Deer University - Culling

[texas shag]

On a free range place, if it was about reducing population, you would shoot a doe over a buck every single time. Male harvest does not effect future population. Female harvest does.

They both matter. A mouth is a mouth. That said, shooting a doe ensures that additional fawns aren't born from that animal, which definitely reduces the burden the following year. In reality, trying to keep the sex ratio in check, while also keeping the land at carrying capacity necessitates the killing of both. Supplemental feeding will help you support additional animals so that the males can make it to 4-5 years old before selection needs to take place on the males.

People like to shoot antlers, lets call it what it is. And many people make money off of selling bucks that they dont have interest in to fund their feed bill, and they call it culling. In reality, it is just herd management and land management while allowing the deer you like to get older with less stress/competition.

[WamBow]

I'll shoot a spike that's 2.5+ years old or older. I land in the "let'em age" camp. That said, I hunt on a low or no fence cattle ranch that's free range and only rules are those of the TPWD. Would probably be different if I was on a game ranch that spent lots of money altering the natural genetics of the deer population to raise proper trophies.

[MQ32Shooter]

Not true. I took out a 17.5" wide 8pt, 6.5 yrs old in an AR county last weekend and there are probably 5-6 deer on that property that are younger and significantly bigger (antler wise) that we chose to pass. Does taking out that 'cull 8' help the genetics? I wouldn't think so, but it is a mouth that doesn't have to be fed or dominate a protein feeder and helps keep the ratio where it we want it to be after taking a lot of doe this year. We prefer to let deer get to 4.5 before even being considered a 'cull', and if he is that young he better have 7pts or less and a ****ty rack. Don't shoot the big bucks until they reach 6.5

You are by far the exception and not the norm.

[ROBINHOOD11]

I heard it too and found it very interesting. While I found a few of the procedures a bit controversial, the main message made sense. I can tell you that our lease is very doe-heavy and we have tons of spikes and raghorn young bucks year over year. Most of the guys want to cull them but we’re chasing our tail by doing so. Until we get the doe population under control, we will always have late breeding which makes late fawns which makes bucks that will forever be behind the curve. Thin out the does and address the issue that way.

We as humans love to cull deer. Why? Because we enjoy the kill. Culling is a justification. I can tell you that in 15 years of moderate to aggressive culling on our 6k acres, the number of cull bucks each year never really changes.

I also do strongly agree with how much they mentioned the weather affects the deer herd. I will definitely be tuning in to a few more of their podcasts to hear some more of their theories.

Also having that many does means your bucks are run down and very unhealthy due to such a prolonged rut. Which means you really don't know what their potential is until they are healthy. Kill the does.

[BrokenJ]

On a free range place, if it was about reducing population, you would shoot a doe over a buck every single time. Male harvest does not effect future population. Female harvest does.

Future? Focus on current. If population is high kill both. Does need to die as well. I also said above think on an individual basis if he's not making grade, in whatever the criteria makes him a cull, take him out. I would much rather have too much natural resources for the remain herd. Rather than too little for an entire population, including the low end of every younger age class of bucks.

[BrokenJ]

Guess I'm ludicrous...

Lot of factors go into it. Some ranches can't cull everything that needs to go, so they don't try. I've been there, big place couldn't do it for various reasons, didn't try. Big low fence your looking for a diamond in the rough. Lay eyes on 75 bucks before one catches your attention. Limited tags, time, man power, season depending on your situation, ect.
Also a lot of places can handle that population so removing those young bucks doesn't really matter. I agree, If you can afford to feed them (natural browse not supplemental) it doesn't matter. If I had to bet your in that boat, so your not crazy lol

[Mexico]

Lot of factors go into it. Some ranches can't cull everything that needs to go, so they don't try. I've been there, big place couldn't do it for various reasons, didn't try. Big low fence your looking for a diamond in the rough. Lay eyes on 75 bucks before one catches your attention. Limited tags, time, man power, season depending on your situation, ect.

Also a lot of places can handle that population so removing those young bucks doesn't really matter. I agree, If you can afford to feed them (natural browse not supplemental) it doesn't matter. If I had to bet your in that boat, so your not crazy lol

We don't shoot anything 4 or under and preferably 5. I've seen too many deer "pop" when they hit 5. Their skeletal system is complete by then and they're fully mature so they stop putting nutrients into body growth and start putting it into their horns.
Guess I'm a gambler, I like to at least see the "flop" before I fold even if I hold a bad hand. Same with deer, I'll give them a chance. And when they hit 5 if they're still junk we slam em... but it's crazy how many turn out to be a great deer.
Maybe not 70s or 80s but solid 50s deer. And yes we have plenty of brouse for our deer but also supplement them hard and feed medicated protein. Seems to be working for us.

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[trophy8]

On a free range place, if it was about reducing population, you would shoot a doe over a buck every single time. Male harvest does not effect future population. Female harvest does.

We have way more bucks than does. Every property is different.

[bbqfan5909]

Feel ya on that one, we are probably 6 bucks to 1 doe.

We have way more bucks than does. Every property is different.

[TheHammer]

We don't shoot anything 4 or under and preferably 5. I've seen too many deer "pop" when they hit 5. Their skeletal system is complete by then and they're fully mature so they stop putting nutrients into body growth and start putting it into their horns.
Guess I'm a gambler, I like to at least see the "flop" before I fold even if I hold a bad hand. Same with deer, I'll give them a chance. And when they hit 5 if they're still junk we slam em... but it's crazy how many turn out to be a great deer.
Maybe not 70s or 80s but solid 50s deer. And yes we have plenty of brouse for our deer but also supplement them hard and feed medicated protein. Seems to be working for us.

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I tend to agree with Mexico around “culling.” How can you tell a cull at 3? Do y’all that cull early have a score you’re looking for as a 3 yo? Some places just have a ton of deer, and I understand they have a certain number they need to kill, but I’ve just never been able to call it quits on a deer at 3. I almost always give the deer “one more year” after I notice him not jump like the rest of the deer. This usually happen at 3 or 4. That season I’ll tell myself next year if he doesn’t put on some bone I’ll take him. If he’s marginal, he’ll get another pass. I just don’t think Any bucks should be shot at or before 3 for culling purposes. There’s a lot of people on here that know way more than I ever will, but I don’t think you can ever go wrong with age.

[whakm]

You wanna kill big ,old deer then don't shoot the young,little ones.

[Mexico]

You wanna kill big ,old deer then don't shoot the young,little ones.

Whoa bro you really need to calm down on the common sense. This is TBH

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[mudkat]

I think the culling probably not do any thing for the whole herd, but it makes since to take the bucks that are say 3 years old and have small racks for their age ,I think the biggest help of killing those deer are they are usually the most dominate and aggressive bucks that tend to run of the better bucks.
The small rack bucks are like the short guys at the bar very aggressive and ready to fight to prove they're tough , LOL

[Tx_Wader]

high fence is a different story. That’s a controlled environment. Low fence is not

Yes I know that. Low fence or high it's still population control.

[HighwayHunter]

Yes I know that. Low fence or high it's still population control.

I think in most cases it’s masked as “population control” in the want to just shoot a buck. If you hunt 500 acres low fence I don’t think you can actually control that population unless said 500 acres is surrounded by a high fence or natural borders. The more deer you take off, opens up more food for deer, taunting passer by deer to just stay there. It would be like trying to take water out of a boat with a hole in it.


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