02 June 2004, 23:07
NitroXRe: firs roe buck taken this season
Quote:
Boghossian: Roe are very unusual deer. Their trophy is not related to their age and you may have a 2 year old gold medal and a fully mature 5 year old which has never been and will never be a significant trophy. The size of their trophy is not related to food as is normally related with red deer, for example. It is more a matter of the individual capability of activating calcium and other mineral reserves of their skeleton that will account for a large set of antlers. It is an opportunist,its trophy will have a lot to do with multiple factors such as their intraespecific relationships, and culling will not necessarily lead to large trophies.
So genetics still sound like the principal factor but perhaps the overall herd genetics rather than individual animals.
If roe from a particular region are generally smaller, will introducing males from a region where they are larger have an effect on offspring? Assuming food and quality of food is equal.
03 June 2004, 10:29
monteroNitroX,
A particular roe is the consequence of the multiple factors which define a particular territory and is a real treasure in itself. No matter what the size of the horns is.
The introduction of a foreign roe is in my opinion a big mistake as the genetics of the native population are severely altered. The native population is always the best adapted to that particular territory. This introduction might have some cosmetic short term effect but will deteriorate the genetics of a longstanding population, genetics which we should not forget that offer the very best level of adaptation to the territory.
montero