Wise Forest Management
Benefiting Landowners and Hunters
The Kinzua Quality Deer Cooperative (KQDC) is a logical partnership between landowners and hunters. Both stand to benefit.
KQDC information is available at the Bradford Ranger Station.
During a time when more and more land is being closed to public hunting, the Bradford Municipal Water Authority, Collins Companies, RAM Forest Products, Inc., Commonwealth Forestry Investments, and the Allegheny National Forest have placed out the ‘WELCOME’ mat to deer hunters on 73,250 acres in western McKean County.
KQDC is an effort to balance deer with their habitat. This should result in a healthier forest, more small game, songbirds, and other wildlife, and better deer. McKean County has an enviable record for producing bucks with big racks.
Four of the top 14 typical bucks ever taken in Pennsylvania, and the number 17 non-typical buck taken by gun were McKean County products. No other Pennsylvania county has so many bucks near the top of the records. A deer herd balanced to its environment is far more likely to produce trophy specimens than an overpopulation.
Successful deer hunters are asked to bring deer harvested in the KQDC, both bucks and does, to one of three check stations which are operated on key days during the season, including opening day and Saturdays. The deer are weighed and aged, antlers are measured, and locations of the kills are plotted on maps. Hunters receive information about the project, raffle ticks for great prizes (two tickets for each doe, one for each buck), and invitations to an annual appreciation banquet.
Information gathered at check stations helps biologists track buck-doe ratio and health of the deer. Habitat quality and deer density are also measured to monitor progress.
Your cooperation in KQDC might convince more landowners that leaving their land open to public hunting is wise forest management. It might also put your name in the big game records.
