While QDM guidelines must be tailored to each property, there are four cornerstones to all successful QDM programs: herd management, habitat management, hunter management, and herd monitoring.
Herd Management
Perhaps the most important part of QDM is herd management. Determining the appropriate number of deer to harvest by sex and age is essential. In many areas, deer populations are at or above optimum levels and herd stabilization or reduction is needed. [More]
Habitat Management
Improving available nutrition is another important cornerstone of QDM. The diet of a healthy herd should contain 12 to 18 percent protein and adequate levels of calcium, phosphorous, and other important nutrients. [More]
Hunter Management
Hunter management is a critical, yet often difficult aspect of QDM. Education is the key. Hunters must fully understand both the benefits and costs of QDM. [More ]
Herd Monitoring
Herd monitoring is the final cornerstone of QDM. Two types of data are commonly collected - harvest data and observation data. Harvest data should be collected from every deer taken or found dead on a property. Commonly collected harvest data include sex, age, weight, antler measurements, and reproductive information. [More]
Thursday, November 13, 2008
2008 - Rifle Opener "Selective Harvest"
Yr 1 of selective harvest didn't net any mature bucks, as expected. We had gone 5 years with the "brown it's down" philosophy, and last year it all came to a head when we took 6 bucks off the land, when only 1 of them was a mature wall-hanger. Everyone agreed that it was time to put in place some rules for harvest so we can continue to see those monster bucks we know the land can produce.
Fair amount of activity this weekend, everybody had action in front of their stands. Like last year, a lot of buck movement, in fact, we only saw one mature doe, which Jonnie harvested. Dominant buck on the land appears to be a tall rack 6pt with good potential, appropriattely named Lucky, as he would have been hanging under previous years rules. Multiple sightings of spikes, forks and 6pts...nothing bigger though.
Fair amount of activity this weekend, everybody had action in front of their stands. Like last year, a lot of buck movement, in fact, we only saw one mature doe, which Jonnie harvested. Dominant buck on the land appears to be a tall rack 6pt with good potential, appropriattely named Lucky, as he would have been hanging under previous years rules. Multiple sightings of spikes, forks and 6pts...nothing bigger though.
Friday, October 24, 2008
14 days to 2008 Rifle Season
Hoping that another one of these monsters is roaming the woods of Franklin Lake this year. 
Aqua Socializer ~ Ice Edition
The build began just before Christmas. Bill, Dan, Mickey and I were able to sneak out to the garage and start converting an old camper in to what would soon become the Aqua Socailizer ~ Ice Edition. The build went pretty quickly from then on. We had Julias come over to help with the floor and framing the walls to make sure we got that part right. Kate was out of town visiting my parents in AZ, so I pretty much moved in with Bill & Mary. Between Bill, Dan and I, we put in long hours and had it ready for the ice in just a couple of weeks.
IceFest 2005 - PPIS
A couple of shots from IceFest 2005 in the PPIS, always a good time.Sam The Dog kept a close eye on the holes, when he could keep his eyes open.
Proof That We Actually Fish at IceFest
A couple of fish taken over the past few years of IceFest, an annual event held at Sontag's on Seven. Can pretty much count on -40 degree weather for this event.
Spring on Sybil - 14" Crappies
Couldn't hardly wait for spring of 2008. We had closed on our new place on Sybil lake late in the fall of 2007, and had heard stories of great spring crappie fishing right along the shoreline that we had just bought. Sure enough, come spring, I was finding 14" slab crappies right off the end of the dock. Doesn't get much better than that.
2007 Rifle Season - Year #5
Year #5 (Chad, Jon, Steve, Zach, Josh)Nothing but bucks in 2007. Chad took this nice mature 8pt up in the high country.
2006 Rifle Season - Year #4
Year #4 (Jon, Josh, Zach, Chad, Steve)
Big buck award goes to Jonnie in 2006, we had to hunt pretty hard to come up with anything in 06. Balmy weather all weekend, and we weren't seeing anything on the move. Took a trip over to some of Chuck's land near Vergas and set up a drive. Jonnie took post on the property line, and took what appeared to be a nice 8pt on the run as it headed for cover deeper in the woods. Unfotunately, Jonnie was only looking at this buck from his good side, he had a broken/un-developed antler on the other side.
2005 Rifle Season - Year #3
Year #3 (Jon, Josh, Zach, Chad, Steve)
Trophy hunt for Josh. We had heard about a real nice buck roaming the area, and sure enough, he came in by Josh's stand. One of the most impressive deer I have ever seen taken from the area. Mature 14pt with massive beams.
2004 Rifle Season - Year #2
Year #2 (Josh, Jon, Zach, Chad, Steve)
Added Chad to the group this year.
Zach took a nice 10pt w/ the shotgun.
2003 Rifle Season - Year #1
Year #1 (Josh, Jon, Zach, Steve)
Woke up to -16 deg weather on opening morning w/ snow on the ground. Deer were definately on the move in full rut.
Within 30 mins of opener, I had 3-8pt's on the ground, all within 50 yards of the stand built earlier that summer. Had to do some begging for buck tags at that point.
Jonnie got on the board pretty quickly as well, with a nice long shot across an open field, he happend to see a deer crossing the field as we were dressing out the 3 bucks. After opening morning we had 4 hanging.
Later that afternoon, we headed back to the stands, I never had a chance to get out of my truck. I dropped Zach and Jonnie off to walk to their stands, and no sooner than I put the truck in reverse, Zach had already taken a shot and had another doe on the ground. As Zach and I walked up to look at it, we heard Jonnie fire as well, making it 6.
Josh came down with the flu (legit) and missed opening day all together, but we got him out in the stand Sunday afternoon, within a half hour, he had his doe brining us up to a total of 7, which is when we called it quits for season #1.
Fun drive home with 28 legs sticking out of the back of the truck.
Woke up to -16 deg weather on opening morning w/ snow on the ground. Deer were definately on the move in full rut.
Within 30 mins of opener, I had 3-8pt's on the ground, all within 50 yards of the stand built earlier that summer. Had to do some begging for buck tags at that point.
Jonnie got on the board pretty quickly as well, with a nice long shot across an open field, he happend to see a deer crossing the field as we were dressing out the 3 bucks. After opening morning we had 4 hanging.
Later that afternoon, we headed back to the stands, I never had a chance to get out of my truck. I dropped Zach and Jonnie off to walk to their stands, and no sooner than I put the truck in reverse, Zach had already taken a shot and had another doe on the ground. As Zach and I walked up to look at it, we heard Jonnie fire as well, making it 6.
Josh came down with the flu (legit) and missed opening day all together, but we got him out in the stand Sunday afternoon, within a half hour, he had his doe brining us up to a total of 7, which is when we called it quits for season #1.
Fun drive home with 28 legs sticking out of the back of the truck.
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