Let's see em...
- Thread starter callmefence
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kenny thomas
Well-known member
Why does everyone want to kill the big one? Let the big ones live and breed. Kill the junk.
puzzled in oregon
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That's what I was told a long time ago, if you want big bucks with nice racks, you don't shoot
the mature bucks with those nice racks
the mature bucks with those nice racks
chaded
Well-known member
A mature buck has been spreading his genes around ever since he was young….
Dave
Well-known member
When I have a Landowner Preference tag which only allows me to hunt only on my own property I look for ones who need to come out of the gene pool. This year I drew an area tag. They give out 825 tags for an area close to a million acres. I hunted areas on BLM that hold some real monsters. Most of those areas get no pressure at all. It is extremely rugged and involves miles of walking on steep ground. If I were about 40 years younger I would have got one of those big ones but I did the best that I can.
The evening of the last day my son had to hunt he shot one of those little ones who needed taken out of the gene pool. That was after 7 1/2 days of hunting hard for the big one with several missed opportunities.
The evening of the last day my son had to hunt he shot one of those little ones who needed taken out of the gene pool. That was after 7 1/2 days of hunting hard for the big one with several missed opportunities.
puzzled in oregon
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Yep, that's why this guy is on my wall, Didn't want him to die of old age. Fairly nice west coast Black Tail.
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Caustic Burno
Well-known member
That's what I took out in bow season. One of the sorriest I have ever seen.
I am hunting this other one starting tomorrow.
We had some of those genetics a few years back and culled them hard. I don't know if he
Is that way from injury or the genetics have popped back up.
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I prefer to take the big ones and the junk
It's near impossible to change genetics by culling on a free range property. At best you are reducing the feed load in that moment. If you are the prime country in you area new deer from poor areas will just filter back in.
chaded
Well-known member
I prefer to take the big ones and the junk
Here we only get one buck tag so I'm not going to let the big ones pass and take something smaller…
Also, I don't believe there is any significant impact of 'culling' in a wild deer herd. Yeah you shoot that junky buck and got him out of the herd but how many does did he breed (especially if he's a few years old) before you got to him? Probably a lot. You can't keep up. What about the 'junky' does that contribute genetically as well?
HDRider
Well-known member
Kill the does so the big bucks have to come out of hiding
That's why culling free range herds does not work. You only took out 1/2 the equation and you may get another junky deer fill it's place. Compound that with how far deer travel... you better have a BIG place if you think you are shooting deer born on your property.I prefer to take the big ones and the junk
It's near impossible to change genetics by culling on a free range property. At best you are reducing the feed load in that moment. If you are the prime country in you area new deer from poor areas will just filter back in.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
I don't know about that as the neighbors and have gotten together and have really worked the culls over. Now this is nearly 10k acres but we have seen a marked improvement in our good buck numbers.I prefer to take the big ones and the junk
It's near impossible to change genetics by culling on a free range property. At best you are reducing the feed load in that moment. If you are the prime country in you area new deer from poor areas will just filter back in.
Everyone is actively managing food plots and protein and we are seeing the results.
Won't work if everyone is not on board. This is getting to be a common buck.
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Ouachita
Well-known member
I can't control how many doe an inferior buck has bred before I pull the trigger. I am controlling how many more he can breed. Culling for the future for 25 years now and we are seeing good results.
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callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
And go somewhere else..
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callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
The majority of people I hear preaching about managing deer come from the city and pay for a place to hunt.
You will see good results managing the herd like that, especially on a block that size... co-op management I think is what they call it. If you get all scientific on it you will find that the same genetics are reaching full potential, your drawing more large bucks in, and a lot of other factors. When you actually test genetics... not much has changed. There are tons of studies on this.
I like shooting the culls just because I hate seeing that raggedy sucker eating that high dollar feed and chasing a good doe.
I have the same feelings with cattle.
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Don't understestimate paying for leases. The big boys down here don't play that "theories on management" stuff. They have A&M come in and prove it.
EasTex
Well-known member
Most big deer ranches in south Texas have A&M biologist on site. All harvested deer have to be taken to their station to be weighed, measured, aged. And it better not be a young buck or you will most likely be fined.
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callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
I'm certainly not a big boy but I do get 5 digits a year in deer lease money on my land I lease out. My hunters get free rein they can kill anything the law allows. They've been with us about 10 years.
So I don't underestimate the income
Just most of their opinions come from what they read, same as most with a&m. Those that live with deer know you can kill the hell out of them and in a couple years you'll never know it.
The land I don't lease me and my family kill a couple of good bucks for sport and plenty of young bucks and does for meat. I can't hardly get oats growing for all the deer.
My uncle s place is high fenced and managed. Big difference between that and a wild herd.
