suggest you kill does if you want more and bigger bucks. So wouldn't antler envy guys be killing does?

And I find it comical you calling out others for having antler envy, that's rich. Nobody in this WHOLE state complained more about the new rule that eliminated the extra buck tag for quota hunts than you did.
No need to get your knickers in a bunch natty, I was just voicing my opinion as well.

 

[KY Swamp Beagler]

I hunt zone 1 counties. For the last three years I have seen more bucks than does when hunting. Last year in particular I hunted Caldwell and saw all bucks and only one doe. None of the bucks were shooters. I had to go to Graves County and hunt my buddy's place to put a doe in the freezer. He wanted a few thinned out. At his place in Northern Graves they consistently see 10 to 20 does on every hunt. They are convered up in does. I think, just with any other game animal, you are always going to find areas within counties that have more deer and even some places with more bucks to does and vice versa.

This year, I hunted Livingston and saw a fair amount of bucks on cam. I actually placed all does "off limits" on my farm. I just didn't feel comfortable harvesting any does with as few as I was seeing. Next year I'll take one in early bow season if I'm comfortable. I was surprised to see on the Telecheck that there were a bunch of button bucks killed in Livingston. It surprises me that guys can't tell a doe from a button buck. I mean a button buck has a shorter nose, blockier head and always seems to have a devilish look on their face.

I don't think deer hunters are necessarily lazy, but rather our fast paced society doesn't lend itself to taking time out of your schedule to process deer. Also, some people just don't have a good place to process a deer especially if they live in town or in a subdivision. Personally, I have a meat pole in the backyard, but I live in the country. I can have a doe processed in an hour. If I have a buddy helping me pull the hide off it goes a lot quicker. I would suggest people get with a buddy before season and each commit to helping the other process their deer. This way neither spends much time.

 

[MrHank]

For the more bucks then does, it has been like that for a while. Just out of curiosity what is the percentage of does versus bucks killed before the gun season opens? I bet before gun season opens it is almost 2 does to 1 buck killed by hunters without guns. I was slick not saying "the gun hunter". Yes I do gun hunt as well but just had to throw that in there. I think it does equal to the weekend warrior just wanting to kill a buck for the antlers no matter the size. So when they have limited oppurtunities they kill the first decent buck that they see, or small buck for that matter.

We kill between 3 to 5 deer per year and process them ourselves. For us it is just the way it is as I would not want someone else handling the meat that I eat. And yes I also raise my own pork, beef, chicken, rabbit and catch fish. We supply the majority of what we eat ourselves including raising the big garden and canning. We live off of 100 dollars a month at the grocery and eat really good. Lazy may not be the best of words but its a choice, would you rather spend the money to have someone clean it for you because you dont have the time, or is it that you just do not want to mess with it. We are as busy as anyone as we both work full time and also farm 80 acres on the side. To us it is a lifestyle of wanting to not have to depend on anyone for anything.

 

[notimlmit]

My first bowkill this year was a doe in which I had four walk under me. This was late october and the first does I had even seen after five hunts. Later on Nov. 1 I killed my buck in the afternoon with my bow. I bought the bonus antlerless tags and continued to bowhunt but like others had trouble finding the does. I was the video guy for our bunch during gun season and they had every intention of shooting does but we didn't see any till close to the last day and they were early early and my wife couldn't get on one.
I started checking my cams to see what was going on and in our area the does were there, I mean I had eight in one frame at different times. Had pics every NIGHT. That was the reason for us, the does were nocturnal from a week before gun season till well after while the bucks were close to the same but some were early and right at dark. I will bowhunt some more to try for another doe but probably after the first of the year. I have a good foodplot with brassias and hoping by laying off for a good while the deer will become relaxed a little more a return to some daytime movement. That was our reason, may not be others, but for some unknown reason the they went nocturnal.

 

[naturalelite]

And I find it comical you calling out others for having antler envy, that's rich. Nobody in this WHOLE state complained more about the new rule that eliminated the extra buck tag for quota hunts than you did.
No need to get your knickers in a bunch natty, I was just voicing my opinion as well.

No Knickers in a bunch my friend. Just giving you a hard time.

And the reason I was so upset about that was because I was selfish. I had a gold mine 30 minutes from my house that gave me another buck tag for 30 dollars. If I lived 30 minutes from LBL I would be just as happy. Well except I am sure I would be paying child support because my wife would kick me out of the house for hunting and fishing all the time.