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John's Journal... Entry 130, Day 5 THE SUPER GENE Managing A Deer Herd For Big Bucks EDITOR'S
NOTE: What role does genes play in your local deer herd? Can the introduction
of a monster buck into a herd assure quality deer for years to come? The
answer to these and other questions will definitely surprise you. I talked
with Dr. Harry Jacobson, one of the nation's leading deer researchers
from Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi, who currently
studies genetic effects on deer populations. QUESTION: At what age does the white-tailed buck reach
maturity? Question: How can a hunter tell the age of a deer standing
in front of him when he gets ready to make the shot? Question:
If you have a really large buck standing in front of you -- the type of
buck any hunter wants to take -- will you shoot him? Question:
Can you mismanage genetics in a deer herd? One of these genes is disease resistance. If you release a buck on your property and the buck doesn't carry a disease- resistant gene compatible with the area, that buck may produce offspring not as disease resistant as the offspring of the resident population in that region. For instance, a trophy buck from Alberta may not can resist the diseases in Alabama as well as a buck bred in Alabama. But an Alabama buck may not be as resistant to cold-weather diseases as an Alberta buck will be.
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Check back each day this week for more about The Super Gene ... Day 1 - Do Monster Bucks
Produce Monster Bucks?
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