Herd management is one of the most important deer hunting tips. The large antlered deer are prized among trophy hunters. The bigger the rack, the more valuable the prize. All proud hunters will swap tales of giant antlers, diameter, point count, etc. What is it that determines the size of the animal’s antlers?
There are three main things that can influence buck antler size:
1. The Deer’s Genetics
2. Diet
3. How Old The Deer Is
Genetics determine how big the antlers might become. All experienced game managers or deer hunters know what is scientific truth: maximum antler size is largely determined by genetics. Sometimes, the best managed leases impose limits on how big an antler can be if it’s to be harvested. A limit is put each season on genetically desirable prey and killing of genetically inferior antlered deer lets the gene pool move towards more favorable traits. Although there is some doubt regarding the benefit of these practices (effective killing of inferior antlered deer is sometimes impossible given the harvest rates to population in general), it has a genuinely good motive.
Nutrition or what a deer has to eat is another factor affecting the size of a deers antlers. Even if a deer has superior genetics, when there are not enough nutrients available for the deer to eat, the antlers will never reach their full size. Experienced hunters will tell you about seasons when drought caused foliage and food sources to be scarce. They will also attest how these conditions made it impossible to find any deer with huge racks. In order for deer to reach their full antler producing potential, they need adequate nutrition throughout the entire year. Due to the fact that most of the antler growth occurs during the spring and summer time, nutrition through this period is the most important. This means that when foraging conditions are poor during the spring and summer months, antler growth will be limited. However, if time and energy are put into habitat management, adequate nutrition and foraging will be made more likely. There are many times that supplemental feeding is needed.
The last thing that affect antler size is age. However, age does not have as much of an effect on antler size as genetics or nutrition do. A deer reaches maturity at around 3 years of age. Usually antler size potential increases throughout the first few years of life. It continues to increase some during the fourth through sixth year. However, the actual growth rate and size depend on the breed of deer and the deers genetics. For this reason deer under four years of age should typically not be harvested. I can still hear my father complain when the people on the farm next door shot a two year old buck. My dad would always state with frustration that “That deer still had milk on its breath.” It is recommended that young bucks be allowed to mature fully before being harvested. If you are at a point where you need venison, but can’t seem to get a mature buck, then you should harvest a doe. You will see the benefit of this during the next season of hunting.
We hope that you use these advanced and techniques during deer hunting season to enjoy the most successful hunt ever. And please visit us at www.Deer-HuntingTips.com to learn more secrets and advanced .
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