Kenny Childree had witnessed first-hand the positive impact an antler restriction had on the deer herd at Barbour County Wildlife Management Area (WMA), and he was one of the leaders who pushed for similar regulations for the entire county.

The Alabama Conservation Advisory Board heeded that request and set up a five-year program that would try to measure the impact of the regulations.


As data collection enters its final year in the current 2009-10 season, Childree has already drawn his own conclusions from a layman�s perspective.

http://www.dcnr.state.al.us/hunting/Alab...mber%202011.pdf

How long has Barbour County been under an antler restriction? If the restriction is supposed to have benefits or an older age structure and improved buck to doe ratio that include a shorter rut, why does the data from Barbour county show most areas taking two or three cycles to get the does bred just like most of the rest of the state?

The influence of stocking source is clearly evident in data collected from Barbour
County. Data collected from three sites in Barbour County�Eufaula NWR, Foy
Property, and Barbour WMA�has identified three distinct breeding periods for deer,
each separated by one month from mid-November through mid-January. Follow up
DNA analysis of these populations identified three genetically distinct populations, with
the Barbour WMA population being genetically identical to the population of Fred T.
Stimpson Sanctuary. Barbour WMA was restocked with deer from Stimpson Sanctuary
in the early and mid 1950�s. Differences in breeding/fawning dates among the three Barbour County sites remained unchanged for a sampling period of five years.

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Deer Management History, Philosophy, & Practices
The estrous period for a white-tailed deer is very short. A doe is only capable of
conception for roughly 24-48 hours once she enters estrus (i.e., heat). If she is not bred
at that time, she will come back into heat 28 to 30 days later. Adult does will continue to
go into and out of estrus until they are bred, which leads to prolonged, low intensity ruts.
Breeding may occur over a period of 40 or more days (usually more), with no well-
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defined peak, in this scenario. The average date of conception also tends to be later in
these populations when compared to properly managed deer herds.
Sound deer management principles ensure deer herds function naturally in their
reproductive behaviors. Poorly managed herds typically are characterized by a young
buck age structure resulting from an over harvest of bucks (particularly young bucks)
and an adult sex ratio skewed heavily toward females resulting from the over harvest of
bucks and an under harvest of does. The effect on breeding often is manifested in
conceptions occurring on second or subsequent estrous cycles simply because there
aren�t enough bucks in the population to breed all receptive does on their first cycle.
Additionally, the lack of older age bucks results in reduced signpost behaviors (rubs and
scrapes) and the associated deposition of scent (pheromones) that are required for an
early synchronized estrous.

one thing I can say for sure is that you see more bucks now. You also see less does. I attribute the decline in does to the liberal doe season. I took a few years for the antler restriction to make a difference, how ever you can tell now. The main thing I fell is people have quit shooting spikes. This can only help.

xxxxxxxxxx-- The main thing I fell is people have quit shooting spikes. This can only help.