Do Doe Genes Matter?

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Good article by Charles J. Alsheimer in OutdoorLife

A quote from the article...

Managing for Genetic Success
Although a doe’s genes may not be visually apparent, they are just as important to antler growth as the buck’s. Here are some things you can do to improve the genetics of your does.

What do you think?
 
Well I haven't read the article, but here are some insights/questions: First of all, does the buck determine the sex of the fawn to be born? I would say yes. Being a biology teacher, I know that with humans the Y chromosome donated by the male determines whether the baby is a boy (XY) or a girl (XX). The female has no Y chromosome at all. If a male donates an X, and a female donates an X, the XX child will have female characteristics. But, even though that's the case, the X chromosome will STILL have what we call "accessory genes" that can help to "fine-tune" characteristics of either sex.

Now ..... if this would hold true with deer, let's say that a huge, genetically gifted trophy buck donates an X chromosome and when it matches up with another X chromosome of the female, a doe fawn is born. I would think, in that case, that this newly-born doe HAS AT LEAST A FEW OF THE GENETIC TRAITS OF THE BUCK, ON A GENETIC BASIS, IF THE X CHROMOSOME CONTRIBUTES ANYTHING TO ANTLER GROWTH. Not necessarily visible to the naked eye, but still there nonetheless.

In which case, the doe will breed with another buck and the genes passed down from the genetically gifted one into the doe may help to "fine tune" antler growth on a future buck and make him larger?? Maybe I'm just rambling.
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I have not read the article, but I can with no reservation, say that in horses the mare is perhaps more important than the stud, with reguard to overall conformation quaility, and ability. I would not be suprised to learn the same of deer.

HBH
 
Selective breeding for big antlers is wrong. Why? Because big antlers don't guarantee that the best animals are surviving. Its like dog breeding. People determine certain color patterns or "looks" are important and selectively breed to develop that one trait, and in the end, we end up with a major hip displesia problem. Our ultimate goal, if we truly love and care about whitetail deer, is that the species is the strongest it can be, and has the tools to survive all the threats to the species. A big set of antlers does not necessarily do that. If the future of the whitetail is in the hands of the breeders, expect big trouble someday. Natural selection will do a much more efficient job than humans in the long run.
 
I don't have time to read the article right now either, but Kansan is right based on research I did back in 1993 for a book. The buck passes his antler genes to the doe fawns, who then pass the antler genes to their buck fawns. So a buck's father didn't determine his antler genes, his grandfather did on his mother's side. They have a term for it which I forget for sure, but "dominant-recessive" might be right.

Works the same way with baldness genes in humans. If your mother's father is bald, you probably will be too.

Going of the top of my head here, hope this is correct.
 
I can agree with most of the above posts. I know little more then what I've read about whitetail genetics being passed on from buck/doe or doe/fawn. I do know this though, with super rank rodeo bulls, those animals that are selling for $20,000-100,000.00, they all came from a cow with a proven background. The right rodeo bred cow can sell for almost as much as the bull itself. That is if you can find one that is for sale. Most breeders who have a cow with great genetics and is a known producer of great bucking bulls, are really cherished, are hard to find and even harder to buy. They are more rare then the "super" bull. Iowa1, I have to blow a hole in your theory of baldness. My grandpa on my mom's side was completely bald, as was my other grandfather. I'm nearing 40 years old and have a very thick head of hair yet, not even a thin spot. Maybe I'm the exception, since you did mention "most likely". As long as I have a full head of hair I won't hold it against you.
 
It's not a theory DC. It's the way genetics work. Are you adopted? Kidding of course, cause every rule has it's exceptions. By the way, bulls don't have antlers, they have horns, which are made of keratin, the same substance that makes up finernails, hooves and hair.

Choosing a bull for any reason could not in any way be compared genetically to antler genes being passed.
 
Nope, not adopted! What I was implying is that these breeders are selecting cows based on thier sire's traits. Then they breed her to a proven bucker and waalaaw, another bucker is born. If you match the traits you like on both sides (sire/dame), you will probaby get the traits, or at the least, most of the characteristics you are looking for. And yes, I'm well aware of the fact that bulls have horns and not antlers, two different components. I've been hit by many many horns and carry several permanant scares to show for it. I'm glad that bulls DON'T have antlers, if they did I'm quite sure I'd look alot different then I do, and probably walk alot differently also.
 
Ok I suppose I should add my 2 cents worth. I went to school for genetic engeneering. My senior project delt with extracting DNA from deer samples in an attempt to determine some sort of relationship between two deer. Now, this was 5 years ago so some things may have changed. I never found anything published saying that specific genes had been located envolving antler development. For the most part nobody had the financing to do this. But since then, the captive breeders are now driving some new research to try and identify the genes.
It is my educated guess that their are many genes that control the size, shape and mass of deer antlers. I would guess that the reason a buck grows larger antlers every year has something to do with some hormone. As a buck grows older the deer probably produces more of this hormone which has an affect on the overall antler size.

Iowa1
You were on the right track with dominant-recessive but i think you probably meant something like homozyougus dominate or something along that line.
 
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