The outdoors world of hunting and fishing may not be quite that bad, but we certainly have our time-honored truisms that have been lurking around since our first hunter sat poking sticks in that big fire we always talk about. What you take as truth often depends on where you get your news and who you trust. What can you believe these days? Unless you have been living under that proverbial rock, you know we live in a crazy time of fake news and rumor control. Here's why.Ĭontact Brian Broom at 60 or Follow Clarion Ledger Outdoors on Facebook and on Twitter."Myths which are believed in tend to become true." - George Orwell Please, shoot them: 12 bucks on MSU Deer Lab's most wanted list. Win big money: You can win a share of $1,500 in the Big Bucks Photo Contest sponsored by Van's "Hunters don't need to concern themselves or worry about it."ĭeer hunting: 'It just made a good day that much better.' Father and son double down on big bucks "Don't think you're making an improvement in the deer herd from a genetic standpoint," Adams said. What the researchers discovered is in the wild there is no correlation between a buck's antler size and that of its offspring. Family trees of bucks were developed through DNA samples taken over a number of years. Samples of DNA were taken from them and they were released. Wild bucks were captured and microchipped. Those antler traits aren't 100 percent inheritable."Īdams' statement is backed by a study in Texas. "A buck with big antlers can sire a buck with small antlers and vice-versa. "It's been shown over and over that you can't alter genetics in the wild," Adams said. So, a spike on one side or otherwise deformed antler is likely caused by injury, but what if it isn't? What if it really is a genetic trait? Shouldn't the buck be harvested to prevent passing along that genetic trait? You can remove him, but you're not doing anything other than putting meat in the freezer. Complicating the issue once initial damage occurs, subsequent antler cycles tend to re-aggravate the injury, resulting in repetitive abnormal antlers." The blood supply and nutrient flow necessary for normal antler development is impeded leading to stunted growth and irregular antler configurations due to the animal’s prior injury. "Picture how water flows out of the end of a garden hose, then picture what happens when you partially block the nozzle with your thumb. "Most commonly, it appeared that antlers had failed to cleanly separate from the pedicles, as in normally shed antlers, and that the antler base had fractured off portions of the pedicle and sometimes even the surrounding cranium - those dirty sheds I mentioned earlier," Karns wrote. "Although the antlerogenic periosteum tries to heal itself in advance of the next antler growing season, the integrity of the pedicle is compromised and becomes a messy combination of intact pedicle and callus tissue. Gabriel Karns, who is currently a visiting assistant professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University, wrote an article published by QDMA about his work examining skulls of bucks with spikes on one side. One of the causes of pedicle, or antler base damage, that seems to be more common is what has been called "dirty sheds." The only gain you're making is providing more food for the rest of the herd by removing them." The dirt on antler shedding "If you remove them you're not doing anything to change the genetics of the deer herd. "Again, none of that is genetic-related," Adams said. If the injury is right at the base of the antler, it could recur in future years."Īdams said a serious injury to the body can also cause a recurring abnormal antler. However, there are times when a malformed antler caused by injury will return after antlers are shed. Most of the time, if the animal is allowed to live, he'll drop those antlers and you won't see it in future years." Recurring spike on one side Deer just aren't genetically built to have crazy antlers like that. "That's almost always related to some kind of injury," said Kip Adams, Quality Deer Management Association director of conservation.
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