Can real change be achieved with yearling buck protection?
Yes, hunting is the highest form of mortality deer face. Hunters can and do dictate herd composition. After many decades of experiencing the “young buck” age structure some hunters mistakenly believe that is all that can be expected. Deer are capable of surviving into their teens and survival rates of young adults are very high, excluding hunting mortality. Changing hunter’s harvest of yearling bucks will change herd composition to include larger and older bucks.
