Drought Harvesting?

Widowmaker · 08-29-2011, 12:03 PM

With the extended,near record breaking drought this year what are you gonna take as far as does' this season? looking at the forecast models and not seeing much if any relief in sight of this drought,while I normally take my limit of does' each season, I am more inclined to take more does this season,including letting the kiddos take their limit.If the drought continues, they will continue to go downhill, may not be healthy enough to breed, carry fawns through term, and if they do then you wonder if the fawns can make it... All the while the "conservative" approach will add additional stress to the habitat by maintaining increased competition throughout the herd on food sources.
You can regain a doe population pretty quick by holding off on does for 1 year, post drought,and quickly regenerate the numbers.
just my input on the current conditions,and hoping for some very much needed relief in rain,and cooler temps.

Ronny · 08-29-2011, 03:29 PM

We are going to do the same thing. The does on my lease better go hide.

bountyhunter · 08-30-2011, 07:48 AM

We can only take 2 does in our county, so those spikes had also better watch out. Doubt there are going to many at all that make the 13" restriction this year (hard most years to have more than 2-3).

Widowmaker · 08-30-2011, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bountyhunter

We can only take 2 does in our county, so those spikes had also better watch out. Doubt there are going to many at all that make the 13" restriction this year (hard most years to have more than 2-3).

That's a good thing about kiddos,is that you can have them help out on knockin' down some more does',if needed. :-)

biggen · 08-30-2011, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronny

We are going to do the same thing. The does on my lease better go hide.

I could help out especially the one's with dots!!

Ronny · 08-30-2011, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biggen

I could help out especially the one's with dots!!

You are a funny man.

Have you seen how many grandkids I have.

skeeter · 08-30-2011, 06:40 PM

we will be whackin some does this year. if we dont get any rain between now and the winter, there will not be enough food to go around. my thoughts are to thin the herd where the older, stronger deer have a better chance of makin it thru the winter. There are gonna be a lot of young fawns and yearlings that wont make it if we go into a tough winter with low/ no food.

rtread · 08-31-2011, 02:47 PM

I've got a drought story but it's not in Texas and it doesn't involve does(not legal here in New Mexico).
South Central New Mexico has been under a severe drought as bad or worse as most of Texas. I've been keeping up with the conditions of the mule deer here and they are in very poor shape. We went ahead and made the trip out here knowing I probably wouldn't hunt in the September bow season unless I could get a glimpse or a trail cam pic of a big buck I've been slobbering over for three years now. No such luck. I made the decision today not to hunt until the general season in November which is any legal firearm. Big disappointment but I don't want to pay the outrageous license fee to shoot one of these poor deer. May be a silver lining in here somewhere. Good luck to all this fall wherever you hunt.