genetics, traits, in your area
#13
RE: genetics, traits, in your area
I hunt true bush deer around my camp. I see a ton of mature bucks every year, but not many that meet my standards. The area is know for huge body size, but, on average, smaller rack size. There are the bigger bucks here (150"+), but a lot of the mature bucks never become more than 130" 8pts. I attribute this to the fact that there is no ag within 100 miles and the dense cover. The deer have genetically evolved into an animal that can grow a huge body and not a huge rack because of the harsh winters.
#14
RE: genetics, traits, in your area
I have see it all where I hunt
Droptines
Wide racks
Tall racks
Heavy mass
Big bodied
Most places have the Gentics the deer just lack age.If you have Food, Gentics and age with lots of cover and low hunting pressure you are in the Utopia of deer hunting.
Droptines
Wide racks
Tall racks
Heavy mass
Big bodied
Most places have the Gentics the deer just lack age.If you have Food, Gentics and age with lots of cover and low hunting pressure you are in the Utopia of deer hunting.
#15
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 818
RE: genetics, traits, in your area
ive noticed that around my hunting area that not much for mass. Once a buck gets past 3.5 years old expect stickers and junk. The only thing that hold deer around here from getting huge is shooting of small bucks. Ive watch one buck go from a 125 inch 2.5 year old. to a 140 inch 3.5 year old to a 165 inch 4.5 year old now to 175 inch 5.5 year old. All it takes is time around here.
#16
RE: genetics, traits, in your area
From what im reading, its truly amazing how they differ in other areas and what attributes to the way they grow and change as they get older. Has any one noticed how a rack can be more chocolate colored in dense brushy swampy areas? At least in my area it seems that way. good read guys!
#17
RE: genetics, traits, in your area
in the development i moved into, it appears the bucks have evolved into not growing antlers at all I've seen 12 or so different does (at one time in my back yard), so I know the bucks are holding up until after dark on my 16 acres of woods.
In the place I hunt in the mountains, a mature buck will be anywhere from a 75" 8 point to a 140"+ 10 point, its just too diverse to really notice a pattern.
In the place I hunt in the mountains, a mature buck will be anywhere from a 75" 8 point to a 140"+ 10 point, its just too diverse to really notice a pattern.
#18
RE: genetics, traits, in your area
The biggest thing I have noticed where I hunt is the bucks seem to not usualy have an even # of points. All the younger deer I have seen or killed were odd # points, except the two I shot last year. I have a pic. from two years ago of a 17 point ???
They do not seem to have killer spread either.
They do not seem to have killer spread either.
#19
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Southeast Missouri
Posts: 2,178
RE: genetics, traits, in your area
It can very where I hunt because we have some really thick woods where I live and little or no farming to where you get lots of lower farm ground with lots of different crops scattered along the country side.More and more people are planting Food Plots on smaller farms and have been getting some really nice Buck lately.
I shot a real nice 8-Point Buck in 1995 with beautiful white racks,tall brow tines and very uniform shapedantlers and 11 years later (last Nov.) I got another nice 8-Point Buck that is darker in color on the body and the antlers,the RH side rack has 4-points and comes around in a nice basket shaped circle to the front but the LH antler is more L shaped and has 4-points with a double brow tine and a twist in the antler where it points up in the air higher than the other side.My last Buck weighed 145 lbs field dressed where I have seen some of my friends get some Bucks that were in the 175 to 200 lb range!
I have noticed several smaller Basket Rack Bucks in our area and have seen some real Big Bucks taken within a 50 to 60 miles radious of our County!
I shot a real nice 8-Point Buck in 1995 with beautiful white racks,tall brow tines and very uniform shapedantlers and 11 years later (last Nov.) I got another nice 8-Point Buck that is darker in color on the body and the antlers,the RH side rack has 4-points and comes around in a nice basket shaped circle to the front but the LH antler is more L shaped and has 4-points with a double brow tine and a twist in the antler where it points up in the air higher than the other side.My last Buck weighed 145 lbs field dressed where I have seen some of my friends get some Bucks that were in the 175 to 200 lb range!
I have noticed several smaller Basket Rack Bucks in our area and have seen some real Big Bucks taken within a 50 to 60 miles radious of our County!
#20
RE: genetics, traits, in your area
For my area it seems that the younger bucks 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 year olds are almost always 8 points with basket racks. The mature bucks in the area recently have seemed to got into a pattern of growing wide racks that don't have amazing tine length and decent mass. We have been seeing alot of bucks the past couple years that would have 20-25 inch spreads but a 9" tine around here is pretty dang big.