Biology And Management Of White-tailed Deer In Alabama

deer seen into more specific classifications. As a minimum, these classifications
should include adult does, fawns, antlered bucks, and
unidentified (age and/or sex unknown). By grouping deer into these
categories, an estimate of doe to buck ratio and fawn to doe ratio can be
determined.
Just as harvest data can be more complicated, observation data
also can include more detailed information. In addition to the number
of hours spent hunting, the actual times hunted (e.g., 5:30 AM – 10:30
AM), stand hunted, and date hunted also can be recorded. This enables
hunters to determine what time of day and time of year each stand was
most productive. Buck observations also can be more detailed. Bucks
can be classified as spikes or forked antlered, by overall antler size (e.g.,
gross B & C score), or by age class (e.g., yearling or adult; 1-1/2 years
old, 2-1/2 years old, 3-1/2+ years old; etc.). While not an exact count,
these data can give a hunting club or a landowner a reasonable idea of
the number of bucks in the different age classes using their property.
The main difficulty associated with observation data is making
sure all hunters know how to record what is seen. Some hunters might
incorrectly count all antlerless deer as does. Just as not keeping track
of the actual time spent hunting can affect the observational data, lumping
all antlerless deer in the adult doe category can greatly distort the
final interpretation of the hunters’ observations. The same goes for
unidentified deer. A deer not clearly identified as an adult doe, fawn,
or antlered buck should be placed in the unidentified class.
Other useful types of observational data include the general
physical appearance of deer observed in the field and of harvested deer.
Things such as unusual skin lesions, unusually poor body condition,
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