So the quality of a deer herd is now defined by antler score?

Looks to me like education of hunters is part of their plan. That lines up with what you are saying. Here is a snippet from one of their articles.

"Big Buck Project is determined to provide hunters and landowners with encouragement to improve the herd quality and build on Marengo County's already impressive deer herd. Big Buck Project is planning on releasing breeder deer around Marengo County in order to introduce quality genetics and help create a platform to educate hunters on how to manage Marengo County's deer herd"

I think Alabama in most areas of the state has inferior genetics compared to the Midwest and Northern States based off where the deer originated from the initial stocking in the 1900's, however there are some exceptions in the state such as Bankhead Forest.

Article In AON
Alabama's Top Bow Buck... And From a WMA!
By Nick Carter
As far as public land goes, there is not a piece of property in Alabama that produces big bucks like Bankhead National Forest�s Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area. Year after year, the WMA consistently produces trophy-class bucks, but none of them hold a candle to the buck Randy Coffey killed there in December of 2000.
The first known restocking attempt in Alabama occurred in 1925 when the Department of Game and Fish and the U.S. Forest Service purchased 105 deer from Michigan and released them in what is now the William B. Bankhead National Forest.

�The different rut dates are apparently indicative of different genetic populations of deer,� Bill Gray said

"Many areas in our state were stocked with native Alabama deer, and those deer have a January rut date. But we also have some areas that were stocked with deer from Michigan and North Carolina that rut earlier.�

�The Bankhead Forest has about 180,000 acres and is the largest public land holding in the state,� biologist Ron Eakes said. �It�s a rugged area, but it�s not as steep as Skyline or Choccolocco. Some of the biggest bucks in Alabama are being taken here.�

So even Biologist agree that different subspecies/genetics of deer produces different rut dates and contribute to larger antlers.

As far as why i think that, here is why.
We have numerous clients that have high fenced their property and their story is all similar.
1.) They high fence their property.
2.) They pay a biologist to help them manage their property for age, sex ratios, nutrition.
3.) They have had their place managed from 4 to 30 years depending on the client and the largest deer any of the clients have shot was in the 170's.
4.) They see they have a genetic problem, not a age or nutrition problem, so they kill many of the native deer.
5.) They restock with superior genetics, and all clients are producing 170-220 huge frame typical deer consistently.
One client for the first time has 2 yr olds that score 200 and he managed his place as good or better and never shot a deer over 160 before.

So its obvious to me that on the same ground with the same management techniques, that when you implement genetics, and you get different results, genetics are the difference maker.
Common sense really.

I just read an add for this in the Linden Newspaper. I had previously not read anything on it before except here.

Here is a link to the ad (the website for Big Buck Project calls it an article).

AD

I am not getting into any of the it is good or bad, frankly, I don't care. I hope one of those monsters walks in front of me. But, I know Roy Jordan. I figured he was involved. He told me last year he was going to do this and was trying to figure out how to keep people from shooting them. He also has done it in the past without anyone knowing. He previously released bucks and bred does on his land. I got that from the man himself.

The way I look at it is this. IF he wants to waste his money on this, it is his money. I don't think (I am not a biologist) that this few number of deer are going to make any difference or spread any illness.

You brought it up.

Ain't this what you meant to say!!!!!

So the quality of a deer herd is now defined by antler score?

I just read an add for this in the Linden Newspaper. I had previously not read anything on it before except here.

Here is a link to the ad (the website for Big Buck Project calls it an article).

AD

I am not getting into any of the it is good or bad, frankly, I don't care. I hope one of those monsters walks in front of me. But, I know Roy Jordan. I figured he was involved. He told me last year he was going to do this and was trying to figure out how to keep people from shooting them. He also has done it in the past without anyone knowing. He previously released bucks and bred does on his land. I got that from the man himself.

The way I look at it is this. IF he wants to waste his money on this, it is his money. I don't think (I am not a biologist) that this few number of deer are going to make any difference or spread any illness.

I think Alabama in most areas of the state has inferior genetics compared to the Midwest and Northern States based off where the deer originated from the initial stocking in the 1900's, however there are some exceptions in the state such as Bankhead Forest.

Article In AON
Alabama's Top Bow Buck... And From a WMA!
By Nick Carter
As far as public land goes, there is not a piece of property in Alabama that produces big bucks like Bankhead National Forest�s Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area. Year after year, the WMA consistently produces trophy-class bucks, but none of them hold a candle to the buck Randy Coffey killed there in December of 2000.
The first known restocking attempt in Alabama occurred in 1925 when the Department of Game and Fish and the U.S. Forest Service purchased 105 deer from Michigan and released them in what is now the William B. Bankhead National Forest.

�The different rut dates are apparently indicative of different genetic populations of deer,� Bill Gray said

"Many areas in our state were stocked with native Alabama deer, and those deer have a January rut date. But we also have some areas that were stocked with deer from Michigan and North Carolina that rut earlier.�

�The Bankhead Forest has about 180,000 acres and is the largest public land holding in the state,� biologist Ron Eakes said. �It�s a rugged area, but it�s not as steep as Skyline or Choccolocco. Some of the biggest bucks in Alabama are being taken here.�

So even Biologist agree that different subspecies/genetics of deer produces different rut dates and contribute to larger antlers.

As far as why i think that, here is why.
We have numerous clients that have high fenced their property and their story is all similar.
1.) They high fence their property.
2.) They pay a biologist to help them manage their property for age, sex ratios, nutrition.
3.) They have had their place managed from 4 to 30 years depending on the client and the largest deer any of the clients have shot was in the 170's.
4.) They see they have a genetic problem, not a age or nutrition problem, so they kill many of the native deer.
5.) They restock with superior genetics, and all clients are producing 170-220 huge frame typical deer consistently.
One client for the first time has 2 yr olds that score 200 and he managed his place as good or better and never shot a deer over 160 before.

So its obvious to me that on the same ground with the same management techniques, that when you implement genetics, and you get different results, genetics are the difference maker.
Common sense really.

I think Alabama in most areas of the state has inferior genetics compared to the Midwest and Northern States based off where the deer originated from the initial stocking in the 1900's, however there are some exceptions in the state such as Bankhead Forest.

Article In AON
Alabama's Top Bow Buck... And From a WMA!
By Nick Carter
As far as public land goes, there is not a piece of property in Alabama that produces big bucks like Bankhead National Forest�s Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area. Year after year, the WMA consistently produces trophy-class bucks, but none of them hold a candle to the buck Randy Coffey killed there in December of 2000.
The first known restocking attempt in Alabama occurred in 1925 when the Department of Game and Fish and the U.S. Forest Service purchased 105 deer from Michigan and released them in what is now the William B. Bankhead National Forest.

�The different rut dates are apparently indicative of different genetic populations of deer,� Bill Gray said

"Many areas in our state were stocked with native Alabama deer, and those deer have a January rut date. But we also have some areas that were stocked with deer from Michigan and North Carolina that rut earlier.�

�The Bankhead Forest has about 180,000 acres and is the largest public land holding in the state,� biologist Ron Eakes said. �It�s a rugged area, but it�s not as steep as Skyline or Choccolocco. Some of the biggest bucks in Alabama are being taken here.�

So even Biologist agree that different subspecies/genetics of deer produces different rut dates and contribute to larger antlers.

As far as why i think that, here is why.
We have numerous clients that have high fenced their property and their story is all similar.
1.) They high fence their property.
2.) They pay a biologist to help them manage their property for age, sex ratios, nutrition.
3.) They have had their place managed from 4 to 30 years depending on the client and the largest deer any of the clients have shot was in the 170's.
4.) They see they have a genetic problem, not a age or nutrition problem, so they kill many of the native deer.
5.) They restock with superior genetics, and all clients are producing 170-220 huge frame typical deer consistently.
One client for the first time has 2 yr olds that score 200 and he managed his place as good or better and never shot a deer over 160 before.

So its obvious to me that on the same ground with the same management techniques, that when you implement genetics, and you get different results, genetics are the difference maker.
Common sense really.

No, I didn't bring it up, you said "economic growth".
Vendetta, don't think so. I along with many others thing this is a bad idea.

this may be a rumor that i have been hearing for the last 6yrs but supposedly the Cahaba WMA had deer imported from other states and released there 15-20yrs ago. I've never heard it from a professional but I have seen some giants that come off of it. I grew up in that area and spent alot of time out there and not once did I ever see deer like the once coming off of it since becoming a WMA. If what I heard is true then it Cahaba WMA is a testimony that it can work. If its not true then Cahaba WMA is a great breeding ground for great deer. I'm not saying i agree or disagree with doing it.

I am amazed 9r hasn't weighed in on this!!

No-one has noted that if I owned land in Marengo county and enjoyed hunting a "genetically pure" Alabama deer, this DIRECTLY and NEGATIVELY impacts the enjoyment of my own property. If I consider it a risk of disease, genetic dilution, whatever, they shouldn't be allowed to infringe on my rights as a landowner. If this is such a great idea, why don't these folks fence in their own land and let em go there?!

My $.02

And as far as Marengo's economy, I'm sure most would agree it's a lost cause

I am amazed 9r hasn't weighed in on this!!

No-one has noted that if I owned land in Marengo county and enjoyed hunting a "genetically pure" Alabama deer, this DIRECTLY and NEGATIVELY impacts the enjoyment of my own property. If I consider it a risk of disease, genetic dilution, whatever, they shouldn't be allowed to infringe on my rights as a landowner. If this is such a great idea, why don't these folks fence in their own land and let em go there?!

My $.02

That tells me all I need to know about you. You are anti-Marengo County obviously.

No-one has noted that if I owned land in Marengo county and enjoyed hunting a "genetically pure" Alabama deer, this DIRECTLY and NEGATIVELY impacts the enjoyment of my own property. If I consider it a risk of disease, genetic dilution, whatever, they shouldn't be allowed to infringe on my rights as a landowner.