Protein vs Genetics

[Hogmauler]

Lots of great points and info from the Biologist. And yes, you can’t manage one aspect of the deer population. It has to be the total package which is hard to do on low fence.

[HighwayHunter]

Would you rather shoot a 60” 6 point or 120” 6 point?


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[Iansumrall]

body first, horns second. that's why you feed.

And you feed for the fetal programming. You feed the momma first before that buck ever hits the ground for maximum genetic potential. Then the buck’s own consumption of protein takes it from there!

[txbowman12]

https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/publications/p3013.pdf

Epigenetics is the term you are looking for. The question I would have is can you effectively reproduce those effects or even some of them in free range deer.

Based on my experience, our does don’t get a ton of time on the protein, but they wear my food plot out in January and February. If you are able to give deer a jump start, it will probably make a difference. Ultimately though, it’s a multi-faceted issue, protein is one part of the equation

[mdnabors]

I get your point, but animals and humans aren't the same.

I wish I could find the study b/c I'm an idiot and have no business explaining it.

If I remember correctly :

The study showed (1) mother during pregnancy provided excess nutrition and (1) mother given below average nutrition. Fawn (bucks) were release to have natural forage and the buck with well nourished mother was larger fawn and grew into a much larger buck.

I could be completely full of it but this is what I remember.

MSU Deer Lab..."Fetal Programming" podcast is worth the listen. Doe is mostly responsible for genetics of fawn and the more nutrition mom gets and passes on to fetus the better off that fawn is to reach it's potential. Basically pointing out that minerals, protein, etc...can help some, but it's really benefitting future generations much more...

[Swampa]

My deer like protein over corn. I feed it more for an attractant.


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[ttechdallas]

I saw a study that I'll dumbly summarize:

A deer's potential is basically decided during gestation (pregnancy). If the doe is starving and thirsty her offspring will most like never produce large antlers no matter how much protein they eat.

Providing nutrition to females (does) during pregnancy has been proven to maximize a deer genetic potential. So a nutrition program is going to take 4-6 years to see a difference.

I was told something very similar buy a guy I used to stay connected with who had managed a large ranch with several thousand acres leased out for hunting. He was big on protein but thought the direct impact on antler growth was oversold.

He thought it would be 4-5 years before we noticed any real impact to antler growth. That we wouldn’t notice much until we had bucks born to does whose mothers were on protein and his rationale sounded like article you referenced.

[mdnabors]

MSU Deer Lab..."Fetal Programming" podcast is worth the listen. Doe is mostly responsible for genetics of fawn and the more nutrition mom gets and passes on to fetus the better off that fawn is to reach it's potential. Basically pointing out that minerals, protein, etc...can help some, but it's really benefitting future generations much more...

[Chase This!]

The doe is not mostly responsible for genetics. Fawn inherits one chromosome from momma doe and one chromosome from daddy buck. 33 pairs of autosomes and a pair of sex chromosomes. More chromosomes than we have and their genome is larger. Pretty interesting stuff.

[RMW]

A guy who builds high fence for me that I’ve known for quite a while, captured a wild fawn buck and raised him to 160+ inch deer here in Wharton county where the bucks here rarely get over 120. He had him in an enclosed 1 acre pasture, the mass on him was almost 40 inches, it was really hard to believe.

[Chase This!]

A guy who builds high fence for me that I’ve known for quite a while, captured a wild fawn buck and raised him to 160+ inch deer here in Wharton county where the bucks here rarely get over 120. He had him in an enclosed 1 acre pasture, the mass on him was almost 40 inches, it was really hard to believe.

Age, nutrition and lack of stress. Makes perfect sense. If he had world class genetics he would have been 300”.

[Greenheadless]

Like Swampa, my deer prefer protein over corn.

Also I was to understand, while free choice protein can help bucks overall who eat it, its real benefit was to doe conditioning and fawn survival because of it, thus increasing population.

[LivinADream]

The doe is not mostly responsible for genetics. Fawn inherits one chromosome from momma doe and one chromosome from daddy buck. 33 pairs of autosomes and a pair of sex chromosomes. More chromosomes than we have and their genome is larger. Pretty interesting stuff.

You ain't never seen my genome.

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[Chase This!]

You ain't never seen my genome.

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Whatcha hiding?

[Hogmauler]

I did see a young six pointer nipping off yaupon berries last week. Seemed to like em. When we lived in Colorado the deer would eat juniper berry sand they went hog wild over alfalfa. I put a bale out down here and it rotted.