Thank you asking that question in a non-confrontational manner. It is a very good question that deserves an honest answer and the answer is that high grading does not occur due to a change in the gene pool,although in the long term it may result in a change in the gene pool. High grading is simply harvesting the best buck in each age class,which leaves the smaler buck with less potential for THE RATE OF ANTLER DEVELOPMENT, to advance to the next age class.
Here is a quote from from Dr. Demarais that explains it in their terms.
There’s no doubt using an antler restriction can be a
very effective management strategy to alter the age struc-
ture of the buck harvest and population. In many cases
The effectiveness of an antler restriction designed to
protect smaller-antlered young bucks within an age class
can be a source of problems. Are the protected bucks
the ones you want growing older? The answer depends
on your harvest goals. Remember that just about any
sample of older bucks will have larger antlers, on aver-
age, than a similar sample of younger bucks. So if you
are interested only in harvesting deer with larger
antlers, a simple antler restriction protecting younger
bucks, even if they are of lower antler quality, can be
effective. But if your goal is to improve antler quality in
older age classes, such an antler restriction may not be
the best long-term approach.
Protecting smaller-antlered bucks and harvesting larg-
er-antlered bucks within an age class reduces average
antler size in older age classes – if antler development in
younger bucks predicts future antler development. This
is called “high grading” and is similar to removing better-
quality timber and leaving lower-quality timber for later
harvest (Photo 1).