New Jersey Hunters banner

IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL GENETICS IN DEER!!!!

2.4K views 39 replies 16 participants last post by  Meshach  
#1 ·
#2 ·
I'm not buying it sorry. One mans opinion wheres the hard data. I would say crappy racks take years to remove but selective harvest is a great start:D Problem in nj is having someone hunt the same area 20 years and then comment on antler improvement. Property we hunted for 30 years in knowlton township had some whacky racks for 5 years or so but then they totally disappeared LoL and I think I know why[eek]. I don't see bucks going 30 miles(Is that what I read[confused]) the author is blowing smoke. How many guys hunt the same property for 20 years and have tried selective harvest in NJ, not many. Unless you tagged and tracked a substantial number of deer in a specific area over a long period this is just BS. Show me the data[confused]
 
#9 ·
just moving out of nj would probably do the trick
I live and hope, but alase remain here.
 
#10 ·
I prefer does im not patient enough to wait the bucks out when the does are all around.

If you enjoy it more power to you but whoever told you to shoot any buck because if you dont someone else will was WRONG its not about possessing something for the sake of possession its about an ethical hunting experience that is rewarding for you in the right way whatever that is shooting a doe a spike whatever

I just dont want to hear from these other a holes anymore how they shot a 5 point management buck give me an effing break
 
#13 ·
All THREE requirements must be utilized to get maximum results.

Age, Food ( Nutrition) and selective harvest.

Holding capacity of the land which the deer herd exists on has to be taken into consideration.
If your property can hold 60 deer and you want 30 does and 30 bucks, you must harvest both bucks and does, as the following year you can expect most does to have twins.
If the herd your managing doesnt have enough 4-7 year old bucks to harvest YOU MUST harvest, the additional bucks required to keep the holding capacity number stabile.
You dont want to shoot 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 year old bucks as it is not always possible to know their full potential till they hit 3 1/12 or older.
At that time you would harvest any 3 1/2 year old or older buck who's appears to be genetically inferior to allow the other bucks who are showing to be genetically superior to grow another year.

Will this cause the herd to become genetically stronger over time possibly not as you cant control some of the inferior dseer to also breed,
But it def will IMPROVE the quality of the future bucks being harvested

not doing selective harvest is leaving 1/3 of the things that can improve deer quality on the land being managed.
 
#14 ·
harvest any 3 1/2 year old or older buck who's appears to be genetically inferior
by then its too late that genetically inferior deer has already done a bunch of breeding diminishing your gene pool HELLO

Hammer are you still coming off that beer(singular) btw that means he just had one beer from saturday?
 
#15 ·
by then its too late that genetically inferior deer has already done a bunch of breeding diminishing your gene pool
your not shooting the deer to control the genetics, your shooting the deer BECAUSE of genetics ( he doesnt have them) ands allowing him to eat the food that a better deer needs is silly

the same scenario of splitting hairs can be used for the other 2 partsd of the equation also.

you CANT guarantee‎ that a buck will reach 4 years old , he can get hit by a car, train, break his leg, get eatin by a mountain lion LOL

you also cant guarantee‎ that he is going to eat as much of the good food there is available if you leave the inferior deer there to eat it before he comes out to the food source.

.
 
#17 ·
When people start talking genetics and cull bucks I always just laugh. From a genetic standpoint the fawn gets as much or more from the doe as from the buck. How do you determine the antler potential (dominant or recessive genes) in a doe? Until you figure that out you are just making an excuse to shoot a buck. A deer that exhibits certain antler characteristics may not ever pass on those characteristics to offspring. That is where the doe comes in. You need to match the genes (ie buck and doe need similar genes for that to be expressed in the offspring). A buck can express certain genes but carry others and therefore his offspring may be totally different in the genes they express.
 
#19 ·
Great article. Thanks for Sharing. I completely agree with the article.

If you have a chance, try to pick up the February edition of Field and Stream. A good article on the Pros and cons of QDM. I think it was called "deer crazy".
 
#21 ·
Call it what you want, but I think as hunters, we evolve and mature over time and with experience. If all you ever see or have an opportunity to shoot is a small buck or does, well then to you, that’s your trophy, but once you have an experience to see and possibly shoot something of better quality, a light bulb goes off and you realize that if you don’t shoot the smaller ones, perhaps the bigger ones will come in behind them. Some hunters develop the patience to wait for the bigger bucks and some don’t. This is something that I personally realized can’t be told to you. It’s something that you have to come to terms with in your own time and through your own experiences. For some, it happens quickly due to fortunate opportunities, but for others, it may take years and years, and for some, it may never happen at all. As long as they are following the law, you really can’t tell someone else what it’s ok for them to shoot because they may not be in the same mindset as you. And although we may all have our differences in what we choose to shoot, it’s a fellow hunter I’d want to have my back as I’ve seen all too often how many times we can all rally and come together for the good of us all, or even an individual who has come across some bad luck, when it really counts.

Just my 2 cents . . .
 
#22 ·
i believe it. alot of people shoot small junk and call it a "management buck" but really it is just an excuse for them to shoot a small buck. that buck could of ended up being a 4 1/2 year old beast.

[up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up]
 
#23 ·
Ms Grit well put and I agree but the one guy posted that he was taught to shoot any buck because if he didnt someone else would and that is wrong and selfish I dont care what someone else will do or shoot i care what i want to do its not a competition if you think it is then your not a real hunter and you shouldnt be hunting
 
#24 ·
focus on nutrition and getting the deer old. the genetics are out of your control. killing a "cull" buck or "management" buck will do nothing but fill the freezer.
 
#25 ·
bowhunter712, I was told something similiar, except I was told that I wasn't experienced enough to wait for the "Right" buck bow hunting and that I should shoot the first one I had an opportunity at. Well, I decided 2 seasons ago that I was experienced enough to make my own decisions on the calibur of buck I wanted to shoot and although it was tough to have bucks under me that I would have taken in a heart beat when I first started hunting, I held true to my goals and waited it out and for me it paid off and taught me a very valuable lesson.

But on the flip side, it is not my place to judge anyone for what they see as their trophy, for a trophy is in the eye of the beholder and not anyone else. And when all you might have to hunt is state land, sometimes that 4 pt walking underneath you is all you're going to see no matter how many times you hunt that land.