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. Genetics

2. Nutrition

3. The Age of the Deer

Genetics determine the potential size of the antlers. Science has verified that antler size is an inherited trait among deer. Of course hunters always knew this. Game managers will sometimes limit the size of the antler that is allowed to be harvested to maintain the quality of the herd. By restricting the number of genetically superior kills, the inferior herd is culled and the gene pool is allowed to “antler up” as a result. Though the theory behind this practice is sound, the benefit of the strategy is sometimes questioned because effective culling of the herd is often not effective when related to overall population.

Nutrition is the next contributor to antler size. Regardless of a deer’s genetic potential, it won’t reach it’s optimum level if it doesn’t eat the right diet. Professional hunters have each gone through seasons with drought that’s affected the natural food sources for deer, and they haven’t found any with large antlers. In order for the deer population to realize it’s complete antler producing potential, it has to eat a proper diet all year long. Summer and spring diets are the most vital since the majority of antler growth really happens during those seasons. Bad forage conditions throughout this time can negatively effect antler growth. Good habitat management will help promote healthy nutritional options. Sometimes, it’s necessary to implement additional feeding.

The last major factor to consider is age, but the age of a mature buck (3 or more years old) isn’t as relevant to antler size as is diet or heredity. During the first few years, antler size potential can increase markedly, then it drops to an average rate around the fourth or sixth year of age depending on the kind of deer and its heredity. It’s not recommended to kill bucks that haven’t yet reached four years old. I can recall my dad’s complaints when neighbors would kill a two year old buck at a nearby farm and he would sadly make exclamations such as, “That deer still had milk on its breath.” It’s best to allow the young bucks to mature and only harvest them afterward. If you’re not able to kill a mature buck but require venison, shoot a doe. The next season’s hunt will be better for it.

We hope that you use these advanced deer hunting tips 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 deer hunting tips.

HTML Version:

Text Version:

Article Url: