Complaints and Answers List

Here is a list of the most frequently heard complaints about why QDM will not work, and our answers to hopefully educate hunters on the fact that QDM will work very well if given a chance.

1)    C – QDM is only about trophy hunting.

A - Saying we are just trophy hunters shows a real lack of education.

 QDM looks at all aspects of deer and habitat management. We want to balance the adult buck/doe ratio as well as balance the herd within its environment, plus give our youth hunters more opportunities. By letting most of our bucks reach  2 or 3 years of age, you will see more mature bucks, and yes they will be trophies to us, but far from what Boone and Crockett would call a trophy. Mature or trophy bucks is only one of the many components of QDM.

2)   C - I don’t want more rules -  or to be told I can’t shoot a yearling buck.

A – We already have a book-full of rules to hunt by folks, you just have gotten used to the old rules. We are just trying to get a couple of good rules in the book.

3)      C - QDM is just for the rich.

A – By mandating QDM in your area it will create a quality hunt for the average hunter, landowner or not. Currently we are forced to travel to some other area to have a Quality hunt.

4)     C – Outdoor news shows all kinds of trophy bucks every week, whats the problem? If you get out and work for them there are lots of trophies.

A – The bucks in Outdoor news are roughly as follows; 1/3 are taken in other States-  1/3 are obviously young bucks (2-yr or less) – leaving only 1/3 being the kind of buck QDM endorses – creating a mute point to us. As for hard hunting you are largely fooling yourself, with 95% or more of our bucks taken at 2 years of age or younger how can there be a lot of mature bucks around. Its just common sense

5)    C - This QDM is a great idea, but if I pass up any young bucks my neighbors just shoot them.

A – This is where education comes in, chances are your neighbors are saying the same about you. By contacting your neighbors on the benefits of working together with harvest goals on your area you will be surprised how many will be positive about QDM.

6)     C - Less chance for my kids –

A – QDM offers more opportunities for the kids with our early season youth antlerless hunt which will give kids a good chance at a doe and the education of why this is important. This is an extra hunt. We also advocate kids being exempt from antler restrictions for the first few years.

7)    C - I’m a meat hunter

A – QDM wants and needs meat hunters, we are meat hunters ourselves. But lets be smart about it. When a young buck is taken for meat, and you are passing up does, you are just adding to the problem that we already have in much of Minnesota with our adult buck/doe ratio heavily skewed toward does, and often too many deer for the habitat. That’s what happens when you have 30 years of doe protection and everyone shooting bucks of all sizes. When hunters realize the benefits of taking an adult doe for meat instead of a young buck, many are happy to do so.

8)     C – We are already doing QDM so we don’t need any advice.

A – We think its great that your practicing QDM, but often find your neighborhood isn’t. It’s very hard to be successful with QDM if your neighbors are still shooting young bucks. Why? – Our rifle season coincides with the rut, and during this time bucks are on the move following their nose and hormones – and this includes yearling bucks, which do a fair share of the breeding in an unbalanced herd. During this time bucks cross property lines several times a day. This puts you at the mercy of your neighbors in Minnesota. It might look good early in the fall with extra bucks on your property, but by the end of hunting season you have gained little if any. So if you really want to see results get the attention of your neighbors. This is the importance of forming a QDM coop.

9)     C – One bad year and we will be in trouble.

A – A deer herd that is well balanced – Talking about the Adult buck/Doe ratio and a deer herd that is balanced with its environment will be much stronger  and have much less winter kill /disease than a traditional deer herd.