![]() Also, you have toīe able to handle the animals in a manner where measurements can be takenįrom the same deer from one year to the next. Positively identify a large number of known-age animals. One of the biggest problems in studying free-ranging deer is being able to While that sounds great on paper, studies of this nature are not easy. Research similar to that conducted on captive deer needs to beĭone on a larger scale with free-ranging deer populations similar to the With a known history and fed a high-quality diet and apply those results toĪnimals born and raised under a wide variety of range and managementĬonditions. It often is difficult to take results from confined animals ![]() ![]() Therefore, culling of yearlingīucks based on antler criteria would have little positive impact on averageĪntler quality in the future deer herd and would simply result in fewerĪ primary drawback in both studies is that they were conducted withĬaptive deer. Reliably to judge antler growth potential. The Mississippi State study indicate spike antlers could not be used (when during the fawning season a deer is born) and nutrition. Jacobson asserted spikeĪntlers on yearling bucks could be related to many factors including age Jacobson at Mississippi State University. Management tool to increase average antler size of bucks in that age groupĪt the other end of the spectrum is a well-known study done by Dr. Thus, their recommendation is to cull spikes as a Yearling whitetails may be an antler type with low potential for antler Studies at the Kerr Wildlife Management Areaīy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department personnel suggested that spikes on Predictability of antler growth in whitetails. Over the years, numerous studies have been conducted on the Poor-quality antlers would not be sustained in the population. Make a substantial contribution to the breeding population. Intuitively it would seem a good idea to remove those animals before they If anĪntler type with low growth potential can be identified at an early age, To have the greatest potential for good antler production are desired. In trying to grow the highest quality animals, only the animals believed Inferior, in this case, refers to an animal that has less potential for future antler growth than other members of the same age group do. Results of various studies on captive whitetails have produced recommendations ranging from removing all spike-antlered yearlings as inferior individuals to complete protection of all yearling deer no matter the amount of antler growth in their first year. The basis for the study is an age-old controversy that has, so far, evaded being solved by even the best whitetail biologists in the country.įuture antler growth of whitetail deer that have spike antlers as yearlings versus yearlings with three or more points as their first set of antlers, has been a particular point of contention among deer hunters and managers for many years. Combined with a helicopter to rapidly find and approach a deer, we can quickly and precisely capture individual deer for marking and measuring before releasing it unharmed at the capture site all very important aspects of the study described herein. Rather, it was from a specialized gun that shoots a net instead of a bullet. Rather, it's an introduction to an important research study we are conducting on antler growth in wild whitetails. No, despite your first thoughts, this is not a tale of illegal hunting. Literally within seconds of that first sighting, the buck was down and being loaded by eager hands into the back of a pickup truck. Hard behind the buck the helicopter swooped in low and fast over the brush, followed by the clear boom of a gunshot in the morning air. "There he goes!" was the cry as the buck ran across the road into a narrow clearing on the other side. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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