Taking a few immature bucks out of a herd won't hurt it. A "GROUP" of hunters all killing immature bucks will hurt a herd! All "mature" bucks are trophies!! ....sorry, I get off on tangents!!!
Could you share the source of your research with us?
I would like to see the scientific studies you base your opinion on. I'm not interested in magazine articles.
Most of the deer management studies I've read conclude that having a balanced age structure of male deer is best. Why would you target only the older males if you want a balanced age structure?
What would you call a "Balanced" age structure ? I am not going to get in to a pissing match about it but if you are saying you should try to maintain (I'm going to be realistic for Alabama) a 4.5 yr old buck age for your whole property that is never going to happen with new buck fawns being born every year. If you let your 2.5-3.5 yr old bucks live and thrive and shoot 4.5 yr old bucks or older, your younger bucks will graduate in to that age class the following year. Its honestly a pretty simple concept, if you manage your habitat, control predation to ensure good numbers and let the younger deer have a chance to reach that age desired age class, you will always have that age class filled of the bucks you shot that year. Its just like high school grades, you will always have a Senior class even though the previous year Seniors graduated (got shot in the case of bucks). You will always have a Junior class, a Sophomore class as well as a Freshman class. So having a balanced age structure, if I am understanding it correctly as you quoted, isn't a practice you can have if you plan on having quality deer year after year... I may have missed your point of "Balanced age structure" but your statement of "why would you only target the older males if you want a balanced age structure", lead me to the interpretation that I just explained...
