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Herd Management Tip: The “Hit List”

8-28 Hit List
Like most aspects of managing wildlife, having a plan will help you to make smart, accurate assessments. Herd management decisions can often have the biggest impact on the amount and size of the bucks you have to hunt. Killing the right deer and the correct amount of specific deer will have a huge impact on the density, buck to doe ratio and age structure of a herd. Often referred to as “trigger finger management,” it’s about a harvest strategy, not just letting small bucks walk.

Killing the both right does and the proper number of does will be important not only for seeing more bucks, but also producing larger bucks. Managers need to have an inventory of which animals should be harvested. Your “hit list” should include the bucks you have seen on your trail cameras that are worthy of your arrow and either a list of specific does, or a general guideline of how many females should be removed.

Sitting in an opening day treestand is the wrong time and place to ponder these important details. New information may come your way throughout the course of the season and it may require you to change your plans, but you should have a plan before you step foot afield. The new SCOUTLOOK DEER LOG APP will help keep track of all your info.

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