Buck Swap?

[rybohunter]

If you took 100 random buck fawns from Iowa & 100 buck fawns from upstate NY and transplanted them to each others location to grow up. Assume that all bucks lived until 4.5 years old, which group do you think would have the higher average score at 4.5 yrs of age?

All deer in question are one week old at the time of the swap and their respective moms go with them in case that matters.

[Deleted User]

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[GMMAT]

Neither. I don't think the genetics havethat much to do with it. I think the soil content and the availability of sound nutrition are the keys. If I read and hear correctly....NY has awesome genetics.

DT....don't get us started, dude....please.

We're not talking about poaching neighbors stealing 100 of your deer and replacing them with 100 of theirs (assuming they could get past the security brigade and maneuver amongst the razor wire and string line booby traps)

[MO_Bowhnter]

The buck fawns from NY would be bigger. I don't think its a questions of big buck genes, the ones from NY will get just as big as the ones from IA but the food sources in IA and way better than NY (Just assuming) and that will get the massive antler growth we are used to seeing from there.

[Deleted User]

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[Deleted User]

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[Northport buckslayr]

I would think that the bucks from NY that grew up in Iowa would have larger racks purely because of available nutrition. Iowa is like a giant deer buffet and NY has mountaneous forested areas where the deer live on browse.

Interestingly enough, before QDM, thickly forested remote areas were the best places for trophy bucks becasue the deer could get lost and get old.

[rybohunter]

I realize the overall premise is a bit outlandish, but I raised this question because SO many people claim that their deer herd doesn"™t have the genetics to grow to trophy potential, when in fact it"™s likely due to age and then nutrition.

Now replace NY with PA, WV, & FL. Do these states"™ bucks still top out better than the Iowa transplants?

[Rob/PA Bowyer]

Actually I'll say the ones transplanted to Iowa will be larger on the whole average scale due mostly to nutrition in the Midwest soils. It might not be major but I'd lay money down the IA transplants will be larger.

[Rick James]

Given the same amount of time to grow, and same food sources, the subspecies of whitetails found in New York (Odocoileus Virginianus Borealis) will be larger in body size. Antler score would probably be very similar.

Most of Iowa is typically going to produce animals of the subspecies known as Odocoileus Virginianus Texanus, and/or Odocoileus Virginianus Macrourus. The two found in most of Iowa (not all parts) isthe same subspecies that is common to the southcentral region of the country including Texas.

[8D]

Edit: Some believe there are up to 17 different subspecies of whitetail in North America. Genetically, the deer from Florida are a different critter. Look up Odocoileus Virginianus Seminolus, Odocoileus Virginianus Osceola, and Odocoileus Virginianus Clovium.