Past his prime! Better cull this hoss!
10-12-2009 | 11:39 AM
#11
Typical Buck
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 904
Likes: 0
From: West Central IL
Either way he is spreading his genetics by his doe offspring.. so more does (his offspring) can spread HIS genetics... I have watched a genetically screwy deer on our property spread his gentics ALL throughout our farm... He has one great 5x side and then a huge fork on the other side.. I have seen many young 2 1/2 year old bucks carry this gene for the last 4 years on the farm.. truely beleive that culling bucks can slow down the spread of bad genetics..
10-12-2009 | 02:01 PM
#12
Thread Starter
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,900
Likes: 0
From: North Central, Iowa
Nick it doesnt matter!! Other than wasting one of your buck tags on a deer that you dont want to shoot other than to cull it. And since it is impossible to improve the genetics of a free ranging herd by culling bucks that is exactly what you would be doing is wasting a buck tag. Pike
10-12-2009 | 05:35 PM
#14
Fork Horn
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
From: Upstate, NY
Maybe I'm reading too much into your title, but I was a little confused too.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
10-12-2009 | 08:04 PM
#15
Thread Starter
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,900
Likes: 0
From: North Central, Iowa
I was thrown by your initial post. You used the phrase "past his prime" which implies that at one time he was a good buck. But your last post says you're confident that he is spreading bad genetics. If that's the case, cull him.
Maybe I'm reading too much into your title, but I was a little confused too.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
Maybe I'm reading too much into your title, but I was a little confused too.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
10-15-2009 | 06:16 PM
#16
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,834
Likes: 0
From: Chatham, Ohio
Nick,
I was also thrown by "past his prime". If he was a GREAT buck in his 3-6 years, and is weak now, i would INCOURAGE him to breed other does...
How many buck tags do you get? If its just 1, or even 2, your NOT going to do any help/harm by "culling" this buck. If its free range, you cant control which bucks "come" or "go" from your property anyways..plus most young bucks (1.5 year olds) disperse to other areas miles away from where they were born after their first year and a half or so...
Speaking of property, how big of an area do you hunt? That has alot to do with it.
And about the does, like mentioned, it is widely believed that they give up to 60% of the antler growing genes.
I was also thrown by "past his prime". If he was a GREAT buck in his 3-6 years, and is weak now, i would INCOURAGE him to breed other does...
How many buck tags do you get? If its just 1, or even 2, your NOT going to do any help/harm by "culling" this buck. If its free range, you cant control which bucks "come" or "go" from your property anyways..plus most young bucks (1.5 year olds) disperse to other areas miles away from where they were born after their first year and a half or so...
Speaking of property, how big of an area do you hunt? That has alot to do with it.
And about the does, like mentioned, it is widely believed that they give up to 60% of the antler growing genes.
