Anyone belong to a Wildlife Management Association?

[MCgunner]

I don't know if these are specific to Texas, perhaps, as most of Texas is private land. I want to join this thing because they're handing out doe permits in an effort to improve the buck/doe ratio in my area. It's WAY screwed up, don't have to take a census to know that from hunting the place for two years. It's 25 bucks a year and they have two banquets a year where I might get some info from other land owners on such things as "where are the hogs"...

Anyway, cheap enough if I can get a doe permit. Too, I wouldn't mind helping out doing census lines and such if they need the help. And, I intend to manage my little place for wildlife, might get some suggestions. Here's the outfit. They run these WMAs all over the state, know that already. Just wondered if anyone paticipates in one and what they think about it.....

http://www.ccwma.org/

 

[double bogey]

MC, your county is one of the 13" counties isn't it. By what I have seen by management areas, if you and all your neighbors are in it, in a few years you will benefit.

 

[wis_bow_huntr]

Come to Wisconsin if you wanna see a screwed up herd. The DNR here has their heads so far up their asses it isn't funny.

 

[MCgunner]

MC, your county is one of the 13" counties isn't it. By what I have seen by management areas, if you and all your neighbors are in it, in a few years you will benefit.

Yes, and it's new to me. Calhoun County, where my other land is, is a 5 deer county, 3 bucks, two doe. And, in small acreage areas like my place is in there, though I'm on the fence line of a big ranch, it's "shoot it cause if you don't, your neighbor will". With joining this WMA thing here, you agree to allow census of the herd and abide by the rules of the WMA and it's run by a state biologist assigned to the county. I think it could be the answer to small land owners and deer management if enough folks that hunt join and work with them.

The main thing that needs to happen, now, is the culling of doe. The doe/buck ratio is way screwed up. I'd thought that you had to own 50 acres to get a doe permit, but my neighbor with 17 acres got one and the guy down the road with 10 acres got one. They told my neighbor to give the doe permit to someone who'd use it if they didn't want it. WHY didn't you give it to ME! LOL Anyway, they said we NEED to cull doe, so I figure these guys are pretty up on the problem here. I can tell the buck/doe ratio is whacky without doing a census, just from hunting it for 2 seasons now.

We also have a coyote problem here. I'm not sure how this affects the deer population, but it can't help. I know I am gunning for every one I see, chicken killin' bastards that they are. Anyway, I sent 'em the consent form, haven't paid 'em, yet. This is what I was told to do.

 

[double bogey]

Of course, the larger area managed, the better the results. If your neighbors are in, hopefully it will help. I understand where you are coming from, I own a small parcel in Kaufman co. not being familiar with the regs cost my grandson a spike in the youth season. I didn't know it was legal, and didn't want his first deer to be illegal. Didn't see it again the rest of the season. Saw several undersized bucks and a lot of does.