For all you Gene Pool do-gooders

Ambush

Twelve Pointer
Did you miss the part about only 45% of the antler genetics can be traced to the sire and that environment plays a larger part? The reason the score increased was because they killed smaller bucks meaning that they were not counted. It doesn’t mean that overall genetics improved by 10” if antler growth.
What about the negative feedback loop of reducing the bucks to the point they can’t breed all the does? Ultimately leads to late born fawns that until much later in life will not show their potential.
What about the documented mature buck that didn’t break 130 being the sire of 160+ bucks????

What makes the study property different in terms of mature bucks being “place holders”?

Well yeah, I stated we only know what our good bucks look like and nothing on our does. 45% sounds fairly high to me. Our landowner always said does control 80% of the antler gene. He pulled that out of the air too. Like I said, I think the 1 1/2 year old culling study made little sense. Nobody I know shoots 1 1/2 year old cull bucks. If you’ve ever been to a deer farm that keeps antlers, you would see that a 1 1/2 year old spike or six pointer made little difference to antler size by 2 1/2. That’s why the study should’ve been on 2 1/2 year old bucks, instead of 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 year olds.
 

Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
I thought they explained the basis well. Implement the harshest standards for the fastest results. The population was good meaning limited late born fawns and access to all the feed they wanted. If it did work like they said in the episode the superior genetics would still be evident.
 

Ambush

Twelve Pointer
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235985228_Who_Gets_to_be_a_Deer_Daddy_Part_2_of_2

This article may be helpful. The mature buck you say keeps running everyone off while he keeps spreading his genes is actually not limiting any breeding.

You should be more concerned with habitat and healthy age structure than your token bully bucks.

Good article. My point, I’ve been hunting this property for twenty years. We had a rule for ten years, our buck’s antlers had to be 8 points or better. After several years we had multiple 6 & 7 pointers that were mature and dominant breeders on our club land. They didn’t do all the breeding, but they did their share and our best antlered bucks were killed at a much younger age. In other words, we did the exact opposite of a cull buck program and took the best bucks and let the inferior bucks walk. I believe this antler rule influenced our genetics for the worse, but no absolute proof. This is the first year I’ve killed what I considered two mature dominant cull bucks. We’ve done a lot of work & research to grow bigger bucks on the property.
 
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Tree Cutter

Button Buck
You don't cull deer to improve genetics, like the article said, you can't change the genes that your herd has. You cull deer to remove the older bucks, with less desirable racks that are potentially pushing off and beating up your younger deer with more desirable racks.
 
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