Risk/threat to other bucks?

[Enigma41a]

Too young to be into serious fighting yet . Guess something happened to that one in early growth period? If young bucks are on the plan ? good one to take ! if they are not Leave him be and look at him next year ! Has the owner passed a preference?

No owner, no plan. Small Fallow population where humane dispatch or careful management allowed only. Small wood private wood is where this boy is centering himself at the moment. Manager of that wood intends to take him out but I have got him a very temporary (I think) reprieve

 

[deerstalker.308]

All antlers cost deer their life at some point for many reasons, that is why we have too many deer, you will not see people spending money on stalking taxidermy costs to have hind/doe mounted, yes some but the high % will be an antlered male leaving a female to carry on. That is fine but crunch the numbers and look in a lot of big houses pubs museums and you will see very few females. Just how it is.

Just because pub walls aren’t adorned with doe heads doesn’t mean they aren’t being shot, we only keep (on the whole) the ones with visual appeal, that’s not to say (and I frequently point this out to people in my house) that those on display are all that ever get shot, they are in the main just the tip of the iceberg for the actual deer that get shot…..

 

[Tim.243]

Just because pub walls aren’t adorned with doe heads doesn’t mean they aren’t being shot, we only keep (on the whole) the ones with visual appeal, that’s not to say (and I frequently point this out to people in my house) that those on display arent all that ever get shot, they are in the main just the tip of the iceberg for the actual deer that get shot…..

Quite Andy, however Re the visual appeal I am sure you (or not) given the choice of a calendar as a lad had a Sam Fox & Co
rather that the Village People YMCA
Do you take them to the garage where the over spill pile is kept (don't tell him pike )

 

[Ruby Tuesday 2]

Are you sure the poachers have only taken the males . My experience is some areas seem to attract mostly does others mainly bucks. My local are is heaving with huge numbers of does but some places I stalk if I see a deer I can almost guarantee it's a buck as I rarely see does there.

 

[Enigma41a]

Are you sure the poachers have only taken the males . My experience is some areas seem to attract mostly does others mainly bucks. My local are is heaving with huge numbers of does but some places I stalk if I see a deer I can almost guarantee it's a buck as I rarely see does there.

Yes.. bucks and prickets hammered If they took does, it wasn't noticeable. The organization I monitor the local Fallow population for aimed to reduce the does and yearlings by a third during last open season. They didn't quite make the target as public access area.

 

[25 Sharps]

Our small male population was targeted by poachers Spring and Summer of '23 so some careful consideration and selection is required. If he is no threat to far more mature bucks during this upcoming rut (which was my original query) he can be spared.. can't he? Isn't 'selective shooting' relative to the size and balance of your local wild population? Just trying to learn..

How big an area do you manage? Unless it’s a very large area trying to be too elective is pretty pointless.