Free: Contests & Raffles.
Quote from: Fishmaker57 on January 05, 2018, 01:33:09 PMAnother example of the fine Mule Deer management Plan from WDFW. Kill all the big mature bucks so the two points can breed all the does, perpetuating the cycle of weaker herds, and genetically eliminating bucks with eye guards! I'm not sure the buck in question is one of genetically "inferior" two-point. The one I'm looking at in the photo is likely a yearling. He might be a massive four-point in three or four years. If that was the case, then there's no harm at all in him breeding a doe when he just a young buck. The genetics are still there. In the case of those bucks which we (silly) humans consider genetically inferior because they don't carry massive racks, the evolution of the species has kept the genetic trait for two-point racks well represented in the deer population as a whole, and not just since the introduction of point-based hunting restrictions. Certainly, once a buck's body mass and overall rack size attain enough size, be it in either a two-point or four-point version, the animal becomes big enough to kick most smaller buck's butts and thus satisfy a doe's requirements for a dominant buck to breed her. I doubt a doe cares too much if the buck is missing a point here or there if he's a massive mature stud.
Another example of the fine Mule Deer management Plan from WDFW. Kill all the big mature bucks so the two points can breed all the does, perpetuating the cycle of weaker herds, and genetically eliminating bucks with eye guards!
Quote from: fishnfur on January 06, 2018, 12:23:03 AMQuote from: Fishmaker57 on January 05, 2018, 01:33:09 PMAnother example of the fine Mule Deer management Plan from WDFW. Kill all the big mature bucks so the two points can breed all the does, perpetuating the cycle of weaker herds, and genetically eliminating bucks with eye guards! I'm not sure the buck in question is one of genetically "inferior" two-point. The one I'm looking at in the photo is likely a yearling. He might be a massive four-point in three or four years. If that was the case, then there's no harm at all in him breeding a doe when he just a young buck. The genetics are still there. In the case of those bucks which we (silly) humans consider genetically inferior because they don't carry massive racks, the evolution of the species has kept the genetic trait for two-point racks well represented in the deer population as a whole, and not just since the introduction of point-based hunting restrictions. Certainly, once a buck's body mass and overall rack size attain enough size, be it in either a two-point or four-point version, the animal becomes big enough to kick most smaller buck's butts and thus satisfy a doe's requirements for a dominant buck to breed her. I doubt a doe cares too much if the buck is missing a point here or there if he's a massive mature stud. Don't wanna be disrespectful, but if does in January still breeding ,does not tell you the buck:doe ratio is off then nothing will.
Quote from: hunter399 on January 06, 2018, 08:33:51 AMQuote from: fishnfur on January 06, 2018, 12:23:03 AMQuote from: Fishmaker57 on January 05, 2018, 01:33:09 PMAnother example of the fine Mule Deer management Plan from WDFW. Kill all the big mature bucks so the two points can breed all the does, perpetuating the cycle of weaker herds, and genetically eliminating bucks with eye guards! I'm not sure the buck in question is one of genetically "inferior" two-point. The one I'm looking at in the photo is likely a yearling. He might be a massive four-point in three or four years. If that was the case, then there's no harm at all in him breeding a doe when he just a young buck. The genetics are still there. In the case of those bucks which we (silly) humans consider genetically inferior because they don't carry massive racks, the evolution of the species has kept the genetic trait for two-point racks well represented in the deer population as a whole, and not just since the introduction of point-based hunting restrictions. Certainly, once a buck's body mass and overall rack size attain enough size, be it in either a two-point or four-point version, the animal becomes big enough to kick most smaller buck's butts and thus satisfy a doe's requirements for a dominant buck to breed her. I doubt a doe cares too much if the buck is missing a point here or there if he's a massive mature stud. Don't wanna be disrespectful, but if does in January still breeding ,does not tell you the buck:doe ratio is off then nothing will. Possibly true. It may also be that the doe in question has physiologic issues getting and staying pregnant - just like in the rest of the mammalian world, not all females of any species get pregnant the first time they are mated. Some may never carry. A doe will continue to go through estrus cycles until they conceive, or till some magic time when there are no longer bucks available to mate them - sometimes into March.