queries about medal classification

Mungo

Well-Known Member
I've noticed a few threads about medal roe bucks popping up recently.

I'm not at all a trophy hunter, but I am a biologist with an interest in the causes of variation in populations, so it set me wondering, and I have a few questions I'd be grateful for any answers to:

1. How was the medal classification decided upon? Ie. How did they decide what should constitute a bronze, silver or gold? If I were to try to work something like that out from first principles, I'd get an estimate of natural variation in the population, then say the top 1% would be classed as gold, the next 4% as silver and the next 5% after that as bronze. Is it something like that?

2. What proportion of shot animals actually attain medal status?
 
I can only speak for my stats but of the 13 Roe Bucks we shot last year

We had:
3 Silvers
​1 Gold (or Platinum if you use the BASC system)
 
I've noticed a few threads about medal roe bucks popping up recently.

I'm not at all a trophy hunter, but I am a biologist with an interest in the causes of variation in populations, so it set me wondering, and I have a few questions I'd be grateful for any answers to:

1. How was the medal classification decided upon? Ie. How did they decide what should constitute a bronze, silver or gold? If I were to try to work something like that out from first principles, I'd get an estimate of natural variation in the population, then say the top 1% would be classed as gold, the next 4% as silver and the next 5% after that as bronze. Is it something like that?

2. What proportion of shot animals actually attain medal status?

At what landscape level would you sample the population? Are medals international?
Natural variation by:
genetics;
latitude;
longitude;
soil quality;
mineral presence;
annual rainfall;
forestation;
population (Roe are R selected so easier, but Reds are K selected so this would have a big effect);
predation pressure;
other species present (big effects on Roe);
forest succession stage.

Current and past sampling (culling) in a number of areas would be biased (preference towards larger males). how do you eliminate bias? Older (and bigger) bucks more aware more difficult to cull in an unbiased sampling technique....
One hell of a project!
 
Mungo - medal classification is based on a number of different measurements such as weight of antler, volume of antler, number of tines, length of tines amd overall antler, breadth of antlers, width of palms - ie for fallow dear, and the additional points for symmetry, pearling, size of coronets and general beauty. Each measurement gives so many points which when added together give a total score. I think Richard Priors book has a section on measurement.
 
I'd be very interested to know how the criteria for medal standards were decided upon, not just for roe but for all species in the cic book? Someone somewhere must have made the original decisions. Am I right in thinking the scores for muntjac were revised upwards in the not too distant past?

Novice
 
Muntjac scores were lifted some years ago as the original formula was based upon specimens common at that time.
However, those imported here and elsewhere grew much larger antlers making the original formula a nonsense.

HWH.
 
Stag, are you suggesting that muntjac in this country produce larger heads than in their native habitat? Very interesting!

Novice
 
Well there are more Munties in the UK than in their country of origin.

I think it is correct that they do grow bigger in this country, obviously like the habitat. Will have to check in my muntie books.

D
 
mungo, there are far more heads shot than measured, a lot would make bronze or silver, after looking at what was on the bds stand at the last show I went to, but most stalkers don,t measure there heads, this is only my opinion as I have only met a few that bothered.
 
Stag, are you suggesting that muntjac in this country produce larger heads than in their native habitat? Very interesting!

Novice

Yes !
Scottish Red-deer exported to New Zealand became absolute monsters after thriving and reproducing in a superior environment .

HWH.
 
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