Management of Future Whitetails

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Management of Future Whitetails
Original Power Point Created by Andy Harrison
Modified by the GA Agriculture Education
Curriculum Office July 2002
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Status of the Whitetail

• Turn of the century almost gone
• Habitat destruction
• Killing-off by hunting for food
• 1940s
• The Whitetail begins to make a comeback
• Pitman Robertson Act and Hunting License Fees
• Helped restore habitat and populations

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Status of the Whitetail

• 1960s
• Much of the land was open to public hunting
• Contributed to low populations
• In the South, poaching and dog hunting also
  contributed
• 1970s
• New trends in deer hunting began to emerge
• North American Whitetail Magazine

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The Whitetail The Big Game Animal of North
America
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Sportsman Initiatives

• Improvement of habitat
• Buck-only laws
• Limited predators
• Overpopulation damage to agricultural crops

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Deer Populations

• United States
• 15 17 million
• Texas
• 4 million
• Overall quality of bucks are in decline

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Management

• Trophy Buck Management
• Quality Buck Management
• Deer Number Management

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Trophy Buck Management

• Very intensive management of land and resources
• Herd population control
• Restricted buck harvest
• Habitat management
• Supplemental feeding
• Extremely restricted buck harvest 1 buck per
  1000 acres

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Quality Buck Management

• A buck that best realizes the potential of his
  age class, living in a quality habitat, and
  harvested through a quality hunting experience
• 2 3 yrs old
• 8 pt 15 inside spread

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Criteria for Quality Buck Mgmt

• Must allow to mature some states still harvest
  80 of buck herd
• Adequate nutrition
• 1 cause of inadequate nutrition
  overpopulation
• Restrictions in type of buck harvested
• The hunter controls what types of deer can be
  harvested later

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Numbers Deer Management

• Populations maintained at or above range capacity
• Some held below carrying capacity to maximize
  production
• Make sure there are enough deer for hunting
  population

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Future of Whitetail

• In some areas deer populations pose a threat to
  agriculture.
• Also a threat to public safety, especially on the
  highways
• State agencies now issuing off- season permits

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Quality vs. Quantity

• Hindrances to deer management
• Anti-hunting groups
• Reduction in clear cutting
• Reduction in controlled burns
• Sportsman groups
• All have allowed populations to explode

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Population Boom Crash Cycle

• Population grows to exceed range carrying
  capacity
• Habitat becomes insufficient
• Animals decline
• Smaller body cavity animals tend to survive
• In effect, smaller animals become more common

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Needs of Deer vs. Man

• Management Agencies
• Current limits and guidelines
• Naturally existing foodstuffs and habitat
• Hunting clubs and land owners
• Hired or consulted with wildlife biologist
• Plant feed plots

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Hunting

• Public lands
• Smaller animals
• Not as plentiful
• Hunting clubs
• Cost 400 / yr