Kerr WMA: Deer Research Projects

Removal of a Cohort of Deer

Whitetail Antler Whitetail Antler

A concern of some biologists dealt with the removal of spike antlered deer being removed from a cohort of deer. The concern was that no young deer would remain if all spikes were removed. A study of harvest data in the Edwards Plateau Region of Texas indicates that approximately 60% of the harvest of yearling deer are fork antlered. Removal of spikes and protection of the forked antlered cohort would insure more yearling deer would remain after harvest.