Are We Beginning to See the Effects of High Grading?

[Rusty]

I've noticed a growing number of older mature 6 pointers being taken in zones with Antler Point Restrictions.  Trail cam pictures that people post from these zones are showing the same thing.  Are we beginning to see the effects of high grading in these areas? 

 

 

I shot this 4.5 year old 6 pointer in an APR zone.  

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2016 by Rusty

[smoking gun]

What's that mean?

[Rusty]

What's that mean?

 

Each year you shoot the deer with the best genetics and protect the deer with inferior genetics.  Over time the average size of buck's antlers gets smaller.

 

One of the only states that actually measured antler sizes before and after APRs showed a significant loss in antler size of bucks from every age category.

[JHbowhunter]

that's always a possibility.   I know zone 5 doesn't have APRs and has much bigger issues at hand - as in how to restore the herd.

[smoking gun]

Each year you shoot the deer with the best genetics and protect the deer with inferior genetics.  Over time the average size of buck's antlers gets smaller.

 

One of the only states that actually measured antler sizes before and after APRs showed a significant loss in antler size of bucks from every age category.

cool...I said this before on the other forum and I told a buddy of mine who's fixated on that bigger rack crap.it doesn't work for the long run it actually fails over a course of time.

[3Blade]

It may be possible but I would think it has more of an impact on deer behind enclosures, not free range. The other thing to consider is that doe's also contribute half the genetics.

Edited January 25, 2016 by 3 Blade

[smoking gun]

I've stated before zone 37 was the first zone to have the apr and it was good for the first few years then it fizzled out to be a disaster idk there's still alot of big woods there.all the big bucks killed early or after the rut what's left to breed?there's not alot of big mature does anymore

[smoking gun]

They need to adopt farmers way of thinking.they keep the mature sow and hog for breeding like cows and the bull use the young for food

[Haskell_Hunter]

Zone 3 has QDM and there are no deer here despite having tens of thousands of acres of reservoirs and state managed lands.

 

 

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[hammer4reel]

sure there have been studies showing high grading lowered rack scores over time.

BUT there have also been plenty of studies showing spikes can  turn into booners.

way too many variables to even consider making a real judgment.

Maybe the does in a given area lack what they need. lack of food, etc.

 

I think older deer just dont get the nutrients they need here, with so much of the state being backyard bucks.

many of the younger deer and does are feeding for hours earlier than the bigger deer are, Taking much of the prime feed .

 

Go to other states that actually care about agriculture and watch the color of the dirt when its tilled. then compare that to what you see here..

our dirt has nothing left in it , only a few areas MAKE the farmers take care of the land to produce quality crops.

Much of Hunterdon counties hay has been garbage for a decade already. only good for mulch.

The deer arent getting what they need  to have the excess to go towards bigger rakcs

[MackofallTrades]

I had three spikes walking around this year, two of them were older deer.  There is also a 6 pointer that has the same exact main beam like one of the spikes.  It is very distinctive - almost like a steer.

[Rusty]

sure there have been studies showing high grading lowered rack scores over time.

 

BUT there have also been plenty of studies showing spikes can  turn into booners.

 

It's true that a yearling spike may not be genetically inferior, but that's just one small piece of the puzzle.  When you put all the pieces together you get a much better understanding of the big picture.

 

Here are other important pieces of the puzzle:

 

1. Yearling 6-8 pointers are genetically superior.

2. Yearlings are easier to kill than older bucks and yearling 6-8 pointers are killed at very high rates.

3. Genetically inferior deer are protected by APRs.

4. Genetically inferior deer live much longer and do an increasingly larger amount of the breeding each year.

5. Where ARS have been implemented a class of permanently protected sub-legal bucks is created.  This group becomes larger over time while the number of bucks with 8 or more points decreases.  

 

When you put all the pieces of the puzzle together you get a much different picture than when you just look at yearling spikes.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Rusty

[Haskell_Hunter]

 

3. Genetically inferior deer are protected by ARs

4. Genetically inferior deer live much longer and do an increasingly larger amount of the breeding each year.

 

 

 

What do you mean by genetically inferior?  It is solely antler genetics, or is there a broader range of genetics that are affected by QDM?

 

You might lose antler mass but gain overall deer mass, or disease resistance, or some other positive effect.  Just trying to understand versus assuming it's just a generalization.

[Rusty]

What do you mean by genetically inferior?  It is solely antler genetics, or is there a broader range of genetics that are affected by QDM? 

 

Yes, this is primarily dealing with antler score.  

[smoking gun]

Hammer4reel is spot on as well.the garden state isn't the garden state anymore it's all asphalt strip malls and developments.years ago farmer jones property was a good thing to have it was a sanctuary as well as a food source a very important food source high on carbs corn soybean rye wheatetc alot of farms are gone now this is why I also believe we have winter kill with a heavy snow fall.

Edited January 25, 2016 by smoking gun