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?

 

[squirrel]

I Have an interesting case study. Large property (not mine) about 30 yrs of me being able to hunt it. Owners do not like deer. 30 year ago the owners had a pickup bed or so of 100-125" deer killed every fall by invited hunters. Years of me discreetly whining about this took it down to about zero bucks killed. Suddenly a family member got "into" deer, put out mineral for about 5-6 years. Deer went nuts over it digging holes 4' deep. Owner lost interest in deer and they went back to being vermin. Mineral dumps stopped.

Little kids grew up and now they are "into deer". But only "huge" deer. I have pounded the lesson home on what happened during the 5-6 years of mineral being made available to the local deer. I have bought mineral for them to put it out for the deer. They simply will not do it. When I am there and have dumped mineral the excavation resumes immediately but I am simply too far away to keep up with replacing the mineral.

Genetics obviously do not change. For 30 years longevity has been good. Although even the best property has neighbours and poachers. The property has good food, and for the purpose of this story it has been consistent. Point being the one variable was 5-6 years of mineral dumps.

3 of the "big five" came from that time window. The other two of the 5 came from before the 30 yr time frame when Ive been there to witness it.

I'm guessing that $500/year would keep mineral on the ground all year. You can literally dump it off the back of the ATV. The laziness of the modern hunter is amazing to me.

Here is the "wall". Of course there have been a number of 150-170's that didn't make the cut to make it onto the wall.

 

[dtrkyman]

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

194 gross was the biggest. 200 inch deer are a thing in those parts, central Illinois.

Just don't go by outfitter scoring...lol

 

[Yung6ix]

I Have an interesting case study. Large property (not mine) about 30 yrs of me being able to hunt it. Owners do not like deer. 30 year ago the owners had a pickup bed or so of 100-125" deer killed every fall by invited hunters. Years of me discreetly whining about this took it down to about zero bucks killed. Suddenly a family member got "into" deer, put out mineral for about 5-6 years. Deer went nuts over it digging holes 4' deep. Owner lost interest in deer and they went back to being vermin. Mineral dumps stopped.

Little kids grew up and now they are "into deer". But only "huge" deer. I have pounded the lesson home on what happened during the 5-6 years of mineral being made available to the local deer. I have bought mineral for them to put it out for the deer. They simply will not do it. When I am there and have dumped mineral the excavation resumes immediately but I am simply too far away to keep up with replacing the mineral.

Genetics obviously do not change. For 30 years longevity has been good. Although even the best property has neighbours and poachers. The property has good food, and for the purpose of this story it has been consistent. Point being the one variable was 5-6 years of mineral dumps.

3 of the "big five" came from that time window. The other two of the 5 came from before the 30 yr time frame when Ive been there to witness it.

I'm guessing that $500/year would keep mineral on the ground all year. You can literally dump it off the back of the ATV. The laziness of the modern hunter is amazing to me.

Here is the "wall". Of course there have been a number of 150-170's that didn't make the cut to make it onto the wall.View attachment 836135

That's a very impressive collection you got there.