Mother Nature Knows Best

[Tom Borck]

Of course there is always talk about QDM and TDM, why not let mother nature do her handy work and keep out? Survival of the fittest and strongest is the rule in the wild. The strong mature bucks will win over the weaker bucks everyday, thus ensuring his genes to be passed on. If TDM activists really want to promote trophies they would not harvest mature bucks until AFTER the rut has passed! This will certainly ensure the bigger bucks have an opportunity to spread their genes. In many of the articles I have read, smaller, weaker and younger bucks often do not get a chance to breed!

Let a small six point with poor genetics grow and breed will only ensure you have more poor genes and 6 pointers running all over your land. Just because you let a small buck walk does not mean you will have bigger bucks next year. Of course the flip side, if you don't let them walk they will never be a big buck.

We have a 6 point on our place that will be 5.5 years old if he is still alive, he has been a 6 point his entire life. Nobody has ever seen him!! I got a photo of him one year, the next two years I found his shed, and this past Jan. I got another photo. He has spread his genes and poor genes I might add for many years now. If we have TDM/QDM (4 point on one side) he would be allowed to spread his genes for the rest of his LIFE!!!

We are doing just the opposite, we want to take down the big bucks during the rut!!! We are letting the smaller bucks walk, which may or may not be a trophy in the following years.

For those of you who are 100% TDM, well don't hunt until after the rut....give that BIG BOY on your place a chance to breed! I can tell you this, if he walks my way during the rut...it is good night!

Here is a photo of a 6 point I killed a few years ago. We was at least 5.5 years old when I took him. Just think if this was in a QDM County he would still be spreading his genes!!

 

[Dean]

uh ok.......

but you are forgetting that doe's (according to whitetail experts) contribute at least 50% of the 'trophy genes', so in reality even if you let the trophy buck walk until after the rut (and you will probably never see that older, trophy buck again anyway) that you still really can't ever truly know that this bucks genes will make a difference!

Surely, you have seen children that look just like the momma, and have no resemblance to the daddy, and vice versa, and then of course a 'blend of both parents'. My point is strickly managing the bucks is proabbly a waste of time anyway because the female deer has just as much final 'say so' gentically as the breeder bucks.

Having said that, I believe, we should first manage the entire herd in conjuction with your own properties carry capacity. This usually means, at least in the beginning, a heavy harvest of does to keep the herd in check. Also let the younger, smaller bucks age to at least 3.5 years and if you have the means provide year round food sources.

Although we have no way to prove or disprove, I bet that old 5.5 yr old 6 pointer you posted about has sired bucks that aren't 6, but instead maybe 8 pointer's, or 10 pointer's because the doe contributed to the gene pool too!

 

[Tom Borck]

Never thought about it that way. So, we should harvest the does before the rut and harvest bucks only after the rut. Now that would be a hunting season!

 

[mpowell]

interesting take, tom.

 

[Guy]

Makes Sense!

Problem is, we CAN do that. But it is hard to get other surrounding clubs to agree.

I like these posts. Makes you think about solutions.