Truth on antlers

[lsuTigahs]

Informative thread so far, best thing I have ever seen for my own knowledge was the MSU studies showing you can’t cull the genetics from a wild deer herd. You have what you have, only thing that helps them is age.

 

[K9kodi]

The only difference I can see from Mule Deer to Whitetails would be the genetic component to antlers. Best estimate in whitetails is that the mother contributes somewhere around 75% of the genetic component for antlers to her male offspring. The mother's genetics appears to control the general shape of the rack. What the father contributes isn't well understood, because those who have figured it out quickly go into the breeder buck business and don't discuss their findings!

I’ve heard the same.

 

[K9kodi]

Informative thread so far, best thing I have ever seen for my own knowledge was the MSU studies showing you can’t cull the genetics from a wild deer herd. You have what you have, only thing that helps them is age.

Im not upset at all with that. Not trying to improve genetics really, I was curious about the shape and numbers of some of the deer I posted and was inquiring about “will this 6, always be 6, just a bigger 6, or do they get more points at that age”

 

[Skerhunter]

Age is king, nutrition and genetics of course play, but you have no control or idea of true genetics in a wild deer herd!

On some land I managed we had a 3 yr old in the 170s, I put him on the no fly zone thinking here is our 200 inch plus deer in the near future, he had doubles on all his points and was really impressive, one of the land owners passed him that year.

We hunted him hard for a few seasons after and he never made it over 185 gross, we had the sheds, he lost all of his doubled points after his third year, for sure the same buck as he had very distinct heavy inward pointing brow tines and the same habits each year!

The owner missed him when he was 5 and in the mid 180s, I left that job and to my knowledge they never killed the deer, they were on him the year after but that was the last I spoke with them and he was basically the same size.

Very cool observation/story! Did you ever get a 200” deer on that property?