QDMA: Culling Wild Deer = Zero Benefits

[Mexico]

Best culling study I've seen, Commanche Ranch SW Texas

https://www.qdma.com/qdm-works-culling-doesnt/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2019-10-17

[TXBRASS]

Here come all the
“I know it works.... I’ve done it and seen it with my own eyes.”
comments.


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[sotx]

Ive always looked at it as a numbers game. Get the numbers in check with carrying capacity of the property. Let them get some age on them and feed the hell out of them.

[mikemorvan]

Very interesting read.

[GarGuy]

Culling has its upside. Chicken fried. No help to the herd but sure makes for justifying killing a deer when you want so e steak.

[sboudreaux]

Good read, thanks for posting. I'm glad that they referenced the King Ranch study as I thought they had pretty much put this issue to bed years ago.....

[breederbuck33]

“If you claim that culling is working for you, but you don’t have a control area for comparison, you have a hollow statement. That’s just your guess as to what’s causing the improvements you’ve seen.”

This is the highlight of the read. Culling has its upsides for sure, but don't say you're changing genetics. If you have mouths to take off a property then you need to have a culling method to insure you don't kill off a bunch of up and comers .

[txwhitetail]

“Zero benefits” ?


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[Daddy D]

Ive always looked at it as a numbers game. Get the numbers in check with carrying capacity of the property. Let them get some age on them and feed the hell out of them.

Yup, that's all it is. This is absolutely 100% correct. People try way too hard to make deer management more complicated than it should be.

[Hoss163]

Another thing is to many people think that because they killed a so called cull they are helping there selfs out by getting rid of that bucks genetic. You didn’t get rid of his genetics because the doe carry’s that trait it’s hard for guys to get that in there head . You just have to let the bucks get mature before killing them no matter what . And take out a few does .

[El General]

And, if you want to reduce herd size of nearly any ungulate, shoot does. Male harvest does not effect long term herd size.

[Jamesdad07]

Interesting read for sure Shane!
The part about how nutrition plays the biggest role is spot on.


“If you culled intensively for 20 years, you might gain one extra inch per buck on average,” said Donnie. “But you can probably add 15 inches on average in a single year simply through increased nutrition.”


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[Mexico]

Interesting read for sure Shane!
The part about how nutrition plays the biggest role is spot on.


“If you culled intensively for 20 years, you might gain one extra inch per buck on average,” said Donnie. “But you can probably add 15 inches on average in a single year simply through increased nutrition.”


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Yes sir!! Feed em, and let em get some age. More times then not they'll surprise you. I'll never wrap my head around shooting 2 and 3 year old "culls".

I want to know what they'll look like at 5! Is it a gamble? Absolutely! But one on willing to take!

[Daddy D]

And, if you want to reduce herd size of nearly any ungulate, shoot does. Male harvest does not effect long term herd size.

You would be surprised how many people don't grasp that.

[lab man]

Interesting read. Thanks for posting.