Mirage Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Will a whitetaill deer always have bigger antlers the following year or does it ever decline and if so at what age does a deers body and antlers start to decline if they even do?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennswamper Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? It all depends on the region. Some regions don't peak til 7.5 or 8.5. SOme at 5.5, most at 5.5 as far as inches. Sometimes, due to droughts and other acts of mother nature, deer can be larger at 3.5 than 4.5 or bigger at 4.5 than 5.5. Poor acorn crops in the south and droughts in the midwest seem to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoyt_hunter Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? [ QUOTE ] I've always been taught that a deers antlers should continue to grow larger, assuming they didn't have an injury that would affect antler growth, until they reach around 5.5 years old. After that they start to decline. [/ QUOTE ] thats what ive heard, i read it in a book that Gary Clancy co-wrote(sorry cant remember name) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhunter91 Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? I think I remember hearing on a hunting show that a buck reaches his prime around 7 years old and the antlers begin to decline after that. But you never know. Food sources and environment definitely play a big part in antler growth. Plus genetics as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimfrompa Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? On the Monster Bucks video I recall David saying that once a buck matured and they were say an 8 point that they would never get any larger. He called the mature 8 points managment bucks and to have better breeding pool they culled the 8s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bownarow Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? [ QUOTE ] On the Monster Bucks video I recall David saying that once a buck matured and they were say an 8 point that they would never get any larger. He called the mature 8 points managment bucks and to have better breeding pool they culled the 8s. [/ QUOTE ] This is correct too. Once a buck reaches maturity as an 8pt he will always be a main frame eight point. He will, however continue to gain length and mass on his rack, in some cases till 6 or 7 years old. Problem is, most deer never make it this long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaskMan Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? I DO NOT believe that a deerreaches it's potential at 5.5. I for one have killed bucks older than that and they've been bigger than their sheds were at that age. The deer Bushman killed this yr is likely 8 1/2 yrs old judging by yrs worth of sheds. He's as big or bigger now than he's ever been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockefeller66 Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? they do decline after they get REAL old, this almost never happens in the wild unless you have a good heard, usually once they hit 7 to 8 they start to decline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaskMan Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? I disagree rockefeller. I'd say quite a few of the bucks here get real old, like 7+ and that is surviving harsh Canadian winters.I don't care what books and writers say. In the 2004 season I shot a 200" buck that I had been picking sheds off of for 4 yrs. He was 4 1/2 at least when i started finding them, a neighbour of mine had some before I did. At 5 1/2 he grossed 185, 201 when I killed him 3 yrs later. Look in the archives to find Bushman's buck from this yr. He started dropping big sheds 5 years ago. I'm talking 180" sheds with about 45" mass. Don't tell me he was 3 1/2 then. I'm not disputing that they will decline, that is obvious, I'm just disputing the 7yrs of age bit, experience tells me different, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okbowman Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? Sometimes they lose points, they rarely lose mass. I had a friend who had some penned up deer in Mississippi, two bucks, one 9.5 and the other 10.5 and he said after they were about 7 they didn't grow as many points but that they got even heavier. The 9.5 yr. old only had 7 points but had been a 10 point at 4.5, 5.5, 6.5 and 7.5, dropped to 8 points at 8.5 and only 7 at 9.5. The other was a non-typical that was down to 11 points but he had been 18 points in his prime, still real heavy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ILclimber Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? I agree with most of the guys, when the deer do peak out at max, they will not grow in inches but decline as they get older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Re: Antler Growth?? I think it really depends on the area, the available food quality, and the indiviual genetics of that deer. If all the factors are in the favor of the deer growing a monster rack, they may continue to keep adding mass but not so much in spread after 5.5 up until about the age 8.5, but after that they begin to decline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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