We began reading about and beginning to understand the basics of the QDM strategy, immediately we began to believe our buck to doe ratio was out of balance. We began harvesting does and passing up young bucks in an attempt to balance our buck to doe ratio. We wanted to give our young bucks a chance to mature, and soon found that achieving the optimum 1 to 1 buck/doe ratio was very difficult. At the same time we started harvesting does, we began planting food plots and establishing mineral licks. We started our first mineral licks with 30-06 Mineral supplement, and were amazed at the size of the holes the deer would dig to get the 30-06.
In the beginning, we had much to learn about planting and soil pH. Many things that farmers had been learning for years. Our first food plot was Imperial Whitetail Clover, and we quickly learned just how much our deer liked it. Since all of our members, retired from, or worked in jobs other than farming or game management, we made many mistakes. We continued to follow this course. We made mistakes, but we continued to learn. Then two ten point bucks were shot one morning, we were beginning to see our strategy pay off.
I have enclosed a photograph of a large 160-inch ten-point buck killed this year by Tommy Murray, a member of Beaver Dam Hunt Club. Over the years we have harvested many does, some button bucks by mistake, but now we are really seeing the benefits of patiently following a QDM strategy. We have seen how a QDM strategy of managing deer, working along side products sold by the Whitetail Institute, will make a difference in the size and number of deer harvested.
