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>> BUCK FEVER MAINLY STRIKES HUNTERS.
MANY TIMES IT INFECTS THE YOUNG,
BUT ADULTS ARE BY NO MEANS IMMUNE.
>> THERE HE IS! SHHH.
>> SYMPTOMS INCLUDE A RAPID HEART RATE,
AND ERRATIC RESPIRATION.
(rapid breathing & heart beat)
>> MEMORY CAN BECOME IMPAIRED.
(heavy breathing & heart beat)
(click!)
>> YOU DIDN'T LOAD THE GUN!
>> AND SOMETIMES BUCK FEVER CAN BE DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS.
>> SHUT UP!
(grunting, struggling, punches)
>> IF YOU WANT TO CATCH BUCK FEVER,
THERE'S REALLY ONLY ONE PLACE TO GO.
JUST THREE BLOCKS FROM THE ALAMO IN DOWNTOWN
SAN ANTONIO, IS ANOTHER TEXAS LEGEND.
THE BUCKHORN SALOON AND MUSEUM.
>> IT WAS STARTED IN 1881 BY 17-YEAR-OLD ALBERT FREDERICK,
WHO WAS QUITE A HUNTER HIMSELF.
HE COLLECTED HORNS AND ANTLERS AND TRADED PEOPLE BEER
AND SHOTS OF WHISKEY FOR ANTLERS AND RATTLESNAKE
RATTLERS OVER THE YEARS.
OVERALL, IN THE COLLECTION, THERE'S OVER 1,200 TROPHIES
ON THE WALLS OF ALL DIFFERENT SPECIES.
>> WHAT REALLY SETS THE BUCKHORN APART ARE THEIR
TROPHIES OF WHITE-TAILED DEER.
>> WELL, THERE'S TWO CATEGORIES OF WHITE-TAILED DEER RACKS.
TYPICAL AND NON-TYPICAL.
THIS IS A REAL GOOD EXAMPLE OF A TYPICAL.
NICE, SMOOTH LINES.
TALL TINES COMING OFF THE MAIN BEAMS.
VERY SYMMETRICAL.
ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER.
THIS IS A NON-TYPICAL BUCK, HERE.
HE'S GOT A TYPICAL FRAME, WHICH THEY ALL DO.
AND HE'S GOT LITTLE STICKERS COMING OFF,
WHICH ARE ABNORMAL POINTS.
HERE'S A SMALL DROP TINE.
ANY POINT POINTING DOWNWARDS IS ALWAYS AN ABNORMAL POINT.
THIS BUCK UP HERE HAS A DEEP FORK OFF HIS SECOND TYPICAL TINE
ON THE RIGHT.
THAT'S AN ABNORMAL POINT.
>> SOME RACKS ARE SO NON-TYPICAL,
THEY ARE CONSIDERED FREAKS.
AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT INTERESTED ALBERT FREDERICK
THE MOST.
>> WE'VE GOT THE BARNACLE BUCK HERE THAT IS ONE OF
THE MUSEUM'S FAVORITES.
VERY UNUSUAL.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE TO ITS LEFT HERE WITH A BIG BULBOUS
GROWTH GROWING OUT OF IT.
THEY'RE ARE ANTLERS REAL HEAVY AT THE BASE,
SPROUTING UP LIKE THIS ONE RIGHT HERE,
WITH JUST A FEW POINTS.
ANOTHER ONE ABOVE IT WITH REAL SMALL ANTLERS BUT PALMATION,
VERY UNUSUAL.
OF COURSE, THE ONE ABOVE THAT, THE SMALL GUY WITH THE WINGS
STICKING OUT.
VERY SYMMETRICAL ON EACH SIDE, BUT VERY ABNORMAL ALSO.
>> SEVERAL WHITE-TAILED TROPHIES HOLD TOP-TEN RANKINGS
IN THE BOONE AND CROCKETT RECORD BOOKS.
>> THIS IS THE 284 AND 3/8 NON-TYPICAL.
IT'S THE NUMBER ONE DEER IN TEXAS IN THE NON-TYPICAL
CATEGORY.
AND IT'S CURRENTLY NUMBER FOUR IN THE WORLD.
THE DEER BEHIND THE BAR IS ALBERT FREDERICK'S LOGO BUCK.
THIS IS THE BRADY BUCK, A 78-POINTER.
WHEN I SAY 78 POINTS, THAT'S COUNTING EVERY LITTLE
BUMP EVERYWHERE.
IN THE BOONE AND CROCKETT RECORD BOOK AND THE NORTH AMERICAN SHED
HUNTERS CLUB, WHICH THIS SPECIMEN HERE IS THE STATE
RECORD, THE POINT HAS TO BE AT LEAST AN INCH LONG.
AND LONGER THAN IT IS WIDER AT THE BASE.
>> VISITORS TO THE BUCKHORN COME FROM ALL OVER TO GET A
TASTE OF THE OLD WEST.
AND AFTER SEEING ALL THIS, IF YOU'RE STARTING TO SUFFER
FROM A CASE OF BUCK FEVER OR ANTLER ENVY...
>> THERE'S SOME PRETTY GOOD YEARLINGS IN THERE, ISN'T IT?
>> ...WELL, DON'T WORRY.
THESE BIOLOGISTS ARE LOOKING FOR A CURE.
>> BLACK EAR TAGS ARE THREE YEARS OLD.
YELLOW EAR TAGS ARE FIVE YEAR OLD DEER.
>> WILDLIFE EXPERTS HERE AT KERR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA
HAVE BEEN STUDYING THE GROWTH OF DEER ANTLERS
FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS.
THE RECORDS ON MANY OF THESE DEER GO BACK MULTIPLE
GENERATIONS.
IT'S A GENEALOGY FOUND NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
EACH OCTOBER, DATA IS COLLECTED FROM THE DEER.
THEY ARE WORKED THROUGH A SERIES OF ALLEYS, GATES
AND CHUTES.
THIS REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF TIME THE DEER ARE PHYSICALLY
HANDLED, MINIMIZING INJURY AND STRESS
TO THE ANIMALS.
>> HE'S GOT A BLUE 32 ON THE RIGHT.
>> 181.
>> DROP IT, DROP IT.
>> WHOA. HE DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF ANTLER.
WAY BACK IN THE CORNER AND YOU STILL CAN'T SEE ANTLER.
>> JUST FOUR YEARS OLD.
A FOUR POINT YEARLING.
>> 473.
>> THIS TIME OF YEAR, THE HARDENED ANTLERS ARE
LIKE HUMAN FINGERNAILS AND CAN BE PAINLESSLY REMOVED.
>> I DON'T WANT IT.
495.
>> EARLY STUDIES AT THE KERR AREA FOCUSED ON WHY SOME
DEER GREW FORKED ANTLERS WITH MULTIPLE POINTS,
WHILE OTHERS, CALLED SPIKES, GREW ONLY TWO POINTS.
THESE DEER ARE CALLED SPIKES SINCE THEIR PAIR OF SINGLE
TINES LOOK LIKE SPIKES ON TOP OF THEIR HEADS.
SOME BELIEVED THAT SPIKES COULD BE THE TROPHY BUCKS OF
THE FUTURE.
BUT UNTIL THE STUDIES AT THE KERR AREA,
THERE WAS NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF.
THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH WAS TO DETERMINE IF
LANDOWNERS COULD MANAGE THEIR DEER POPULATIONS TO
CREATE A GREATER NUMBER OF TROPHY BUCKS,
THE KIND OF BUCKS THAT SOME HUNTERS WILL PAY BIG BUCKS
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HUNT.
>> THESE TWO DEER WERE RAISED IN THE SAME PEN,
ATE THE SAME TYPE OF FEED OUT OF THE SAME FEED TROUGH.
THIS DEER RIGHT HERE WAS A SPIKE AT A YEAR AND A HALF OF
AGE ON UNLIMITED NUTRITION.
GOOD QUALITY NUTRITION.
THIS IS WHAT HE WAS ABLE TO PRODUCE AT TWO AND A HALF,
THREE AND A HALF, FOUR AND A HALF,
FIVE AND A HALF, SIX AND A HALF.
THAT'S HOW LONG THAT DEER LIVED.
HE PRODUCED SIX SETS OF ANTLERS.
HE STARTED OUT A SPIKE.
HE WOUND UP A NINE-POINT DEER.
THIS DEER OVER HERE, GREW HIS FIRST SET OF ANTLERS
EATING OUT OF THE SAME FEED TROUGH AS THIS SPIKE DID,
BUT HE WAS A REALLY NICE EIGHT-POINT.
THIS IS HIS FIRST SET OF ANTLERS AT A YEAR AND A HALF.
TWO AND A HALF, THREE AND A HALF,
FOUR AND A HALF, FIVE AND A HALF,
SIX AND A HALF YEARS OF AGE.
THIS JUST KIND OF REAFFIRMS THE FACT THAT ANTLERS WE KNOW
ARE GENETICALLY BASED, SIZE IS GENETICALLY BASED.
WE TAKE IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AND ALSO SAY THAT THEY
ARE NUTRITIONALLY INFLUENCED.
BUT IT'S RARE FOR THESE DEER THAT START OUT AT A YEAR
AND A HALF OF AGE WITH SPIKE ANTLERS TO EVER BECOME THIS
TYPE OF DEER LATER ON IN LIFE.
>> 271.
478.
>> AS BIOLOGISTS ANALYZED THE DATA,
SOME SUSPECTED ANOTHER TYPE OF BUCK EXISTED.
>> THERE ARE PROBABLY THREE TYPES OF WHITE TAILED DEER
IN ANY GIVEN DEER POPULATION.
AND THAT IS THOSE DEER THAT REGARDLESS OF THE NUTRITIONAL
CONDITION, EVEN DURING A DROUGHT YEAR,
THEY HAVE THE GENETIC POTENTIAL TO GROW GOOD ANTLERS.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER GROUP OF DEER IN THAT POPULATION
THAT UNDER EXCELLENT NUTRITIONAL CONDITIONS,
EXCELLENT RANGE CONDITIONS, DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE
HOW GOOD THE FOOD IS, THEIR GENETIC MAKEUP IS SUCH
THAT THEY ARE NOT CAPABLE OF GROWING QUOTE, GOOD ANTLERS.
AND THEN THERE'S THIS GROUP OF DEER IN THE MIDDLE THAT
WE REFER TO AS THE SWING DEER.
IN A GOOD YEAR THEY GROW GOOD ANTLERS.
IN A BAD YEAR, THEY GROW POOR QUALITY ANTLERS.
>> THIS PROJECT IS CALLED THE STRESS STUDY,
AND IS DESIGNED TO SIMULATE POOR NUTRITIONAL CONDITIONS,
WHAT MAY HAPPEN, FOR INSTANCE, IN A DROUGHT.
A GROUP OF FAWNS WERE FED A LIMITED AND VERY LOW
PROTEIN DIET.
WHEN THE DEER HAD GROWN THEIR FIRST SET OF ANTLERS,
ANY DEER THAT WERE SPIKES WERE NOT ALLOWED TO BREED
FOR THE NEXT SEASON.
EACH YEAR, ONLY THE BEST FORKED-ANTLERED BUCKS WERE
PICKED TO SIRE THE NEXT GENERATION.
>> THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GAINED FROM THIS STUDY
SHOWS THAT THROUGH SELECTION, BY NEVER ALLOWING A BUCK
THAT WAS A SPIKE TO EVER BREED A DOE,
WE COULD PRODUCE NO SPIKED ANTLER YEARLING BUCKS TWO YEARS
IN A ROW.
AND THE PERCENTAGE OF GOOD QUALITY ANTLERED YEARLING BUCKS
HAS STEADILY INCREASED.
>> THIS WAS VERY GOOD NEWS FOR LANDOWNERS TRYING TO IMPROVE
THE QUALITY OF HUNTING ON THEIR PROPERTY.
WITH THIS IN MIND, TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE HOLDS FREE
PUBLIC TOURS AT THE KERR AREA FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO LEARN
ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT OF WHITE-TAILED DEER.
>> THEY'LL BREED THOSE DOES, HAVE FAWNS, AND THEN WE TAKE
THEIR FAWNS AND PUT IN THE PEN HERE AND WE'VE DONE THIS FOR
SEVEN GENERATIONS NOW.
>> YOU'RE PRODUCING A BUCK THAT CAN STAND...
>> THAT DOES WELL UNDER POOR CONDITIONS.
>> UNDER POOR CONDITIONS.
>> BUT IT'S NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL SPECIES THAT THESE BIOLOGISTS
MANAGE.
>> THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE WITH THAT IS,
THESE LITTLE BIRDS ARE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TOO,
THE SYSTEM IS IMPORTANT TO YOU.
IT'S NOT THE DEER, IT'S NOT THE COWS,
IT'S THE SYSTEM THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU,
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO US TO GET THAT HEALTH AND DIVERSITY
AND VARIETY OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS OUT THERE.
>> HEALTHY DEER ARE JUST ONE OF THE MANY ELEMENTS
THAT MAKE UP A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM.
BUT OFTEN, IT'S THE DEER THAT PROVIDE A FINANCIAL INCENTIVE
TO KEEP AN ECOSYSTEM HEALTHY.
NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN THE WOODS, MAYBE YOU'LL BE LUCKY ENOUGH
TO EXPERIENCE THE THRILL THAT COMES WITH WITNESSING
ONE OF NATURE'S MOST BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS.
MAYBE YOU'LL BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO EXPERIENCE A CASE OF
BUCK FEVER.
(deer snort)