Antler Growth

Knifeboy · May 23, 2005

Here is a question for debate. We have recieved a lot of rain this year in AZ, causing me to belive that the antler growth will be greater this year than it has in the past 10 years. Will this be the case or not?
I also would like to know how much antler growth occurs during the last 3 months of the year?
Meaning do more "book" sized bucks get taken in December because they have grown for 3 months longer, or do you think it has more to do with the rut? Or do you think that the antlers can even grow enough in that period of time to change a buck from a decent buck to a "book class" buck.

Knifeboy

stanley · May 23, 2005

I'm no expert Knifeboy, but here's my opinion;

I think think the rain this winter will go a long way, but I would suspect that a good wet summer would be a nice cherry on top for antler growth. It would be nice to keep things nice and green while they are growing their antlers this summer.

That brings me to the second part of your post; The antlers stop growing when they get hard & shed their fuzz..... Based on this, I would think that basically NO antler growth occurs during the last three months of the year.

My $.02....

S.

fisrtcoueswas80inches · May 23, 2005

i also think that because of the rain it will a better year. but but because of the water, it will be the extra forage that takes a spike and lets them eat so many extra calories and get the nutrients they need. maybe this year, instead of shooting a 20" fork, he might be 35"
Casey

azscouter · May 23, 2005

I think with the rain and good snow fall this year so far that it will be good for the bucks. The only thing is that we will need to have good rains all summer to make sure that those antlers keep on growing. And hopefully there will be more "book" bucks out there for this fall and winter.

redrabbit · May 23, 2005

I agree with Stan in that there is no antler growth after the velvet hardens and is stripped. The greater number of book bucks in December come from the the otherwise reclusive monster coming out of seclusion to find some heated doe (this also occurs across the west in bars on Saturday nights), and that December hunters are more trophy oriented (the girls all get prettier at closing time).

On the other hand, I have heard reports of hardened antlers undergoing massive amounts of shrinkage in the seconds between the trigger pull and when the buck hits the ground (or when the Satuday night 10 becomes a 2). I have personally witnessed the rare occasion of ground swellage.

Doug~RedRabbit

D13er · May 23, 2005

And rare it is.

Horn growth in the desert muley's will be good but since the entire desert is covered in feed and water will be plentiful, finding bucks may be more difficult. They will be scattered.

JB

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
--Benjamin Franklin 1759

stanley · May 24, 2005

LOL Doug!!! Funny stuff....

Lien2 · May 24, 2005

redrabbit -
I have unfortunatly witnessed both shrinkage and swellage.......not fun either way.

I've got a buddy that tells people if you run up and gut the buck as soon as possible after killing it, it won't shrink as much. It's the guts that eat away at the antlers, the longer you wait, the more the antlers shrink........it's funny sh!t wathcing the look on people's faces when he tells them this!

Lien2

Knifeboy · May 24, 2005

Doug,
You got me laughing from your post. And it made me think a little. I should have clarified my questions a little better, I was talking about hunting the elusive Coues deer, not the notorious "COORS BEER" LOL

.
Now about shrinkage, RED, I am really sorry you had to witness that. But sometimes that happens, I just hope it aint happening at the bars that doug was talking about. And I ceartainly hope that the notorious "COORS BEERS" arnt causing any of the shinkage.

Thanks for the laugh
Knifeboy

redrabbit · May 26, 2005

It could be that the hills are indeed infested with those Coors beers. I see lotsa droppings by the roadside. But then those road hunters generally tend to come home with just spikes.
With an Oatmeal Stout after dinner, you can skip breakfast and not hafta worry about ground shrinkage. Real beers don't come with a twist off or pull tab. Nev'r seen a pull tab on a 110 incher.

Doug~RedRabbit