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-   -   Genetics conundrum... (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/bowhunting/199306-genetics-conundrum.html)

YooperMike 07-26-2007 01:23 PM

Genetics conundrum...
 
I was sitting here watching some show on TV, I think was Journal of the American Trophy Hunters Association. Anyway, they were out hunting, and a buck came in, decent 8-pointer, pretty good mass, but old, you could tell. Well, at 5 1/2 he was a great 10 pointer, like 165", but no one could get him on the ground, and they figure he is bow 7 1/2-8 1/2 at this point. The guy who is employed by the ranch says "Well, we need to get him out of the gene pool."

It got me thinking,if the deer at 5 1/2 is a real nice 10-point, then his genes are for that kind of rack, right? Then, why at 7-8 years old, does that deer then need to killed. Seems like he would still be passing out his same genes, and still be able to produce good bucks from his seeds? Am I way off here, or anyone have similar questions.

Zdeerslayer 07-26-2007 01:35 PM

RE: Genetics conundrum...
 
I think that particular ranch is looking for bigger deer by the time they reach that age. I'm sure they were expecting him to get some good stickers and all, but he stayed a 10, so they want to make room for deer w/ better genes to come in and spread them.

JNTURK 07-26-2007 01:37 PM

RE: Genetics conundrum...
 
i am not a genetic expert......but i believe that they are like us....as in humans over time and through the replication of dna for our "genetic swimmers" they will have more and more "mutations" occur......thus for adeer who is that old and passing on his genes may be passing on "mutated genetic swimmers" which is not good if you are trying to grow big bucks.....

IMO
Josh

GMMAT 07-26-2007 01:41 PM

RE: Genetics conundrum...
 
From what I understand....a buck that old isn't breeding, anyway.

Am I wrong?

YooperMike 07-26-2007 01:44 PM

RE: Genetics conundrum...
 
Josh, that is kind of what I was thinking as well. But, generally, the pregnancy risk is more on the female side than from the male, so it would wserve to reasoon that his genes are the same regardless. Acquired traits are not passed on, so even if he had some undesirable characteristicts as an older deer, his big rack of 5 1/2 would still be the potential end result of what the fawns would get.

huntndad 07-26-2007 02:23 PM

RE: Genetics conundrum...
 
There's alot more to making antlers than genetics. Was the local food sources that year good or poor after all no food no antler growth , also if the deer incured an injury though not fatal this could also explain the antler size. There could be other reasons that deer didn't grow it's antlers as big as before that we don't realize that are a factor in all of this. Justsome thoughts I had on this subject.

GMMAT 07-26-2007 02:27 PM

RE: Genetics conundrum...
 
One thing I haven't seen mentioned is....this deer's on his way down. At that age....his antlers will never be what they once were.

YooperMike 07-26-2007 03:29 PM

RE: Genetics conundrum...
 

ORIGINAL: GMMAT

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is....this deer's on his way down. At that age....his antlers will never be what they once were.
Yeah, he was on his way out for sure. Just seemed an odd comment that the ranch guy based it purely on genetics.

JNTURK 07-26-2007 05:16 PM

RE: Genetics conundrum...
 
Yooper........i was not considering pregnancy risk but more of genetic mutation on the sperm side......as you know both get copied...but he can mate with a young doe wherethen her genes are not as mutated as his........by mutation then that is the risk that his sperm will produce a deer with bad antler growth....the percentages of the mutation i am not sure.....but lets say a deer avg. life span is 9 (for example only).....and he was 7...that would mean he is 77% grown....relate that to a human...if a male human is 77% grown then he is what around 66 or so old....very high risk of getting even a younger female pregnant with the amount of mutated dna in the sperm having something wrong with the offspring...

also note that with even a slight chance of the older buck having any kind of mutation....because of his age he will be getting the does and matting...leaving a mature deer in his prime (3.5-5.5 years old) not mating causing the offspring to have a potential of not having good antler growth...if you owned the business i think you would not want to take that risk..that is probably why he is doing it...........or he just doesn't want to see some 70 year old guy mating with a younger doe??:D

Josh


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