What are your opinions on culling? What culling program do you have in place on your lease or ranch? Looking to hear some of you guys opinons on this and what you define as a "cull" deer. Personally we kill anything 3 1/2 with less then 8pts, small framed or short tined 4 1/2 year olds, and all 8 pointers 5 1/2 or older, and kill our trophy deer at 6 1/2 with exceptions being made on a deer to deer basis on letting them walk to 7 1/2.
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Sounds like you have a good plan Barrett.
Do you still have a place in Brady? -
We don't cull until 4.5 based on theory that late born bucks will catch up to others of same age class at that age. But at 4.5, short tined and anything less than 10 points is gone. And we get after them first thing in the season to get them out of the way.Comment
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It appears that your managment guidelines are right on from a general outlook. Of course, there are many factors that can manipulate your culling practices: Deer per acre, sex ratio, % of mature bucks on the property, size of the property, high fence or low fence, cooperating neighbors, etc.
If you know your deer herd well, some bucks should be culled on a case by case basis. For instance, one of the biggest debates in culling are 3yr 8pnts. On ranches that I am fortunate enough to help manage, the harvesting guidelines on 3yr 8pnts varies. Some will kill on site, and others will let the 3yr 8pnts with desireable characteristics slide one more year. I am now of the opinion of letting big 3yr 8's go one more year for evaluation.
Some don't see it that way, so alot of it is opinion based. If you don't mind that deer breeding his genetics into the herd, then let him go.Comment
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I cull 8 pointers on my ranch at 3.5 unless there is something exceptional about them. I agree with J-Jac's view.Comment
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Culling is a HEAVILY debated topic on TBH I can tell you that and not just about shooting spikes or not. I think the debate is night and day between High Fenced and Low Fenced places. I truly do not believe I can change the genetics of our low fenced farm I hunt here in Virginia by culling like I can culling on our High fenced ranch in South Texas. We practice QDMA on our farm in Virginia and shoot a ton of antler less deer and pretty much let all bucks walk until they get older. We truly only try to cull big six points really and we have more eight points than I would like. We have talked about just shooting 8 points and smaller (4 1/2 years or older) and letting all 9 pts and bigger go for a couple of years to see if that might perpetuate antler characteristics we want to see more of and just continue to hammer the does. In South Texas we brought in some new deer (bucks and does) and pretty much hammered most of the native deer that were not what we were looking for. To say they are two different management styles is an understatement.Comment
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I dont think its possible to cull most low fence places but i still try to do what I can. I usually shoot spikes but will only shoot spikes from now on in select situations and if they are older then 1.5. Most of ours are 1.5. Would rather shoot a doe instead to get the ratio in tact. Owning small acreage like myself and surrounding areas its hard to get bucks to maturity. I shot a 5.5 year old 2 years ago and THAT IS RARE!!!!! most are 3.4/4.5 tops.Comment
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I was given almost free reign on a large ranch for the last few years to kill and 8 pointer >3.5 years old. The funny thing that happened is i have run out of true targets. Every buck i see has some sort of kicker, or a forked brow. Even the feeder pic in my avatar. That day 5 large bucks came into the feeder, and everyone of the had something that made them >an 8 point.Comment
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I disagree with some of the posts. I hunt on one of the best low fence ranches in south Texas and culling is a very big part of or opperation. We try to take our culls at 4.5 and wait to take the trophies untill theyare 6.5 or 7.5. If you have a good heard to start with and good genitics you have to learn to let the deer with potential go. This past year alone we let 4 bucks go that were over 170 because they were too young. You have to be very agressive with the culls and management deer, shot them on the spot early and consentrate on the trophies later in the year as the rut becomes stronger. Come up with a group that serves no benifit to the heard and go after them, when you feal you have a grip on them step it up. Honestly, we are all hunting for a trophy. I know it nice to sit out and see a bunch of deer (it makes the time go by faster), but wouldn't it be nice sitting out watching a bunch of young deer with potential pass by know that in the years to come you have something to look forward to, I know for me it is.Comment
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No we don't have that place anymore Ronny, now have 2600 acres in sonora. I totally agree that the culling criteria should be specific for each ranch. No one formula is the "answer" to culling inferior genetics for all ranches. I forgot to add that we also kill anything with no or one brow tine at 3 1/2 regardless of how many up points they have. On our Sonora place we also kill spikes due to high deer densities and to maintain our 1:2 ratio, as we kill about 30 does a year. 80% or more of the bucks we take each year are cull bucks and the ones on the hit list die on site. IMO if you have a culling program in place you can't let any cull walk while waiting on a trophy. I also agree with the above post, to have a succesful management program you can't EVER kill a young deer with potential even if he scores 170 inches. That is extremely counter productive.Originally posted by ronny View PostLast edited by Fightinaggies; 05-03-2010, 10:08 PM.Comment
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Culling makes very little difference unless you are feeding... The majority of the difference then is on the checkbook...
Very few people should worry about culling... Most should be worried about age structure... And how to improve it.
Once you get a balanced herd you can start worrying about culls... I personally don't like to kill anything but the very very worst before 4... And even at 4 Im pretty light handed.Comment
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