Antler Characteristics/Genetics- YOUR AREA

[Deer&Ducks]

Good thread! I haven't bowhunted 1 area long enough to really get a feel for what type of antler genetics are in that specific area but am still intrigued by the topic. On a related topic, does anyone have any knowledge of how much can antler genetics can increase/decrease property values for a specific area? Thanks,

D&D

 

[Sligh1]

I do see genetics advertized with land on occasion. Super tough to put a $ figure on it BUT I would say that if I was buying a farm that they PROVED carried a lot of 200" genetics- it would be more appealing to me.
On a side note- I really believe I've enhanced the antlers on my ground by putting out lots of mineral, lots of food plots year round, shooting does and letting young bucks with great genetics (that would score great if I shot em) walk. Those things are OBVIOUS but man, the one thing I believe- those minerals and plots sure have put more stickers, more mass, extra points on deer compared to what I was seeing when I bought it.
I sure do know that antler characteristics and what I "KNOW" I'll see in the neighborhoods I hunt change within just a few miles. It's weird how I just know the deer I will see (generic characteristics) depending on where I'm at in the state. Even in IA- genetics, nutrition, carrying capacity & level of mature deer sure do vary widely from area to area.

 

[sep0667]

Very interesting thread. I haven't hunted and area long enough to get to know the genetics of it. But I know that near my house, near Des Moines kind of where the suburbs start to meet the country along the Des Moines river, that there are a lot of good deer. Quite a bit of cropland but still a lot of cover and rills being near the river and not pressured much during the gun seasons. At night I will see a lot of deer that are typical 8's and 10's with decent mass, scoring 130 to 160. Occasionally I'll get lucky and some some beasts that have to be in the 180 area give or take 10 inches. However I have never laid eyes on a non-typical, or atleast a real obivious one. And trust me I have stopped, driven slow, had them cross in front of me, and shined my headlights on probably thousands of deer. I have also noticed very similiar characteristics in some of the sheds I found and the areas where I find them. Such as a sticker coming out of hte base, the same basic shape, and real bumpy near the bases. Also the coloring of some sheds in certain areas is just different than other areas.

 

[Liv4Rut]

On the area I hunt it is pretty diverse. There is one area that produces alot of dinosaur looking bucks with mass splits kickers big bodies. Alot more Non-typicals. Then you can drive 5 miles to the east about 90% of the bucks are clean typicals. The only difference in terrain is the non-typicals are in the thickest nastiest crap the county has the offer and the typicals are in the most wide open timber you could ever imagine.

 

[Nontypcl1]

One farm I hunt always seems to have at least one very heavy mature 8pt on it every year. Three 8's over 155" have been taken off this farm. Of course none by me though, all were during gun season. A couple of us had encounters with a monster 8 on the farm this year but none of us were able to seal the deal. The farm I primarily hunt is part of a huge section and I see tons of different bucks on it each year. There seems to be a trend of split G2's. Usually the left side is split with an occassional right split. Also double split brows is fairly common as well. I have a big dead head with split brows that my sister in law found about 10yrs ago that looks nearly identical to another buck that I was watching this past summer.

Like sligh metioned earlier passing on young deer has helped me see more mature bucks in the past few years. As for food plots and mineral sites I don't know if I've seen an increase in antler size but the size of the does in area definately seems to be much larger.

 

[DannyBoy]

The only difference in terrain is the non-typicals are in the thickest nastiest crap the county has the offer and the typicals are in the most wide open timber you could ever imagine.

Makes sense. Maybe an adaptation to better blend in with the environment. To an extent I've seen this as well, although there is definately some overlap.

 

[Daver]

Found a shed today that matches up pretty well

from a characteristic standpoint to another shed we picked up 3 years ago.

Today's find, a 61" that my son found. He was quite proud of it!

This is the new shed compared against the 3 year old one that was a little better than 70". Although they are opposite sides they are very similar, I suspect the shed today is the offsrping of the buck that cast the shed we picked up 3 years ago.

 

[sep0667]

Makes sense. Maybe an adaptation to better blend in with the environment. To an extent I've seen this as well, although there is definately some overlap.

I don't think deer can "adapt" their antlers. They have no control over how their antlers grow. Usually non-typical deer are the result of an injury or the antlers being damaged as they grow in the spring and summer.

I think the fact that the bucks that live in the gnarly stuff have more of a non-typical rack is due to the fact that while their racks are growing in the spring and summer since they are in the thick stuff the bump their antlers on stuff and etc. Causing the unique stuff. Where as he said the typicals seem to come from the more open areas and open timber where there isn't a lof of growth and such to bump there racks on.........this is just my thought and seems to make sense to me.

 

[Sligh1]

Now that's what I'm talking about Daver! Wow- looks like you have a unique gene pool making the rounds!
Sep- interesting theory, never thought of that before!!