What other info are researchers looking for when doing fetal studies? I mean after 1000's of does killed across the state over the past decades, certainly the pattern of conception dates has been established by now. Just seems like a waste of resources and animals if that's the only thing they are looking at. Maybe effects of drought on reproductive rates and other things?

Dr. B

Nighthunter took the weight of the fat around the heart and kidneys I belive, of the mothers to asses the health of the herd and make harvest recommendation

They could still be testing to see if the rut dates are changing. I heard BSK give a presentation years ago that rut dates could be shifted as the sex ratio gets closer to 1:1. If the increase in doe harvest is shifting the sex ratios, there's a legitimate chance that the conception dates are not the same as they were 10 years ago. That's my thoughts. I think that was one of the main factors in the decision to increase the doe limit years ago.

What I've read and heard at seminars is primary rut dates shift very little. However, the closer the sex ratio gets to 1 to 1 the shorter and intense the breeding period will be.