What is Quality Deer Management?
Quality Deer Management (QDM) is a management philosophy/practice that unites landowners, hunters, and managers in a common goal of producing biologically and socially balanced deer herds within existing environmental, social, and legal constraints. This approach typically involves the protection of young bucks (yearlings and some 2.5 year-olds) combined with an adequate harvest of female deer to maintain a healthy population in balance with existing habitat conditions and landowner desires. This level of deer management involves the production of quality deer (bucks, does, and fawns), quality habitat, quality hunting experiences, and, most importantly, quality hunters.
A successful QDM program requires an increased knowledge of deer biology and active participation in management. This level of involvement extends the role of the hunter from mere consumer to manager. The progression from education to understanding, and finally to respect, bestows an ethical obligation upon the hunter to practice sound deer management. Consequently, to an increasing number of landowners and hunters, QDM is a desirable alternative to traditional management, which allows the harvest of any legal buck and few, if any, does.
QDM guidelines are formulated according to property-specific objectives, goals and limitations. Participating hunters enjoy both the tangible and intangible benefits of this approach. Pleasure can be derived from each hunting experience regardless if a shot is fired. What is important is the chance to harvest a quality buck - an opportunity lacking on many areas under traditional management. When a quality buck is taken on a QDM area, all property hunters can share the pride because it was they who produced it by allowing it to reach the older age classes, which are necessary for large bodies and antlers.
Where and When Did QDM Originate?
Texas is the formal birthplace of QDM. Two early pioneers, Al Brothers and Murphy E. Ray Jr., originally popularized this novel concept in their 1975 book, Producing Quality Whitetails. This idea was brought to the Southeast in the late 1970s and it has since been employed successfully on millions of acres of private and public lands throughout the United States.
Is Quality Management for All Deer Hunters?
No, but there is a growing number of hunters who have matured to a stage in their hunting that reflects a change in values and a desire for a quality hunting experience. Involvement in QDM is simply an alternative to traditional management. Originally, only large properties (1,000 acres or more) were involved in QDM, but smaller properties are now participating through the formation of QDM cooperatives comprised of several smaller properties with similar objectives. There are and will continue to be hunters who prefer traditional management, and that is what being American is all about having a choice.
Where can you learn more about QDM and white-tailed deer ecology?
For more information on QDM you can go to www.qdma.com, the official website of the Quality Deer Management Association. Another excellent source of information is "Quality Deer Management: guidelines for implementation", from the University of Tessessee Ag. Extension Service. For a more in-depth, scientific review of white-tailed deer in general, see the White-tailed Deer Ecology and Management chronological and annotated bibliography prepared by Dr. Scott M. Sell, Hunting Land Experts staff big game/wildlife ecologist. The bibliography covers a wide variety of topics from the scientific research literature. Topics include QDM, habitat use and movement patterns, food habits, deer vocalizations, buck scraping and rubbing, rutting behavior, population ecology, and more.
