Thanks Sandridge whitetails.
Lots of hunters pay for "the hunt" in game reserves not just a trophy.I suspect more, than some might care to admit.
There is lots of good discussion on this forum about the future direction of this industry.
I think everyone agrees its hunting, not raising deer as stock.
Providing a great hunting experience to clients rather than an artifical trophy may be a better foundation for the industry.
Knowing the sub species of the deer may help end this particular "artifical" argument & stop the use of O.v.frankienstienus by the anti's.
Lets look ahead to when the bucks split thier skulls along the suture lines if allowed to grow out,& pedicles breaking off at the skull becomes more common.
Are the associations prepared for this welfare issue & the next battle with the anti's?
Are breeders culling these animals or continuing to sell thier genetics?
I breed red deer which have been (deep?) bred for trophies for centuries not just decades,& still know the sub species C.e. hippelaphus, C.e.pannoniensis,etc.
Educated hunters also know the difference.There are recipies for crossing them to produce F1 trophies,but keeping P1 lines also has business/conservation/public opinion value.
Breeders will buy a P1 before an F1,F2,F3,etc because the heritability is predictable.
Conservationists are happy because we breed to phenotype & the genetics can be used in restoration.
I am truely amazed how little discussion is on this forum about sub species & phenotypes given how passionate about whitetail (38? sub species) everyone is.
Would educated hunters want to collect trophies from the various sub species as well as the "generic" whitetail?
Cheers Sharkey
My reference to ''deep'' referred to generation after generation.