Reproductive Success
What males do the most breeding? It’s often speculated that the largest antlered deer do most of the breeding; however, to date there is little or no data to support this idea. To address this question, we plan to determine paternity and maternity in our population through genetic analysis. This will allow us to determine exactly how many fawns were sired by each buck. With this data, we can examine whether it’s antler size, antler configuration, body size, age, or some combination of these or other factors that drives a buck’s reproductive success.
Is high reproductive success a genetic trait that is passed on to offspring? Long-term data collection with a population such as this will allow us to determine whether male fawns sired by highly successful breeders have greater reproductive success than fawns sired by less successful breeders. The implications of these data with regards to culling would be very interesting.
What’s the importance of the female’s genetic contribution? By examining survival, reproductive success, and antler development of fawns born to particular does, we can begin to determine how antlerless harvest can be tailored to meet specific management objectives. Is it possible to target specific does for harvest such that the genetics of the population can be improved through antlerless harvest? Maybe this is impossible, but the idea is exciting and worth exploring.
How does high reproductive success influence antler development during subsequent years? We know that when bucks rut hard, they expend substantial amounts of energy, often leading to post-rut mortality because of depletion of resources and exhaustion. With the popularity of supplemental feeding, we are undoubtedly reducing the negative effects that rutting has on overall health. But, what are the effects on future reproductive success? Do successful males remain successful throughout their life, or do they have just one season in the sun and fade from prominence thereafter?