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Dry weather--- antler growth?

Hardwood11

Hardwood11

It is going to be a good fall!
I would like to get some feedback on the dry weather that you are experiencing in parts of Iowa and if it will have an effect on antler growth?

In MN, I would say it has in the past, but this year we are lush (plenty of rain)...but I have not researched this enough to make a determination.

(??)
 
I have no scientific data, but it does seem to me that a dry year will produce a rack about 10" smaller than what it likely would have been in a wet year. I am basing that off of trail cam pics from the same deer year to year and so forth, again not an exact science by any means.
 
Texas has always been a major example where they have feast or famine on rain & you always hear about impact to growth down there depending on rain. For sure has impact. Pry not as severe as TX as we get more rain during a bad year obviously. I betcha it has some impact though, Daver pry right, I'd guess 10"-ish inches difference/variance.
 
Daver said:
I have no scientific data, but it does seem to me that a dry year will produce a rack about 10" smaller than what it likely would have been in a wet year. I am basing that off of trail cam pics from the same deer year to year and so forth, again not an exact science by any means.
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Interesting, I would think that is very possible
 
Does lack of rain cause diminished growth, or lack of a good water supply? Because that is completey 2 different scenarios. Lack of rain for crop growth/nutrients or just lack of water in general? I would think as long as long as you had a good water source (ponds, larger creeks/rivers) it wouldn't affect them as much. Very good question. I would definitely like to know more about this.
 
I think remember reading Grant Woods saying or Bill Winke said that Grant Woods said that during a drought year or little rain you will notice more busted up racks because the bone is less dense and easier to break during the normal buck activity involving establishing dominance and rutting behavior.
 
From my experience last year in West Texas. The vast majority of bucks we saw last year were either spikes or forks. Normally the majority of bucks we see are 6'ers and 8's. And this place always had water available with the wells.That was a whole different level of drought though
 
There was an article many years back on this topic in NW White Tail. Drought causes a decrease in antler size due to the animal not receiving adequate amounts of nutrients from the lack of forage. The nutrients that were available, went to the maintenance and upkeep of the skeletal system and other organs.
On the other hand, excessive amounts of rain over long periods has a some what similar effect though not as extreme. Too much rain causes nutrients to get washed out of soils that would be transferred to the buck's head gear through foraging.
The study was based on Texas deer, where droughts as well as excessive rains from Gulf Storms allowed the study to be performed.
 
I honestly don't think in Iowa it is going to have any effect on the deer. We had pretty much no winter to cause stress, very mild and early spring and the corn and beans are growing tall. The creeks are still flowing. The woods are as thick as can be so I don't see what they are lacking. Plus every IWer out there has a bag of mineral out right now. ;)
 
Liv4Rut said:
I honestly don't think in Iowa it is going to have any effect on the deer. We had pretty much no winter to cause stress, very mild and early spring and the corn and beans are growing tall. The creeks are still flowing. The woods are as thick as can be so I don't see what they are lacking. Plus every IWer out there has a bag of mineral out right now. ;)
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Ditto. Maybe in a place like Texas where drought has a large impact on forage, but not up here. All the ag crops, woodland forage and the easy winter/warm spring should have them running a little bigger than trend if anything
 
I don't think we are any where near too dry to affect rack development. We are still way ahead of the game coming off the warm winter. JMO
 
Liv4Rut said:
I honestly don't think in Iowa it is going to have any effect on the deer. We had pretty much no winter to cause stress, very mild and early spring and the corn and beans are growing tall. The creeks are still flowing. The woods are as thick as can be so I don't see what they are lacking. Plus every IWer out there has a bag of mineral out right now. ;)
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I hope you are right
 
Dont forget that with the early spring the clovers and alfalfas were green Mar 1st... And they were hitting them hard. They had an extra 30 days of green this spring. I think with the mild winter they are healthy then recent summers, been seeing some really good bucks.
 
Great read, ,
I am very curious to see how this drought we are in, is going to affect our Buck's antler growth, ,We also had a very mild winter, Just Loved seeing the herd looking great and very healthy, A few buck's even held their antler's later, this past shed season then any year I can ever recall,
I will let you all know , as soon as possible, if I start seeing any decrease in Antler growth , We passed alot of 140 class bucks last year that I know made it through season.
 
I've been following a couple of bucks that are going to be A LOT bigger than they were last year.....we are going to be ok boys! :)
 
Of far bigger concern, by far, I wonder if EHD or blue tongue will be an issue this year??!?! Which is the one with more relation to stagnant water? I know EHD is from flies BUT are both related to stagnant water?
I remember about 6-7 years ago finding several deer in the ponds later summer,, in SE IA, including 2 dandy bucks, both in velvet, pretty much full grown
 
Results from this epic Heat are sure to appear. I was reading discussions from down south. In Kentucky they are about to break records for consecutive days above 100. One service said if you want relief go to Alaska,,or Washington State,,only places where it could be considered ,"CooL",,wish I could ,,go that is,,.
 
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