Thread: Summer hunting .....a question of ethics??

Originally Posted by Bavarian_Hunter

the key to any herd management is taking hinds as they're always in higher proportions than males.

You got funny water over there that produces more females than males??? I would have thought a 50/50 mix would be the norm, rushy would no.

Anyway the key to heard management as the majority of people see it (wanting more deer, not to fussed about heads) is to shoot stags.

The key to trophy management is to cull shit stags and keep the number of hinds in check...

If I'm hunting on a doc block I take anything, if private I'm very selective. It all depends on the situation tho

Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

I would have thought a 50/50 mix would be the norm, rushy would no.

It varies slightly every year but generally more female fawns than male. On average it is probably more like 60/40 in favour of females.

Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

You got funny water over there that produces more females than males??? I would have thought a 50/50 mix would be the norm, rushy would no.

Anyway the key to heard management as the majority of people see it (wanting more deer, not to fussed about heads) is to shoot stags.

The key to trophy management is to cull shit stags and keep the number of hinds in check...

If I'm hunting on a doc block I take anything, if private I'm very selective. It all depends on the situation tho

When you're out hunting don't you see more hinds than stags? True they're born at a 50/50 ratio but they aren't shot at that ratio, a lot more stags than hinds get shot.
As for culling, I won't say its a myth but I no longer believe you can cull a herd into greatness. Genetics isn't so simple, you can cull the shit stags but they can still carry the genes for a good offspring, the same way that a monster stag can carry the genes for shit stags hence how they pop up in good herds. But the genetics carried by hinds are just as influential for the quality of antlers as stags you just don't have the luxury of being able to see what genes are strongest in them. Likewise to shit hinds there are "super hinds". There was one study even done with one of the progeny of Jamieson over five hinds and year after year only one hind, and always the same one could produce stag fawns that had the quality of their father.

Originally Posted by Bavarian_Hunter

When you're out hunting don't you see more hinds than stags? True they're born at a 50/50 ratio but they aren't shot at that ratio, a lot more stags than hinds get shot.
As for culling, I won't say its a myth but I no longer believe you can cull a herd into greatness. Genetics isn't so simple, you can cull the shit stags but they can still carry the genes for a good offspring, the same way that a monster stag can carry the genes for shit stags hence how they pop up in good herds. But the genetics carried by hinds are just as influential for the quality of antlers as stags you just don't have the luxury of being able to see what genes are strongest in them. Likewise to shit hinds there are "super hinds". There was one study even done with one of the progeny of Jamieson over five hinds and year after year only one hind, and always the same one could produce stag fawns that had the quality of their father.

Yeah it's all interesting stuff.

I haven't seen to many big red stags shot that I really like the look of, don't really do it for me.

I would like a nice fallow or sika, much more impressive and nice looking heads IMO.

Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

Yeah it's all interesting stuff.

I haven't seen to many big red stags shot that I really like the look of, don't really do it for me.

I would like a nice fallow or sika, much more impressive and nice looking heads IMO.

Well there are a few decent fallow over the ditch here for ya