good point.

not to digress, but past restocking efforts are proof enough that the big buck project wouldn't have done squat, unless introduced to an area of the state the has little or no deer, which doesn't exist.

One major problem with that idea is that best estimates are--due to Yearling Buck Dispersal (YBD)--localized genetics are spread outward (and inward) at a rate of at least 20 miles per decade, and in some areas 5 times that (depending on average dispersal distances for the habitat). When it comes to whitetails, genetic diversification is the name of the game. THAT is why they are such a successful species; because almost every behavior they have appears to be about maximizing their localized genetic diversity.

Has there been any restocking since 1998?

AWESOME thread guys! Thanks for all this great info!

I believe Barbour county has 3 ruts. One (farthest from the Chattahoochee) has a similar rut to the natives (Jan-Feb). Middle section has a rut of around December based upon mixed influences of the northerns and locals. Near the Chattahoochee, where a predominance of northern deer are, they have a very early rut similar to Georgia's rut. (Nov. and Dec.)

I know one thing for sure. I worked Bankhead this year the entire season. Our deer had a strong rut the week of muzzleloader season and the week of Thanksgiving. It was over by mid December. And I mean completely over. We had fresh sheds found the first week of January. I can't explain it any other way than the Michigan influence is still strong.

We ARE indeed taking DNA samples from the Bankhead. I collected about 25 this year to be analyzed.

What about the phrase"blue deer". I use to hear alot of old timers refer to "blue deer" as being Michigan deer saying that they had a dark blue tint to them and had a longer snout. Also would end up saying a true Alabama deer was light Brown not as deap in color and had a short snout.
I have seen exactly what they are talking about ,but after seeing this map those areas where not stock from Michigan or any others northern state.

Fullthrottle, the blue deer phrase from what I can gather is nothing more than black panthers. Just a folklore. Deer are very diverse in coat color, and body size. It had nothing to do with their origin. Some deer are light, some dark. Some weigh more, some weigh less.

To me this map raises more questions than providing answers. The main one that pops out to me is, if several areas are stocked from the same source, then theoretically shouldn't those areas have the same rut? Places stocked with deer from Marengo Co have ruts that vary in timing by a month.

I remember, I think it was either in 1968 or 1969 a man that was hunting with us just south of the Barbour Co Management Area killed a big old buck that had a metal tag in its ear identifying it as being stocked from Michigan.

Morgan, I'm with you on the map. Pretty confusing when they know when the rut occurs in a section of 10 contiguous counties and no studies are shown for those counties. Or one county that has a Feb. 4 conception date was only studied one time with a sample of 10 deer and none of the adjoining counties were studied. We are told that all of the surrounding counties would be January conceptions. (This based on a map done by state biologists.)
But dam, how can there be such large areas in the state that were never studied? How does anyone know when the rut is in those counties? Then you have all the studies around Demopolis and in Barbour county. (Got to be a reason for those, but I don't know about the others not studied)

Or how bout a sample size is 2 deer!

Dont hold me to it but i hear their in the process of collecting more data that will answer some questions in the future about conception etc.

Matt, if you don't mind me asking..........how often, how long, and in what capacity did you "work" Bankhead the entire season. Thanks.

I'm the Wildlife Biologist on Black Warrior WMA. I worked a minimum of 40 hrs/week the entire season. I also ran a couple cameras over active scrapes on the Bankhead, and hunted 11 days (Bankhead Forest, not WMA).

I collected data from over 100 deer.

Maybe in some areas the genetics get washed out more than others. I'm with Bhamfred on Bankhead. I think there is still strong Michigan genetics there.

Matt i hear they are gonna collect data from Lamar soon do you know if this is correct.

Blessed, we plan on shooting a few places in Lamar and Fayette. We need to plug some holes in that area. I think it should show a late December/early January peak. Be interesting to find out since I've hunted there my entire life.

Just asking. Michigan deer have been taken to several states.

Dan, I have a theory as to why this introduction of deer could possibly have yielded different results. If you look at the past history of the areas surrounding Bankhead it was void of habitat that would allow gene flow between populations. It was all agriculture, with very few, if any corridors of habitat allowing the Michigan deer off of the mountain, or native deer up the mountain. The Bankhead forest is a relatively new forest. A lot of it was cleared and farmed prior to it being purchased and turned into a national forest. I believe the Michigan deer did quite well early in the reintroduction because you had an expanding deer herd in a young forest being established. Just a theory, and speculation.