Do Hunters Effect Antler Genetics

[COSA]

Any actual studies (or opinions)? I'm a bit torn between these two schools of thought....
On the one hand, hunters are killing the bucks with the largest antlers. Example would be an average hunter comes across a couple of 3-year old bucks, one having a 3-point frame and the other having a larger 4-point frame. Almost all will shoot the larger 3-year old deer. When the rut comes along the older bucks that survive will breed multiple does. I've heard people say that you can't shoot the genetics out of a herd because the does contribute 50%. But... if that mature 3-point is breeding 5-10 does a season he is a much larger contributor to the herd. Multiply this scenario thousands of times per hunting season, and a generation every year and one would think antler genetics would be on a decreasing trend.

On the other hand, I've read studies that the health of the buck (in the womb, as a fawn, and during the antler growing season) is a larger contributor to antler size than genetics. If this is the case, then I would lean towards the notion that hunters are not affecting antler genetics to a large degree.

 

[Bugger]

Individual deer definitely can transfer interesting antler characteristics, but I’m not aware of anywhere in the country where an irregular configuration is more popular than a standard frame. The standard “typical” as defined by B&C seems to be the strongest genetic trait and all others are recessive and will pass with time or would take hundreds/thousands of years to become more popular for an evolutionary reason or lucky chance. A lot of people forget that the big buck already fathered a bunch of fawns, and a lot of young deer breeding does are passing the same genetics they would in 5 years as a 200” monster.

High fence selective breeding is its own thing entirely though.

 

[EdP]

High fence selective breeding is its own thing entirely though.

Yes, and this is done because of hunters and the desire to shoot deer with big antlers. The breeders breed deer with freakish antlers for this reason alone. To me, the problem is that we can never selectively breed for a single characteristic, genetics just doesn't work that way. With one trait that is selected for comes other traits that are often not desired. Hip dysplasia in dogs is an example as is susceptibility of Rottweilers and Dobermans to cancer. As yet I don't think we know what other traits deer will exhibit when selectively bred for antler growth.