Science of Roe Deer Management

[Heym SR20]

An excellent watch. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the likes of SNH and our Universities actually did some proper science to learn how our deer work, rather than the view that all deer should just be eliminated down to a very low density?

 

[wildfowler.250]

The videography is always very good. I’m not sure how much this will compare to the UK though. I’m guessing larger rural areas, less roads, neighbours probably not shooting on site, deer not being chased by dogs/right to roam.

I think the problem here is that you can leave a nice buck to mature and it’ll be clocked by a car / dog / thermal and a poor young buck ends up covering the doe anyway but it does make for an interesting watch.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

Excellent videos, it probably helps that Franz-Albrecht is a Prince and I am guessing owns a very considerable acreage. I think the research is brilliant but will just compound how difficult it is to age roebuck in the field - the best we can hope for is young, middle-aged and old and I doubt many of us see, let alone shoot many really old bucks.

 

[wildfowler.250]

Excellent videos, it probably helps that Franz-Albrecht is a Prince and I am guessing owns a very considerable acreage. I think the research is brilliant but will just compound how difficult it is to age roebuck in the field - the best we can hope for is young, middle-aged and old and I doubt many of us see, let alone shoot many really old bucks.

I’d tend to agree it’s not often you see many really old bucks. Or maybe that’s just me. But I suspect a lot get shot by the time they’re five years old?

 

[Tim.243]

The videography is always very good. I’m not sure how much this will compare to the UK though. I’m guessing larger rural areas, less roads, neighbours probably not shooting on site, deer not being chased by dogs/right to roam.

I think the problem here is that you can leave a nice buck to mature and it’ll be clocked by a car / dog / thermal and a poor young buck ends up covering the doe anyway but it does make for an interesting watch.

Quite agree, far too many people play at Jurassic park deer management in the UK as that is one reason we have far too many.
GPM
Gene
Pool
Management

 

[HonestJohn]

If you give them a chance to get old, they most likely will

 

[Chris Richardson]

Quite agree, far too many people play at Jurassic park deer management in the UK as that is one reason we have far too many.
GPM
Gene
Pool
Management

Exactly this have this happening adjacent to one of my grounds absolutely bouncing with muntjac and roe

 

[Mungo]

An excellent watch. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the likes of SNH and our Universities actually did some proper science to learn how our deer work, rather than the view that all deer should just be eliminated down to a very low density?

Much as I would love to have a population of tagged roe and a thermal drone for monitoring calves, the problem (as always) is funding.

There is no real funding for this sort of work in the UK.

Those who have the money (private sector forestry and agriculture, carbon speculators and hedgies, the really big conservation charities) aren’t interested. Those who are interested don’t have enough money.

Come on - if anyone, you’re in a position to link the people with the money with the people who can do the work!

 

[Tim.243]

Exactly this have this happening adjacent to one of my grounds absolutely bouncing with muntjac and roe

How many times do you here on yt videos "he will make a good buck in a couple of years"
It takes a couple of seconds to get run over or ten to be run down by a poachers dog.

 

[Chris Richardson]

How many times do you here on yt videos "he will make a good buck in a couple of years"
It takes a couple of seconds to get run over or ten to be run down by a poachers dog.

Exactly the old boy next door just wants to go out once a month and shoot an easy deer hence the high density

 

[Leec6.5]

Not an easy subject to master!

If you haven’t got the genetics or the minerals in the ground you may as well shoot on site.

With out those 2 things you don’t have a hope in hell of decent Bucks and That’s fact

 

[HonestJohn]

Not an easy subject to master!

If you haven’t got the genetics or the minerals in the ground you may as well shoot on site.

With out those 2 things you don’t have a hope in hell of decent Bucks and That’s fact

This is true, ish IMHO. However, you may not get really big bucks, but the ones ‘big’ for location should still be managed the same way as if they were medal class size. I have ground where a big master buck is a cull buck in other places, so they are managed as master bucks. If you broad brush, anything under medal class is shoot in sight, which, can’t be correct management

 

[Leec6.5]

This is true, ish IMHO. However, you may not get really big bucks, but the ones ‘big’ for location should still be managed the same way as if they were medal class size. I have ground where a big master buck is a cull buck in other places, so they are managed as master bucks. If you broad brush, anything under medal class is shoot in sight, which, can’t be correct management

Here lies the problem, unless you are stalking a vast lump of land where you know your bucks and watch them grow and can manage the crap coming through then yes you’ll get good bucks coming through.

But here lies the rest problem-

There are simply too many stalkers now who will not care, unfortunately bucks territories and cross boundaries.

Years ago I was the only deer stalker for 10-15 or more miles now there is a wannabe “deer manager” behind every hedge

 

[HonestJohn]

Here lies the problem, unless you are stalking a vast lump of land where you know your bucks and watch them grow and can manage the crap coming through then yes you’ll get good bucks coming through.

But here lies the rest problem-

There are simply too many stalkers now who will not care, unfortunately bucks territories and cross boundaries.

Years ago I was the only deer stalker for 10-15 or more miles now there is a wannabe “deer manager” behind every hedge

And yet we try to promote the sport and entice new blood, when perhaps a reduction in deer stalkers would be a benefit, so there isn’t a weekend warrior lurking behind every hedge, and not managing deer based on proper fundamentals

 

[Leec6.5]

And yet we try to promote the sport and entice new blood, when perhaps a reduction in deer stalkers would be a benefit, so there isn’t a weekend warrior lurking behind every hedge, and not managing deer based on proper fundamentals

Yep back to the way it was a decade or more ago would suit me just lovely

 

[sh1kar]

Fascinating film. 2 thoughts

What is his moderator? It seems to only require a 1/4 turn to affix

I am not sure with such a fine rifle set up I would use the scope to close it

 

[Border]

Fascinating film. 2 thoughts

What is his moderator? It seems to only require a 1/4 turn to affix

I am not sure with such a fine rifle set up I would use the scope to close it

A Svemko titanium jobby with quick release I believe.

 

[VSS]

And yet we try to promote the sport and entice new blood, when perhaps a reduction in deer stalkers would be a benefit, so there isn’t a weekend warrior lurking behind every hedge, and not managing deer based on proper fundamentals

Proper fundamentals means age structure and population density, not heads.
Get the first two right, and the rest will follow.

 

[HonestJohn]

Proper fundamentals means age structure and population density, not heads.
Get the first two right, and the rest will follow.

Assuming there’s the quality of food sources and genetics to allow good heads. But as said, a good head in A can be a poor head in B, both have to be treated the same. One man’s garbage is another man’s gold

 

[mudman]

My very limited experience is that medals chiefly come from previously unstalked ground, as some bucks have lived long enough to start producing heavy heads.