Is Moving....

Well,

The time has come that I will be transferring the blog over to a website format with a blog incorporated. The change will happen in the next few weeks, I will have forwarding information on the blog. Thanks for reading.

November 10, 2009

Personal Management Hunts


It has been quite some time since I have posted on here last so I thought I would write about something that has opened my eyes a bit this past week of hunting. It is simple, and everyone hears about it or sees it on hunting networks across North America, deer management.
Our good buddy's down in Texas do this consistently managing does and bucks to keep a healthy herd.


Up here in Alberta, we have so much open land to hunt on that land owners themselves don't take it to action much unless they themselves are hunters and want to keep a standard for deer on their piece of property. But I notice that folks tend to forget that when the hunting draws come out each year there is and will be double tags offered in many wmu's (wildlife management units) and they are offering them for a reason. The population is to high! Take advantage of that. I have also noticed that when you get the double tags, the price is cheaper than a standard 35.00 buck tag. Sure everyone wants to fill their buck tag for the sake of filling it, but if we all just shoot bucks there will be few left and even less amounts of quality deer that make every ones heart drop when seen or harvested.
Let's face it, a huge percentage of hunters out there are not trophy hunters and all want meat in the freezer, correct? So why do we have to harvest small 2-4 year old bucks for meat when we could be taking the back straps of a doe? Now that I am growing up and maturing I am setting a standard for myself and it was influenced by none other than Roger Raglin. I will not shoot a buck that is any younger than 4 years old and it does not mean that it has to be a monster to be mature it could very well be a crabby 4x4 mule deer buck that is 5,6 or 7 years old with poor genetics. If I am looking for meat, I can fulfill that with doe tags and if shooting a doe doesn't get your heart going even a slight bit I think you should re-consider why you hunt.
So far this season I have taken 2 mule deer does and may even buy my white-tail doe tag as well because I don't see the opportunity to take a mature buck happening so I will fill my doe tag and get some amazing jerky out of the tenderloins. This season alone between myself, my father and brother we have 15 deer tags, 9 of which are doe tags so to shoot a buck just because, to me doesn't seem relevant.
It is just something to consider when the days are narrowing off and the hope of a "last day bruiser buck" is falling short, take a doe if it is a general tag and either sex can be shot or just hang that tag on your Christmas tree for decoration and harvest a mature doe. If more hunters can do this we will see an increase in quality sized doe and bucks in the near future. All the best for the remainder of the season and remember, if its a mature buck or doe its gotta go!

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