Buck dispersal

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Boogieman1
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Buck dispersal

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 7:09 am

I’m sure everyone knows that a doe runs off her buck offspring to where he establishes a new home range. I don’t pretend to know why Mother Nature does this. But the popular answer of to prevent inbreeding I just can’t wrap my head around. I mean if that’s the case why doesn’t she run the doe fawn off as well in the other direction. Isn’t the buck who bred the doe just as likely to breed the doe offspring. Isn’t a buck to daughter doe the same as son buck to mamma doe? Or is there something I’m overlooking here? How do other species prevent inbreeding?


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seazofcheeze
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Re: Buck dispersal

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Wed Dec 23, 2020 7:28 am

Boogieman1 wrote:I’m sure everyone knows that a doe runs off her buck offspring to where he establishes a new home range. I don’t pretend to know why Mother Nature does this. But the popular answer of to prevent inbreeding I just can’t wrap my head around. I mean if that’s the case why doesn’t she run the doe fawn off as well in the other direction. Isn’t the buck who bred the doe just as likely to breed the doe offspring. Isn’t a buck to daughter doe the same as son buck to mamma doe? Or is there something I’m overlooking here? How do other species prevent inbreeding?


Not sure if you listened to my podcast with Duane Diefenbach from Penn State University, but he had some good information on dispersal.

https://youtu.be/k8VcqKxn3tw

This is a good article too (below). It's not only bucks that disperse, quite a few yearling does (mostly likely their first breeding season in most of the midwest/northern climates) disperse as well, and often many miles (10+). I'd imagine there is enough randomness in the buck/doe dispersal directions and tendencies that is several cuts down on interbreeding.

https://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/content/articles/why-does-may-be-the-main-reason-for-the-spread-of-cwd
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Boogieman1
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Re: Buck dispersal

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 7:43 am

Thanks Cheese! I will give it a listen when I get a chance. After hours and hours of uneventful activity in a tree stand my mind starts to wonder about all kinds of stuff :lol:
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-


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