Saturday, December 02, 2006
Dreaming The Big-Buck Dream
The dream began when I was a young man. I wondered if, under controlled circumstances, a person could grow a big buck. Not just your garden-variety big buck, but something that would make a diehard hunter look, step back and mutter “Look At That!”
That dream was an on-again, off-again thing for many years, but unlike one’s dreams that never come true, many years of intense personal study went into growing big bucks. It become something of an obsession for me, and after years of working with whitetails, I’ve managed to grow some very large-antlered bucks at the Buck Pole Ranch.
There is a buck running around my ranch that, based on those who have seen it, claim this animal has 12 points and a rack that would score 240 points. That is the kind of buck I’ve been working toward for over 20 years.
Bucks that size don’t get that big by following does or running with smaller bucks. They get big because of several key points.
*Age - This is a major determining factor in growing big bucks with heavy antlers. The deer must live long enough to continuously grow massive antlers. There must be great potential at the first and second year of life, and with a great rack at 1 1/2 years, it will only continue to grow larger until a buck gets to be 6 1/2 or 7 1/2 years old. After 7 1/2 years, most antlers start on a downhill slide.
Unfortunately, most bucks never live that long. A huge buck is a loner, and seldom moves during daylight hours. The rut may put him on the prod, but much of his chasing may be in thick cover where he will seldom be seen. A long life is a major key to huge antlers.
*Good genetics—Years ago I bought some bucks and does that were from quality big-antlered parents. The does were large in body size with superior genetics, and the bucks were from a buck that was used to breed does. His antlers were huge, and one thing holds true: big bucks and does produce big bucks and does.
We’re seeing some of the results from those animals. We don’t have many nontypical bucks here although we have a few. We’ve had two or three three-beam bucks, and there is one running around on the ranch with a big drop tine. Bucks and does that were sired by these heavy antlered bucks have great potential to grow huge racks.
*Quality food—Deer food must be nutritious, full of protein, and be available whenever a big buck wants to eat. In the spring, before the antlers start to grow, bucks that had big racks last year will be hitting the high-protein natural food, green fields of clover and beans, and have a wide variety of foods to eat during the year.
Supplements high in vitamins and trace minerals are good. Certain land has more of the trace mineral needed to grow big antlers, and my land is good. High-protein foods like alfalfa,beens, clover, and to a lesser degree, corn, provides protein.
Here’s how it works. In the spring, as antlers begin to grow, most of the protein from food that deer eat will go to building up the body. What is left over goes toward growing bigger antlers. The combination of age, food and genetics are major items needed to produce a trophy buck.
*Stress—Many people overlook stress or simply don’t understand it. Too many deer in a small area results in stress conditions for food and for reproduction. An out-of-balance buck-doe ratio weighted heavily in does is another stress factor. Limited food or good quality food produces stress for all animals.
Raising deer to trophy size is much more difficult than this blog makes it sound. There are elements beyond human control. Deep snow and prolonged cold produces another form of stress that kills many deer. Too many deer in an area becomes stressful, especially during the winter months.
*I’m still tweaking things a bit, but one thing I’ve noticed is the removal of doe fawns helps reduce the herd size while promoting less stress, and more food for the remaining deer. Raising big deer is certainly much more difficult than I thought 50 years ago.
It is a challenge to grow a super buck. It is difficult and possible to do, but not impossible. It just requires lots of time, plenty of nutritious food, proper genetics and a lack of stress. Personal patience is another asset.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it?—The Whitetail Wizard