smaller deer?

[bogey1]

for some reason every deer killed from the group i hunt with this year is small. we usually get about 30-40 per year between about 8 of us. this years deer are as big as dogs, maybe a tad bigger. the doe are tiny and the buck aren't really any bigger. what gives?

[Brodeurman69]

Originally Posted by bogey1

for some reason every deer killed from the group i hunt with this year is small. we usually get about 30-40 per year between about 8 of us. this years deer are as big as dogs, maybe a tad bigger. the doe are tiny and the buck aren't really any bigger. what gives?

Maybe its because your killing 30-40 deer most of which are probably doe's and not giving them any time to grow up?

[bogey1]

i dont know? i thought about that. years ago we used to get some monsters, this year only a few and i wouldnt consider them monsters. i think you may be right, i did say something to the guy thats in charge of the group, that we shouldnt take the small ones anymore. im not into shooting little ones. if im going to take the time to dress and butcher, it better be some meat on it. were in chester county by the way. the only time i see a half decent size one is when its laying on the side of the road.

[XUSNORDY]

Are you hunting mountains? or farmland deer?....here in Adams the deer have stayed the same with a few bigger racks.....out in Lawrence county I saw fewer deer during archery but BIG bodies and BIGGER racks! nothing came in range though....and of course rifle season was miserable weather wise, tons of doe and little six points. Where I do most of my hunting in PA there seems to be fewer, but Bigger, and SMARTER deer.

I can't complain. I'm seeing them, good ones, but must be me not doing something wrong not getting them close enough to arrow a heart.

[bogey1]

Originally Posted by XUSNORDY

Are you hunting mountains? or farmland deer?....here in Adams the deer have stayed the same with a few bigger racks.....out in Lawrence county I saw fewer deer during archery but BIG bodies and BIGGER racks! nothing came in range though....and of course rifle season was miserable weather wise, tons of doe and little six points. Where I do most of my hunting in PA there seems to be fewer, but Bigger, and SMARTER deer.

I can't complain. I'm seeing them, good ones, but must be me not doing something wrong not getting them close enough to arrow a heart.

were hunting mostly suburban areas, very small partials of land, 10-100 acre.

[knight0334]

Trophy hunting doesn't help deer sizes either.. If people are constantly taking the biggest and nicest bucks(or does for that matter) - it takes a good sample out of the gene pool. Every once in a while the smaller and less desirable bucks should be taken over a prize just so the nice one can breed again the next year.

[buster]

It's GLOBAL WARMING and that law that states that cold weather animals need to be larger than their warm weather counterparts.

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[bogey1]

Originally Posted by knight0334

Trophy hunting doesn't help deer sizes either.. If people are constantly taking the biggest and nicest bucks(or does for that matter) - it takes a good sample out of the gene pool. Every once in a while the smaller and less desirable bucks should be taken over a prize just so the nice one can breed again the next year.

oh we do plenty of that, take scraggly looking bucks. as long as their BIG. im not a trophy hunter but i wouldnt pass one up. im really just out for the meat.

[knight0334]

Originally Posted by bogey1

oh we do plenty of that, take scraggly looking bucks. as long as their BIG. im not a trophy hunter but i wouldnt pass one up. im really just out for the meat.

I take the first heathly legal buck/doe that has the misfortune to walk out in front of my buffalo rifle. For the most part, they have all been average deer. A couple have been small, a couple have been big.. but I dont wait for the trophy to come by, passing up average or lessor deer just for a stupid rack.

[bogey1]

Originally Posted by knight0334

I take the first heathly legal buck/doe that has the misfortune to walk out in front of my buffalo rifle. For the most part, they have all been average deer. A couple have been small, a couple have been big.. but I dont wait for the trophy to come by, passing up average or lessor deer just for a stupid rack.

same way i think...