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Whitetail genetics
bang250
Member Posts: 8,021
I found this on another forum i visit and wanted to share, I thought it was interesting. From Petersons bowhunting mag. article.
"Unless you can wipe out the population and essentially start from scratch with pedigreed deer, you have little chance for improving the base genetics of the bucks you hunt."
"It is nearly impossible to tell by looking at a 1.5 year old buck what he will eventually grow into. Studies done by biologist Dr. Harry Jacobson, and others, have shown that most often 1.5 year old spikes were born to does that were bred their first fall as fawns, or does that were bred late. These bucks are not "inferior", they are simply late starters!"
"The biggest drawback in culling bucks from unrestricted herds is the genetic variability that overwhelms any attempt to remove "inferior" bucks. Also, genetics will skip generations. A buck with a scrawny rack can throw giant offspring; it is impossible to anticipate this. Dr. Jacobson had a buck in his breeding program at MSU that sired a disproportionate number of B&C class bucks; the sire have a very unimpressive rack scoring about 120 inches; he would have been shot as a cull in an intense management setting. Given this kind of random undertainty, the act of culling bucks without more drastic steps toward refreshing the gene pool is essentially worthless".
"Unless you can wipe out the population and essentially start from scratch with pedigreed deer, you have little chance for improving the base genetics of the bucks you hunt."
"It is nearly impossible to tell by looking at a 1.5 year old buck what he will eventually grow into. Studies done by biologist Dr. Harry Jacobson, and others, have shown that most often 1.5 year old spikes were born to does that were bred their first fall as fawns, or does that were bred late. These bucks are not "inferior", they are simply late starters!"
"The biggest drawback in culling bucks from unrestricted herds is the genetic variability that overwhelms any attempt to remove "inferior" bucks. Also, genetics will skip generations. A buck with a scrawny rack can throw giant offspring; it is impossible to anticipate this. Dr. Jacobson had a buck in his breeding program at MSU that sired a disproportionate number of B&C class bucks; the sire have a very unimpressive rack scoring about 120 inches; he would have been shot as a cull in an intense management setting. Given this kind of random undertainty, the act of culling bucks without more drastic steps toward refreshing the gene pool is essentially worthless".
Comments
I have hunted this same land for atleast 25/30 years now and we have had ups and downs in rack sizes over the years for sure! Never practiced any sort of management,just shoot what we can and whatever makes it through grows another year. Some years we have little racks ,some years big ones...[?]
This is where the south end plot will be. This pic is really of the deer but he is in the meadow that will be the plot. This is also close to the neighboring property where I see a lot of deer so I am hoping we will draw them over also. Not the best pic of it but the best I can do at work. it is bigger than the pic lets on.
Bang, once your herd is tip top you'll be seeing a beer buddy in the neighborhood. [:D][;)]