What's the buck to doe ratio where you hunt?

[JHbowhunter]

I think if you seriously count buttons as bucks, it's not that skewed.  I saw 4 mature doe last night, and 11 fawns.  

Some would view that as 15 to 0...   But there were at least 5 buttons in that group.   Which would make that small sample 10 to 5, or 2 to 1..     If I expand the area to a square mile and lets say for sh#ts and giggles, there were 4 bucks locked down with does and not moving to even be seen, that each pair is 1 to 1...  Throw in a few dinks that can't get a date and  there you have it. 

Again you can't just look at a field of 20 antlerless deer, and see one antlered buck and say "20 to 1".  All it takes is 6 of those antlerless to be buttons and now its better than 3 to 1...

[Rusty]

10 minutes ago, Gobblengrunt said:

Every spot i hunt i always see more bucks than does.  That is mainly bigger woods in morris/ passaic counties.  Even in my “doe” areas, i cant see anything much more than3-1 ratio in any area in northern NJ

I agree.  In the watershed, Hamburg Mt, Sparta Mt  .  .  .  .  we see more bucks than does.   

[Rusty]

31 minutes ago, Pathman said:

So, if you’re trying to drum up business for Matt, pass me your questions and let me pose them, you’ll have some action then!😎

Do I have to share my earnings with you?  

[DV1]

1 hour ago, Slayer1962 said:

DV1 , do you base this on scientific data? ( not arguing serious question) 

I wonder if my observations are skewed because doe tend to be easier to see  in my opinion. 

Are there 3 bucks that I do not see because they learned to hide more? I often wonder this, did they bust me checking my phone and the doe were less weary? 

If I remember correctly, it's biologically impossible to be greater than 3 does to 1 buck, but I didn't really want to get into it much because people don't like it when you challenge what they think they see.  Rusty can do that, since he started it. 

On the wma's I hunt, realistically probably 1.5 does to 1 buck, maybe 1 to 1, certainly no worse than 2 to 1. People often see a group of does and fawns, say they saw a bunch of "does" forgetting that a good number are button bucks, which is one reason why when experts figure doe to buck ratios, they exclude fawns, that, and they are born at approximately a 1:1 ratio, so counting them is pointless. 

 

Edited November 7, 2019 by DV1

[Rusty]

3 hours ago, DV1 said:

If I remember correctly, it's biologically impossible to be greater than 3 does to 1 buck, but I didn't really want to get into it much because people don't like it when you challenge what they think they see.  Rusty can do that, since he started it. 

Correct.  Roughly half of the antlerless population are fawns,  and half of the fawns are button bucks.  So 25% of the antlerless population are button bucks.  If you shot every single antlered buck one year then the the following season you would have 3 does for every antlered buck.  (Not counting fawns)      

[06roadking]

Where I hunt I’m sure it 7-8/1. But, that’s mainly cuz the farmers near me mow down bucks all summer. They obviously think the bucks eat their crops and the does don’t cuz when approached about it they will tell you that they shoot them all regardless of sex while thinking I can’t see the pile of antlers behind them in the corner of the barn. It’s hard to miss being the pile shows on both sides of them as well as above their head. Literally...

[No Does Only Bucks]

No does only bucks

[Rutting Buck]

I believe you want it to be as close to 1 to 1 as possible 

[KBfishing]

The doe numbers by me are about to decrease since I have no buck tags but lots of arrows and time.  😁

[Bad64chevelle]

In the last three nights I’ve sat , two consecutive in the same stand and one a few towns over I’ve seen only two does and 8 bucks . This is zones 17 and 48 .  Of those one doe was a doe I would have considered shooting , and two of the bucks were mature enough to shoot . This was an anomaly to me ... this never happens probably nor will it ever happen again after posting this . I’m sure I’ll be banished back to seeing my usual 5:1 doe to button buck ratio that I usually have . 

[JHbowhunter]

The better question is what is the ratio of bucks vs doe 1.5 years or older for both genders. 

[BHC]

I don't of course have exact numbers, but over the last few years in the location I hunt, I would say the numbers seem to be somewhat even

[MZ7Extreme]

Too many to too few...

I'd be happy with 3:1, but from the looks of it its 4-5:1

[MZ7Extreme]

2 hours ago, JHbowhunter said:

The better question is what is the ratio of bucks vs doe 1.5 years or older for both genders. 

In NJ statistics show that the average age on deer taken are 1.5 years old....

Edited November 8, 2019 by MZ7Extreme

[SPEARFISH]

17 hours ago, Slayer1962 said:

I often see 8 or 9 does and no bucks on a sit am i in the wrong area?

Not if you want to shoot does.