Deer management

[arrow32]

When you do your management what do you look for in a management buck?

No brow tines?

Just a narrly rack or a buck with a spike on one side and a full rack on the other?

[Sam16]

There are a few things that would constitute a management buck. One if you have a buck with one side messed up (preferably seeing him 2 years in a row, 1 year might be a result as an injury). Two, what i sorta look for, is a buck with a smaller but very thick rack. We had a buck this year we were trying to cull because it had a huge body, and an extremely thick forkhorn rack. Looked mature, but not good genes. No brow tines would be another gene you would want to get out of your herd, especially if your looking for your deer to score well. I personally have never had a chance to take a cull buck, but we usually have pretty good genes around here. Hope something i said struck a nerve with you. Good luck

[The Kid]

i like to look for little basket rack 6's and 8's this year i had a little 9 running around and my neighbor shot it. it was cleaarly a young 1 1/2 old buck. I usually take a scrub buck first to get some meat in the freezer and then i look for the big boy. i like to let the fork horns walk but i usually take out a spike if it has small tines, or a deer with no bro tines like Sam16 says!!

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

That's a really tricky question and the answer mostly depends on what your goals are. Also keep in mind that genetics is the most difficult of the 3 key antler growth factors (age, nutrition, genetics) to influence. Even in a tightly controlled operation like a high fenced ranch, it still takes many, many years before the results of selective harvest become evident. But the bottom line is, it can be done. Even without a high fence if you have the participation of enough landowners and hunters in the area.

Based on hard science and 30+ years of intensive management practices, most Texas ranches that are trying to grow trophy sized antlers will shoot EVERY buck that has less than 8 points. This is based on the assumption that a buck should have at least an 8 point rack his first year. Also, as a buck ages we start looking for other traits like long tines, good spread, additional points, etc. At 3.5, your trophy caliber animals will all sport more than 8 points, so 3.5+ year old 8 points get added to the management list.

And there are a whole host of other factors that come into play like your back to doe ratio, supplemental feeding, predator control, stress free environment, etc.

Now, before anyone unloads on me for advocating the killing of all those spikes, 4, and 6 pointers, let me remind you that the goal we're discussing here is to grow trophy bucks. Not just a healthy deer herd. And while its true that the occasional small buck will develop into a trophy, the vast majority won't. So what do you want to do, let those 15 six pointers walk around and breed the does and hope 1 or maybe 2 of them make it to record book size, or take them all out before they have a chance to pass on those genes to the next generation?

[The Kid]

i agree with texan til i die you hit it right on the head, i have such a problem with my neighbors though, they see it as if it has horns its going down, and half the time they don't put a good shot on it anyways!

[wtnhunt]

If we were able to truly manage our property I would probably follow along with what Texan Til I Die says here.

Typically a deer with good genetics will have a decent rack at 2.5. They should have brows, and most often here they will have 8 points with a ear width or near ear width spread at 2.5. If at 2.5 a deer does not have brows, they are not likely to ever have them. Think removing deer at age 2.5 and above with no brows is good management.

[HOYTnMUZZYboy]

Everyone has there own outlook on growing shooter bucks. I first start out with my trail cams. I leave them up year round. Come summer I start picking out specific deer to pattern and hunt. Now I had been watching a deer that had normal antler development on his right side 5pts total. On his left side it came up about 3 inches and then turned into a ball about the size of my fist. I wanted him out of the herd. A buddy of mine had tagged along with me checkin cams workin foodplots and doing scouting but had never hunted a day in his life. This past spring we went out got him all set up. He would come over and practice until he had blisters on his trigger finger. I knew excalty what this buck was doing and his patterns during the first part of the season, so I put my buddy where he could get a shot. Second time he hunted he harvested the cull buck. He was happy I was happy and so were my 2 buck tags haha. But I guess it just depends on what you are looking to harvest. I have hunted with guys that say dont shoot anything thats not atleast 3 1/2. I have also hunted with guys that just say if hes a trophy to you then go ahead and harvest him. It's all what your looking for. Myself I like to hold off on the lil bucks unless there gentics look like they took a swim in the sewer treatment plant. But living in Illinois and hunting Illinois and Iowa on a regular basis I know the caliber of deer and the potential is amazing. Im lucky to live in such a great habitat for growing big mature deer, if they are givin the chance to reach maturity. So honeslty and I know this has been said for years, but if its a trophy to you thats all that matters. I took a 11 year old kid out and he shot a doe with a shotgun, you would of thought he killed a 30pt buck. On a side note I have noticed I go to reply to a topic and end up blabbing on and on. Sorry everyone!

[PineyBrake]

I have a question to build off one of the previous questions. We get a lot of pics of decent 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 bucks with only one brow tine. My brother shot a 2 1/2 7 point with a 15 1/2 inch spread last Thursday and the one brow tine just kills the look of it. I have pics of deer in the 1teens that might get 120 if they had both brow tines that were decent. Do we need to shoot these one brow tine deer? Also, what about deer with a fork horn or so on one side and a spike on the other? We have seen a few of them also. Thanks.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

Missing or a single brow tine (assuming it isn't just broken off) is definitely an inheritable trait. If it's something you really don't want, then you should consider concentrating on taking those bucks. Odds are, if they didn't grow one this year, they won't grow one next year either.

[PineyBrake]

Thanks, Several are just missing one. Definitely not broken and they vary on what side they are missing!

[arrow32]

Great info.

Texan that makes alot of since.

I'm not looking to do any serious management. Until the neighbors sell there farm they'll blast anything. Anyway that makes alot of since about the spikes and stuff. Never thought about that.