When I began hunting 11 years ago, our hunting party saw at least three times as many does as bucks while hunting (and very few mature bucks). Soon after, we implemented a plan in which we harvested at least 10 does per year in an effort to reduce deer damage on my father's agricultural fields. Little did we know how much this would increase buck movement.

Our doe numbers were reduced to a level where bucks were forced to search out does more during daylight hours. While we probably had no more bucks than when we began the program, we doubled our sightings of bucks during the season. Now 11 years later, after passing up all bucks under the age of 3 1/2 years old, we now see twice as many bucks as does during the rut.

Last bow season, my brother Matt saw 10 bucks before he saw a single doe, and on opening day of gun season we saw 22 bucks and 11 does on our property. I don't see anything wrong with those numbers. This is really an incredible feat for us since we hunt in an area that has very high hunting pressure and a small number of landowners who practice any kind of deer management.

HOW MANY DOES TO SHOOT?
So how many does should you be harvesting? I don't have an exact answer because every deer herd is different, and different habitats obviously support varying numbers of deer. As a start, I'd recommend making sure that you are harvesting at least as many does as you are bucks. Two does to every buck is a better mark, especially in farm country. This method will help balance the buck-to-doe ratio, but it still doesn't get at the best level of doe harvest.

The best method for most hunters is to keep a journal of deer sightings. Keeping records of the deer you observe will give you a good idea of how many deer you have in the area and if the population is changing. It will also help estimate your buck-to-doe ratio. Journals can be kept while scouting, hunting and shining deer during the off-season (if legal). Observing deer year 'round will give you the best results since deer movement varies from season to season. Trail cameras can also help determine population levels in your hunting area.

Another, more intensive method is to keep track of browse levels on your property. If the preferred and secondary browse species are lacking on the property, that's definitely a sign that the land is carrying more deer than it can support. Simply put, preferred food sources are a deer's favorite browse while secondary browse choices are foods that deer concentrate on if the preferred species are lacking. These plant species vary from area to area.

In our corner of northeast Wisconsin, white cedar, hemlock and oak regeneration is almost non-existent due to the overpopulation of deer. This is an obvious sign that the carrying capacity of the land has been exceeded. In our area, red pine normally isn't browsed a great deal unless sufficient quantities of quality browse are lacking. In the past we had failed red pine plantings due to an incredibly overpopulated herd. Now, however, after several years of management, this secondary browse species is able to survive on our land without being heavily browsed. Indications like this can help you gauge how many does you should be removing in order to prevent over-browsing.

WHICH DOES TO SHOOT?
I recommend setting a goal to shoot adult does. Otherwise, too many buck fawns are harvested by mistake. It's hard to grow big bucks when many of the youngsters are being shot before they even grow their first set of antlers. Buck fawns are normally the boldest deer in the herd, making them the most vulnerable to someone wanting to fill an antlerless tag. It's important to teach the hunters in your group how to identify and pass up buck fawns. I also recommend shooting does whenever the opportunity presents itself -- not just at the end of the season.

Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to deer hunting and deer management. The improvements in the deer herd are often hard to see, but if you stick to your plan those improvements will occur and you'll see the changes. What's more, knowing that some older bucks are on the property will make it much easier for you to pass up the younger ones.

As mentioned earlier, the process of "taking the next step" will also require a change in attitude. Deer management is a future-oriented process. In order to have more bucks and bigger bucks in the future, you might have to endure several seasons without filling your buck tag. That's because "taking the next step" encompasses a management system that addresses the needs of the deer and not necessarily those of the hunter. But by doing what's best for the deer now, you'll be setting yourself up for rewards in the seasons to come!

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