I do not consider your input to be judgmental nor unduly argumentive. The best information is that which is the end result of looking at all sides. Ya gotta develop the "tude." The 'tude is, "Be damned your hackles may rise, I am going to have my say!"

Although I have not read any scientific facts that support your theory, common sense supports that you are not entirely wrong on (all) aspects.

However, I am totally confident that there are other does that are as qualified and will readily step in and take her (A-doe) place when she is gone. In fact, it is my contention that a matriarch doe is easier and sooner replaced then a “top dog” buck.

Additionally, if the matriarch doe has given birth to several offspring, her genes are heavily in the pool. Keep taking out the best bucks, the inferior bucks will start invading the pool.

The times that I have been burned and burned bad, were by older does. They stay smart all the time. In fact, I believe does have it over bucks when it comes to intelligence and survival skills.
The buck survives mainly by staying solitary and hid most of his life. A doe has to get out there and expose herself every day, with other deer, while constantly seeking food to survive and to feed her young. She is also out there training her young, not the buck. Bucks do not obtain their initial and long lasting survival skills from another buck.

Hunting bucks is cool, but I get some of my best thrills pitting my skills against a smart doe. If the 8-point buck I dumped last Saturday had went with the does when they (does) sensed something was not right, he might still be around. One doe from the group that cut away did get taken by my nephew, not because she was stupid, but because we had observed their patterns for 30 days and she ran into a “T” formation (ground blinds) three of us had set. We simply used a better down-field play that day.


Edited by - c903 on 11/09/2002 10:41:38