Quality Deer Management

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Quality Deer Management

• What I can do to grow bigger bucks?

Forestry Committee May 2007
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Factors Of Antler Growth

• Genetics
• Nutrition
• Age

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Genetics

• Possible import of deer from healthy herds
• Artificial Insemination???

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Nutrition

• Supplemental food plots
• Summer Winter
• Supplemental minerals
• Deer Feeders

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Age

• The single most important factor for increased
  antler size.

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• Deer are aged in ½ year increments due to the
  time they are born.
• Births occur from late spring to early or
  mid-summer. This is determined by when the does
  are bred.
• Higher doe to buck ratio causes later births
  reduces the time for antler growth.

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Learning how to age Live Deer

• What to look for
• Head
• Neck
• Back
• Belly
• Brisket
• Legs

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Fawn Bucks

• Body will be smaller than adult does but larger
  than a doe fawn
• Ears will appear long nose short
• If antlers are present, they will be small
• Usually travel alone

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1 ½ Years Old

• Looks like a doe with antlers
• Thin neck
• No defined brisket
• Belly line has a distinct turn upwards near the
  hams
• Legs appear too long for body
• White tarsal glands

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2 ½ Years Old

• Larger neck
• Long face with tight skin
• Slightly developed brisket
• Belly has a small turn toward hams
• Squared off rump
• Some color in tarsal glands

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3 ½ Years Old

• Racehorse appearance
• Larger neck makes face appear shorter
• Nose broadens
• Brisket noticeable but not pronounced
• Flat belly line
• Flat back line

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4 ½ Years Old

• Slight dip in back
• Belly does not hang below the chest
• Head skin will not look tight or loose
• Front knees wont look bent when walking
• Tarsal glands will be black
• Non-typical points may start to show up

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5 ½ Years

• Eyes appear squinty
• Brisket is obvious where it joins the neck
• Belly hangs even or a little below chest
• Skin on head starts looking loose
• Often have non-typical points

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6 ½ Years Old

• Front knees bend to handle weight of neck rack
• Belly back sags
• Brisket obvious
• Eyes squinted
• Ears tend to droop when relaxed

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Over 6 ½ Years Old

• In normal habitat, antler body conditions
  deteriorate.
• Begin loosing body mass muscle tone
• Shoulders neck will not appear to be well
  muscled
• Usually lighter colored

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What Can I Do???

• Learn how to age live deer
• Learn how to age harvested deer
• Keep harvest records (both bucks does)
• Age
• Weight
• Antler measurements
• Provide supplemental minerals winter food plots
• Let him go so he can grow!

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Aging Harvested Deer
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Parts of the jawbone
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Parts (contd)
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When aging, consider

• Deer are aged in fractions because they are
  usually born in June or July and harvested late
  in the year during the open season
• Only the lower jawbone can be used to age
• Tooth wear, replacement, and size of the dentine
  line are the most important factors to be
  considered in the aging process

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6 Months Old
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1-1/2 Year Old
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2-1/2 Year Old
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3-1/2 Year Old
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4-1/2 Year Old
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5-1/2 Year Old
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Conclusion

• Look for the tricuspid premolar first, then look
  at the dentine and wear.
• When it comes to aging deer, practice makes
  almost perfect

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