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The 2020 antler conundrum
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<blockquote data-quote="TheLBLman" data-source="post: 4998050" data-attributes="member: 1409"><p>This may be the most significant single factor.</p><p></p><p>Add to this (at least compared to over a decade ago) improved <u>adult</u> buck:doe ratios,</p><p>improved buck age structure.</p><p></p><p>Then, there appears to be widespread habitat "improvements" in terms of providing year-round deer food. Much of this has been in the form of timber-cutting, where the "improvements" for deer have been a side benefit, but a tremendous dietary benefit nonetheless.</p><p></p><p>Also, despite BSK's lack of data to document, I believe the statewide 2-buck limit has played a role as well.</p><p>That decreased buck limit may not have had much effect on buck age structure, but it has played a role in shifting the hunter harvest more towards female deer, enhancing buck:doe ratios to a much healthier place than we had in times past.</p><p></p><p>Why has the decreased buck limit not had much effect on <u>mature</u> buck age structure?</p><p>I believe because many hunters have simply shifted from killing 1 1/2-yr-old (yearling) bucks to 2 1/2-yr-old bucks, as well as many shifting from killing 2 1/2's to 3 1/2's. This may produce little change on the number of bucks surviving to full maturity of 5 1/2 and older.</p><p></p><p>Most hunters today are only going to kill 1 or 2 deer annually, regardless of limits.</p><p>But that's no reason to discount having biologically sound deer management, which steers us towards mindsets of sound conservation practices and improving herd health.</p><p></p><p>One more thing about deer densities:</p><p>I do believe the populations are trending higher now in most areas compared to 2 and 3 years ago.</p><p>But the 2 1/2 & 3 1/2-yr old bucks we're seeing today may have been born in a lower-deer density time, thus benefited <u>in their early lives</u> from higher quality food sources (at least per mouth). Having better nutrition as fawns, perhaps this may have been the single biggest factor for the larger antlers we're seeing on 2 1/2-yr-old bucks this year?</p><p></p><p>Deer will generally seek out the highest quality food sources.</p><p>When there are fewer deer, each deer gets a more nutritious diet.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TheLBLman, post: 4998050, member: 1409"] This may be the most significant single factor. Add to this (at least compared to over a decade ago) improved [U]adult[/U] buck:doe ratios, improved buck age structure. Then, there appears to be widespread habitat "improvements" in terms of providing year-round deer food. Much of this has been in the form of timber-cutting, where the "improvements" for deer have been a side benefit, but a tremendous dietary benefit nonetheless. Also, despite BSK's lack of data to document, I believe the statewide 2-buck limit has played a role as well. That decreased buck limit may not have had much effect on buck age structure, but it has played a role in shifting the hunter harvest more towards female deer, enhancing buck:doe ratios to a much healthier place than we had in times past. Why has the decreased buck limit not had much effect on [U]mature[/U] buck age structure? I believe because many hunters have simply shifted from killing 1 1/2-yr-old (yearling) bucks to 2 1/2-yr-old bucks, as well as many shifting from killing 2 1/2's to 3 1/2's. This may produce little change on the number of bucks surviving to full maturity of 5 1/2 and older. Most hunters today are only going to kill 1 or 2 deer annually, regardless of limits. But that's no reason to discount having biologically sound deer management, which steers us towards mindsets of sound conservation practices and improving herd health. One more thing about deer densities: I do believe the populations are trending higher now in most areas compared to 2 and 3 years ago. But the 2 1/2 & 3 1/2-yr old bucks we're seeing today may have been born in a lower-deer density time, thus benefited [U]in their early lives[/U] from higher quality food sources (at least per mouth). Having better nutrition as fawns, perhaps this may have been the single biggest factor for the larger antlers we're seeing on 2 1/2-yr-old bucks this year? Deer will generally seek out the highest quality food sources. When there are fewer deer, each deer gets a more nutritious diet. [/QUOTE]
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