ORIGINAL: bluebird2
hat makes high grading from antler restrictions in those southern states much more likely then would occur from antler restrictions in the northern states where we don’t harvest our bucks until after they have already pretty much completed their short annual breeding cycle
That is absolutely not true and shows that you don't understand the concept of high grading. The initial effects of high grading has nothing to do with when the buck are harvested or when the doe are bred. High grading simply refers to harvesting the best buck in each age class which results in an average smaller rack size in the succeeding age class. Kroll's research supports that theory as does the results from Miss.
When you compare antler restrictions and breeding potential between northern and southern states you are compares apples to pumpkins right from the star
Are you sure you know the difference between apples and pumpkins?
You are correct about what causes high grading but you are also 100% incorrect about the possibility or potential for high grading here in Pennsylvania.
Since Pennsylvania was previously only protecting bucks with antlers less then three inches, before the change to the current antler restrictions, if there was any chance of high grading in this state it already happened a long, long time ago. Now we protect more of our better bucks then what we have EVER protected before, so if anything we have started the steps of reversing the past more significant potential for high grading by only keeping the really short antlered spikes.
In those southern states they would also be much more likely to see degrading of the genetics then would occur in the northern states where harvest our bucks after the rut instead of before.
R.S. Bodenhorn