Hunter Management

Herd Management | Habitat Management | Hunter Management | Herd Monitoring

With all the talk about quality deer management, we often forget we have to manage hunters as well. We can try to set limits on what and when hunters can do what they want. However, the best way to achieve successful deer management is through complete hunter buy in. Real quality deer management depends on support from hunters everywhere.

The only way to get that support is by building build hunter awareness, education, and commitment. We first need to understand what quality deer management is. It is not a euphemism for a deer conservation group. Deer management does not just mean, “What we can’t do.” It also means, “Here’s what we all need to do to make sure we can keep doing what we love.”

Hunters need to see the benefits of quality deer management over time and into the future. They need to understand the costs of deer management. Hunters also need to see what happens when people don’t actively management resources. To understand deer herd management better, we need to learn everything there is about deer. Know how they live, what they need, where they live, how long they live, and how they act.

One of the first things hunters need to do is identify deer properly as:

• Fawns (young deer)
• Does – female deer
• Yearling bucks – young male deer
• Intermediate-aged bucks – male deer 2.5 to 3.5 years old
• Mature bucks – male deer 4.5 years old and older

We need to agree on what we are seeing out there. To identify age and sex accurately, hunters should study body size, shape, and behavior and how they relate to age and sex. Luckily, what we need to learn is readily available. Start with your favorite hunting partner but don’t stop there. Maybe you’re lucky and your father-in-law knows everything under the sun about the whitetail like he does everything else. Otherwise, continue to search for more information. Try the public library for books on deer. Check out the QDMA on a national level. Most states have a deer management association. Both groups can help you learn more about deer.

Understanding deer better will not only make you a better hunter. You will also gain a better appreciation for what deer need to thrive. Successful quality deer management give hunters stewardship for the very thing they live for.