Whitetail Deer Antler Growth Process. 10 Early Ice Fishing Walleye Tactics That Will Put You on the Bite. Mule Deer are good swimmers, though they rarely use water as a means of escaping predators. As I mentioned, this would be ideal. Normally, deer antlers are fairly symmetrical, especially in immature animals. Yearling bucks will usually sport a spike or two-point frame, but a three-point frame is not that uncommon. On July 19th, less than a month later, he was showing incredible growth and was already a very impressive deer! In the same area, same year, I've seen bucks that were basically done growing end of July and rubbed their velvet mid-August, while other bucks put on quite a few inches in August and were still in velvet my last day of chasing them mid-September. Hunting The Country DEER SEASON Deer Antler Growth Cycle. “DW” was just about done shedding his winter coat, and already showing good antler growth about 1 1⁄2 months into the process on June 25th. But whitetails of this size exist only where they are created and cared for by deer breeders. This, in part, explains why there is typically a big jump in antler growth between age three and four. While unable to detect motionless objects, mule deer are very sensitive to moving objects and their sense of hearing is very acute. Get unlimited listings for just $10 a year! As you can see his antler size has made a dramatic jump since June 15, and in the next few weeks his antler growth will continue rapidly during the peak growth period of mid-June to mid-July. He is still a 4x5 and his antlers are 166 inches. Understanding the rate of antler growth relative to age is important when developing a harvest plan. Fishing. Antler growth starts at the tip and initially forms as a cartilage, which is later replaced by a bone-like tissue that is similar to a honeycomb. At 3 1/2 this buck was again an 8-pointer, but now he is beginning to show antler potential. 3 1/2: When a whitetail reaches 3 1/2 years of age, its skeletal frame is done growing. Click here for all the info. All members receive 3 free listings a month. Antler point restrictions have been used as a harvest strategy with the hope they will increase the number of large-antlered bucks in a mule deer population. The annual cycle of antler growth is regulated by changes in the length of the day. March 26, 2020. Bucks in this category have legs that appear too short for their body. His body weight at death was 130 pounds and his antlers were 105 inches. During peak antler growth periods, bucks may experience a 20 percent decrease in mineral content in other bones. In May the days continue to lengthen and antler growth accelerates, with most of that growth occurring during June and July – which means that at this time of year, you can practically watch a rack growing larger before your eyes! They fascinate us. Page 1 of … June: Antler growth should increase dramatically this month, look for all the main points on the antler … Mule deer females usually give birth to two fawns, although if it is their first time having a fawn, they often have just one. During this time, the soft growing antler is covered with hairy skin, called "velvet". Whitetail deer begin to grow their antlers in the spring, and you'll start to see deer losing antlers in the winter. His antlers have a gross score of 122-inches (B&C). Every deer is different and can do different things from year to year. From this point on the nutrients that previously went to bone growth can be transferred to antler growth. April. Let us explore the details of whitetail deer antler growth and information. western mule deer antler growth, 200" buck, can you tell right now? Antler growth among the deer family including whitetails, mule deer, elk, moose, and others is among the most unique happenings in nature. The whitetail deer are also shedding their winter coats but don't have as much hair as the mule deer have , so they don't appear to look as shabby. By Andrew McKean. Donnie Draeger used to believe in culling deer to improve antler genetics. Use only as indicated. The reality in this case is a 90 acre property that currently has bucks that are lacking antler mass. Plenty of moisture has the grass growing quickly and food will be plentiful this spring and summer for optimal antler growth for the mule deer … After taking our mule deer fawns off the does in August we fed them Mass XL mix with our ADM 18% mix. Deer Herd and Antler Growth. Factors That Affect Deer Antler Growth and Development. New Growth A deer’s antlers begin growing during March and April and reach full growth … Today’s photo shows what he looked like on July 1. Outside the fence where survival must be earned, a 400-inch whitetail is the inferior deer. Over his career as the wildlife biologist at the Comanche Ranch in southwest Texas, he’d spent a … Ideally, hunters will shoot bigger bucks if they simply provide the genetically-best bucks on their property with optimal nutrition until they reach 5-8 years of age. A 200” whitetail or mule deer will have substantial growth right now and usually when you see them in late may or June you know they will be big. Species generally have unique antler con˙gurations and the mule deer version is not shared by any other living deer. From this point on he shied away from other mature bucks and became very reclusive. In my opinion too many people try to put too many rules on animals. Here is the general timeline of the whitetail deer antler growth process by month. Deer begin to grow antlers between late March and early April. In this way, male deer have hardened antlers by the time mating season rolls around, so they can assert their dominance on the breeding grounds. Survival. The whitetail deer are also shedding their winter coats but don't have as much hair as the mule deer have , so they don't appear to look as shabby. Biggest whitetail I ever killed was gross right at 200” may 17th was the first day I laid eyes on him he was … When antlers are in the velvet stage they are full of blood vessels, cartilage and nervous tissue. Feed AntlerMax® Mule Deer 16 deer feed free-choice with adequate forage or quality hay. By Charles J. Alsheimer. Here is the general timeline of the whitetail deer antler growth process by month. From That to This (Deer antler growth) Discussion in 'Hunting & Fishing' started by huntemup, Oct 6, 2017. Topics that surround how fast deer antlers grow, what elements are essential for trophy deer antler growth, what States provide the basic ingredients needed for antler growth of deer, conservation programs to assist in antler development of whitetail deer, and much more. growth in future years. A buck's antlers fall off during the winter, then grow again in preparation for the next season's rut. Antler growth is initiated and controlled by changes in day length acting on several cell types of the anterior pituitary. The annual cycle of antler growth is regulated by changes in the length of the day. The increasing amount of daylight corresponds with decreased melatonin levels, which, in turn, trigger a surge of hormones in the young deer, inciting antler growth. Consult the feed tag on this package for specific feeding directions.
From the time antlers begin growing in late March through the end of April, growth is minimal. Select Bucks for Harvest Based on Age Mule deer antlers fork once 6-10 inches from the base and then each branch forks again in the classic mature form. In the spring and summer a mule deer's antlers are covered in velvet. The most common type of antler restriction is a point restriction. During the growth period, the pedicle is covered with a highly vascular skin, called “velvet,” that supplies nutrients and oxygen to the developing bones. Antler growth typically begins in February or March. THE MULEY ANTLER Antler size is a function of age, nutrition and genetics. In my June 6 and June 20 blogs I shared with you a specific buck’s antler growth (150-inch-class buck). The result was several with 3" plus of antler growth. Mule deer females usually give birth to two fawns, although if it is their first time having a baby they often only have one fawn. For best results feed free choice in a covered trough or self-feeder. As you may already know, all male deer (family Cervidae) grow antlers.They are used for warding off predators, sparring with other deer, and they attract female deer (doe) during the mating season (like a male peacock's feathers). Mule deer have no upper teeth, only a hard palate. The Keys to Deer Antler Growth. These cell types secrete growth-stimulating hormones that act mainly on the antlers and incidentally on the testes. In my Western backyard alfalfa hits the spot, but across the Midwest deer also seek out soybeans and clover-based food plots. Plenty of moisture has the grass growing quickly and food will be plentiful this spring and summer for optimal antler growth for the mule deer as well as the whitetail bucks. If a whitetail with 400 inches of antler was a viable model in the wild, it would have a place in the bell curve. 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