Whitetail Biology and Management

	I hunt a small 10 acre patch of woods in SouthEast Pa. Its surronded by a swamp and some farmlands. There is a small clearcut on one end of the woods that I would like to put a plot to keep the deer there in the fall. The clearing is only about 30 yards wide and 75-80 yards long, and it used to be a horse pasture. What would you plant there? - J. buck 01/03/2005, ID=2442
	I would plant clover/ryegrass combination most likely. Your plot is small, so be prepared for it to get hammered. Also, you might consider tilling it over just before hunting season and making it a kill plot instead of a food plot. For this I would plant peas or oats just prior to the season. Check the regulations about this however, as the PA law is vague about using food plots. It may be considered baiting under their regulations, call first before planting. Pat Lefemine

	*I am 12 years old.Do you think 40 pound bow can kill deer at 30 yards. My bow is a Alipine archery 40 pounds.* - warren J Buehler 01/02/2005, ID=2437
	With a broadside, or slightly quartering away shot - yes, no question. You might try getting a little closer but your bow will work fine on a deer.

	*Why am I not successful in getting a shot on buck with my bow. Never within bow range .25 years now* - Bruce Schaefer 01/02/2005, ID=2431
	Bruce, is that .25 years or 25 years? If it is .25 years (ie, 3 months experience) I would say keep trying. It took me 5 years to kill my first doe and then several years to kill my first decent buck. Bowhunting is not meant to be a slam dunk, quite the opposite. It's challenging to say the least - but that's what's so fun about it. If you have been hunting for 25 years, well, that's another story. You definately get the persistence award if that's true! Pat

	Hello CJ! I have some questions about whitetail breeding behavior. My first question is can lactating does come into estrus or is whitetail estrus only post-weaning? Is there always a non-receptive estrus cycle prior to a receptive one? I have heard studies suggest that female mammals living in family groups have coordinated estrus cycles that are dictated by the most dominant female. Is this true for whitetails too? Ultimately, is it possible that it's really a dominant doe that starts a false or non-receptive estrus releasing primer pheromones that coordinates both the bucks and the does in the area to syncronize breeding into a small window which may be based on when she weans her fawns (I'm referring mostly to northern latitudes). What are your thoughts? Pat - Pat Walsh 12/27/2004, ID=2424
	, Payday UK, [url="http://1stlimoknights.co.uk/"]Payday UK[/url], :)),

	*Do older, bigger does produce an equal number of buck and doe offspring? I've been told as does get older they throw more doe fawns.* - Brent Laner 12/11/2004, ID=2396
	Brent: Research indicates that younger does (1.5 and 2.5 year old) drop more button bucks than doe fawns. And as you stated, older does (3.5+ year old) drop more doe fawns. Although the percentages are a little more than the typical 50:50 split, when you compare all the age classes of does the standard 50:50 sex ratio among fawn production still applies. Many folks try to shoot older does in an attempt to produce more button bucks. Although, this sounds like a good strategy I'd highly suggest shooting any doe that produces a good, clean shot. So many times, hunters put off harvesting does only to fail in meeting their overall deer management plan. Again, the different sex ratios among fawns dropped from younger and older does almost always balances out to a 50:50 sex ratio.

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Be sure to visit C.J. Winand's Website - CJ is a wildlife biologist and an outdoor writer for Bowhunter and North American Hunter magazines. In addition to his writing, CJ is highly sought as a speaker on deer management topics and has worked on a Masters of Science degree in Wildlife Management at West Virginia University under Dr. David Samuel. CJ manages and guides on several quality deer management programs around the country.