# Reason for rise in ND big bucks



## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

I'd like to know what everyone else out there thinks about this.

What do you think is the reason('s) that ND is starting to produce some good bucks? The last 5-6 years ive noticed an increase in the number of deer seen and taken that are over 125-130. Especially the last three years.

My theories are (in no particular order):

Several easy winters in a row. 
Corn/Soybeans being grown in alot of places where they didn't used to be.
Somewhat more selective harvest (I like to see you gun hunters stand hunting out of towers rather than tiger driving fleeing animals where you have a split second to decide to shoot).
And for some areas of the state, the fact that three years ago alot of corn was left standing during gun season, alot of bucks survived that year, and I think were still reaping the benefits.

I still think ND has a long way to go in regards to big deer. There is no reason we shouldnt be producing hog bucks like Kansas and other known big buck states. Were not showing our potential so to speak.

Lets hear some other theories.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Maybe the fact that no one gets buck tags?

I talked to over 25 guys this weekend, three of which had buck tags. I honestly saw more bucks then does. Probably 8 bucks that were over 125.

There are alot of buck tags given out according to the Game and Fish, but who gets them??


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## dosch (May 20, 2003)

We saw alot of young bucks as well. Spikes & forkers were more common then does it seemed. Lot of hunters in our area were turned down for bucks also which is why it seemed so quiet I think. It's not the same when no one can shoot a buck. When the " thirty point buck" song came on the radio I almost wept.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

I had a really nice young buck come in from about 500 Yards out, walked down the trail by me, took a pic on my camera phone at 10 yards. Nice 5x5 prolly go about 140, he was really young looking small body compared to the others. Anyways he finally winded me and trotted off. I hoped and prayed he would go in the corn, because next year he would have been HUGE. He had alot of potential. Needless to say he was standing in a wheat field. I watched a truck come flying down the road slam on the brakes. Guys jump out and boom thud. uke: I guess thats how it goes.


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## rburt (Apr 12, 2002)

barebackjack said:


> I'd like to know what everyone else out there thinks about this.
> 
> What do you think is the reason('s) that ND is starting to produce some good bucks? The last 5-6 years ive noticed an increase in the number of deer seen and taken that are over 125-130. Especially the last three years.
> 
> ...


I agree with what you've stated here and these are all pretty dramatic changes, particularly in the area of agriculture and the timing of the harvest. However, I think the easy winters, coupled with the GROWING deer population, are the biggest reason. If Party ABC hunts on a 1,500 acre farm that holds 200 deer, and they only take 5 a year, there are going to be more and more big bucks every year.

However, I am concerned at the number of deer and the doe:buck ratio in the area we hunt, can't speak for the rest of the state, but I would guess it's a similar situation - we need to start harvesting more does.

One of the guys in our group has even suggested that since our ratio is so out of whack that some of the younger bucks are going be so worn out from breeding their choice of does and lots of them, that when we do get a hard winter, we're going to lose a lot of them.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

I wish I had the problem of to many women! :lol:


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

hunt4P&Y said:


> I wish I had the problem of to many women! :lol:


Speak for yourself  I'm so dog tired at the end of each weekend! I'll be lucky to make it thru the winter....

You just need bigger "headgear" to impress them with! :beer:

:lol:


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

HAHA You can never get enough though! I mean can you?


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## browningboy (Mar 30, 2003)

Im in 2c and i saw a big rise in bucks too. I mean the size. I think i prolly sawa 2 bucks to one doe. There wasa no inbewtween though. EDither really big or really small. aI ugess in my vision they aare.


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## thurdypointer (Sep 15, 2006)

Here in Hillsboro I've seen some absolute monsters out of range with my bow. they were coming off of private land that is posted up tight. I'm guessing the biggest I saw was 160 or maybe better. He was a 5X6 with an incredible amount of mass. I've seen alot of very nice 8's as well. This weekend rifle hunting near Sherwood and Mohall I didn't see any big deer, just a ton of small bucks. I think the increase in corn is the biggest factor. I mean there is a ton of corn near Hillsboro and I've seen bigger deer. When near Sherwood I didn't see a single cornfield.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

I think that the biggest contributing factor in the size of ND bucks is the increase in the amount of posted land. Whenever someone controls the land and the amount and the size of the deer that are taken, they will grow bigger bucks!!


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

I guess I havent really noticed an increase in the amount of posted land in the area we've traditionally hunted, only for waterfowl really. Everybody always posted for deer, for the last 20 years.

I think its great the G&F finally started cutting back on buck tags. Let some of those bucks grow. If you want meat, or just to shoot a "deer", shoot a doe, but for those that want a good buck, now there may be opportunity, it may not be every year, but every other year in most units. We may finally be getting away from that quantity over quality thing. (Granted we still need to kill alot of does).

As far as deer population, everything you read about QDM states that the closer to a 1:1 buck to doe ratio you can get, the better quality bucks you will produce. Now here in ND we're not anywhere near 1:1 so I dont think population has much to do with why we are seeing more quality bucks.


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## woodpecker (Mar 2, 2005)

zzzzzzzz


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