Why do some area Breed more BUCKS?
 

I read that in contrast to most other areas deer populations in Alberta (where I live) produce a very high percentage of doe in comparison to bucks. When I hunt I see does to bucks in about 20-to-1 ratios at least. Does anyone know why this is?

i saw a study from SMU that says diet is everything for the sex of the baby in humans, maybe its the same concept...btw like 19f that were prego ate one area of food, while the other ate the oppisite side....1 control and 9 boys and 9 gurls ...

where did you read that at?

Interesting...In the past I can remember plenty of times where I saw more of one sex than the other over an extended period. My trail camera has picked up more buck than does this season. I recall different pastures on our old hunting lease that varied quite a bit....sit in this one of you want to see alot of does and then mine where it was mostly bucks.

None of my observations comes close to scientific, though. /shrug.

Horacio (if that is your name),

So what you are saying is perhaps in the regular area I hunt (fields, river, and small forest areas) I have not found where the bucks mostly dwell and I keep hunting doe hang outs?

Hmmm...this could be true because when ever we have driven certain bush areas the appearance of a buck seems random an only during the rut. Maybe I am hunting the wrong areas?

A 20 to 1 ratio would be way out of wack. I would have a hard time believing that would be the case. The buck to doe ratio at birth is relatively close to 50/50.

Genetics in your area? That would be my guess.

But if you have a 20-1 doe-buck ratio, you need to do some management!!

shoot some does

I don't know what area in Alberta you're referring to, but in the Park Land area around west Edmonton/Stony Plain, the ratio is quite close at about 2 or 3 doe to one buck.:confused0024:

I took my avatar pic on the Enock (sp) Indian Reservation not far from that big casino with the tee pees.:s4:

Early, I live near there (Cameron Heights). Can you hunt there?

Anyway do you think there are more buck, but my poor hunting tactics are avoiding me from seeing them?

Don't believe everything you read, this is simply not true...The birth rate of bucks to does will be close to 50/50...

Like all mammals, sex is determined by the sex chromosome of the sperm that fertilizes the egg. Diet and environment have nothing to do with determining the sex of most higher vertebrates. The birth sex distribution is very close to 50% male to 50% female. Given that bucks and does have a roughly equal chance of survival considering only natural mortality, then if there is a substantial disparity between the male/female population, it's likely been caused by an excessive preference for taking bucks over does during the hunting season. This is part of the reasons that areas that develop this problem often have restrictions like minimum antler requirements, earn-a-buck, etc... to limit buck harvest and/or encourage the taking of does to even things out. That said, if the population ever got to a 20:1 ratio of does to bucks, then that population is in serious trouble.


That said, just because you're seeing more does than bucks doesn't necessarily mean that population ratio is skewed. It's also important to note that the behavior of the two sexes might have something to do with what you actually see. Does tend to be far more communal than bucks after maturity, meaning that does will form groups (herds) and travel together. Mature bucks, on the other hand, tend to be far more territorial, solitary and a bit reclusive with the exception of the rut. Does also seem to be more likely to move during the day, where bucks more often tend to be nocturnal, except, again, during the rut. I'd be willing to bet that if you put out a game camera, you'd see more bucks, but most will be spotted at night.

Mike

I was able to get on that land ONLY because a resident Indian was guiding me via my outfitter.

I can only speak about what I've seen up there during the rut, but EVERY time (4 seasons) I've hunted the Bow Zone I've seen waaaay more buck than doe. My guide told me what the ratio was. I can't speak on your hunting practices/tactics because I don't know how you hunt.

20:1??? If that is the case then you need to start some serious doe management! I dont know how many anterless tags you can get, but start shooting those does. All thoses does are doing is getting fat and eating up all the food source. If you was a 1 1/2 old buck looking for a new home area would you move to a area that had a bunch of does eating everything up? Of course not.

I had a 12:1 ratio in Ohio 6 years ago. I started taking 2 does a year, same with my brother, and dad. And within two years, we have had more bucks and a ratio of about 4:1, which we are still working on.

Thanks Spike. They give out supplemental doe tages each year on top of a general tag, so in theory I could take 2 does a year myself.