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Whitetail genetics

bang250bang250 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".

Comments

  • DIRTYRATDIRTYRAT Member Posts: 2,167 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Interesting...
    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...[?]
  • bang250bang250 Member Posts: 8,021
    edited November -1
    Down south where ENOS and I hunt I have noticed a better herd over the last couple years, size and numbers. We have done small in the woods plots but this year we are doin a spring and fall plots at each end of the property(north and south). Fertiziler and the whole 9 yrds.
    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.
    DSC00016.jpg
  • DaBowMan18DaBowMan18 Member Posts: 2,962
    edited November -1
    i hunt next to public land and we usually don't anything over a 7-8 pointer[:(], but some years we get lucky.
  • ladyhunterladyhunter Member Posts: 2,143 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    we have food plots all yr also but can't tell any different betwwen deer we have people who hunts yr round so they keep the deer population down
  • DaBowMan18DaBowMan18 Member Posts: 2,962
    edited November -1
    nice land bang[:D]
  • headzilla97headzilla97 Member Posts: 6,445
    edited November -1
    Were cyclc around my house this year we had some big ones the last 4 little guys
  • SuspensionSuspension Member Posts: 4,783
    edited November -1
    Interesting article. I can see his point, but not sure I agree completely. I know of three 200+ acre farms that have been weeding inferior bucks for more than 15 years now and all those farms produce a large number of really nice bucks every year now. They still kill off any early season half racks and anything that looks genetically challenged. All three places take a certain number of yearling does and mature does every year also.

    Bang, once your herd is tip top you'll be seeing a beer buddy in the neighborhood. [:D][;)]
  • shoff14shoff14 Member Posts: 11,994 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    In all reality what their "research" was is just common sense. I mean you will never be able to know if a 1.5 year old 4 point is going to be come a stud or not. I think this is were their research fails to take into consideration 2.5 year olds that have small 4 or 6 point racks. This is where taking these type of deer, you would see results, I believe, in bigger bucks.
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