Choosing The Right Buck To Harvest

Selecting the right bucks to harvest when managing white-tailed deer on your property is crucial to trophy deer management. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this. Your choices should align with your property's goals and objectives.

In a previous BLOG POST, I emphasized the significance of age over other contributing factors influencing a buck’s ability to reach his genetic potential. A deer's age plays a pivotal role in its potential antler growth. In most circumstances, under average conditions across the deer's native range, their growth average antler growth potential expressed by age is as follows:

• At 2 ½ years, a buck is about 60% of its maximum antler potential.

• At 3 ½ years, it reaches roughly 75%.

• At 4 ½ years, it's already at 90%.

• At 5 ½ years, a buck has plateaued his growth rate and is roughly 95%.

• At 6 ½ years, a whitetail buck will likely maintain or regress from what he was the year prior.

**Exceptions to this growth curve can be attributed to injury, disease, environmental factors, habitat quality, etc.

In most circumstances, I recommend targeting bucks between 4 ½ and 5 ½ years old to optimize antler size while minimizing resource consumption and opportunities for the neighbors to harvest the deer I am after. Flood the region with younger-aged bucks! However, aging deer on the hoof is essential. Focus on body attributes, not just antlers. Look for the presence or lack of belly sag, shoulder muscle definition, and brisket size. Here's a simple test: imagine holding a t-post under the buck's midsection laterally. If you lift on that post and the buck falls backward onto his rump, it's likely a 3 ½-year-old. If it balances evenly, the deer is probably 4 ½; if it falls forward, it's a 5 ½+.

It's important to note that there can be exceptions to these guidelines. After all, hunting is about enjoying the outdoors.

1. Kids: Introduce young hunters to the sport, and let them take yearlings if they're excited. Patience comes with time.

2. New Hunters: Attract and retain new hunters by allowing some flexibility. They may become long-term contributors to the sport.

3. Special Circumstances: Consider exceptions for experienced hunters with limited time, like new parents. Creating cherished memories can outweigh strict management objectives.

Ultimately, it's about balancing deer management with the joy of hunting and the growth of our hunting community.

Resources:

Check out my most recent podcast recording, as I sat down with Brandon from The Tejas Hunt Club to discuss everything from deer management to catching birds in Puerto Rico!

Good luck to everyone heading into the woods this week, and congratulations to anyone lucky enough to punch a tag already this year! I will be leaving for Montana on Friday to chase elk! Stay tuned.