buck points

[gmcslinger]

iv been wondering what gives a buck his points ie 2 point 3 point 4 point is it age,genetics the amunt of bullshit they have been threw?

[Bow Walker]

Level/quality of available food source. Plus age - the older he gets, generally the more points he has.

[gmcslinger]

thanks i was always wondering and wasnt really sure

[daywalker]

Nutrition is the biggest part as well as genetics age has a little to do with it but not as much as some people think. Deer can also revert which means the old man can be really old and have some huge spikes. You can age by the teeth fairly easy.

[CanuckShooter]

Points can also be affected by injuries. One study found that an injury to a front leg would affect the antler on the opposing side, usually a serious deformity. And there have been reports of bucks having testicles torn off growing antlers that resemble burls on trees....just a couple others not mentioned. :mrgreen:

[Jelvis]

A deer can scratch behind it's ear with it's back foot so the antler can't get in the way, that's one reason the antlers grow upward otherwise it's ear would always be itchy, that's what I was told by a guy in Clearwater years ago.
Jel .. many many different causes for amount of points on a particular rack ..

[hunter1947]

Each year a buck will grow bigger antlers till he reaches his prim that being 6 years of age then after he has reached this age his antler growth goes backwards this is called revert.

He might be a 5x5 in his seventh year the the next year into his 8th year he might only be a 3x4 ,then the next year the ninth year he might only be a 2x3...

As the deer ages more goes into his body to keep him alive then into his antlers growth thats why they revert backwards into a 2x2 in his later years..

[Roughneck Country]

I would say genetics #1 - I have seen a basket buck that was 5X5
Age - #2
food quality/availability #3
Injury in velvet #4

I think all of these are factors but deff genetics is key for antler shape. I have hunted one particular area for white tail every year and after 9 yrs in the are 3 deffinate genetic lines can be identified. All of the racks I have taken from there have varried in size from small to large and mature and age didnt seem to play a factor in terms of # of point and shape, just in size. Not saying this is true 100% of the time but that has been what I found to be true in that area.

[Jelvis]

You hunters forgot another important fact, antler adaptability my friends.
If a buck is born, raised in thick bush it's antlers will be thicker and narrower because the trees are closer together. If it's in wide open spaces the wider the antlers.
Jel .. you can now write the test.

[Bow Walker]

I think you can put that one down to genetics, Jelly. If he is living in the thick stuff he'll have the genetics for growing tighter, thicker horns. It'll be passed down to him from his pappy(s).

[Jelvis]

Bow knows bucks, yes genetics is very dominant in how a antler is formed on the buck.. both mom and dads genetics are instilled into the buck fawn.
If the daddy has a massive even rack and the moms side her dad had a massive even rack, the buck fawn if in good feed and minerals from water and plants are good the buck fawn will grow like it's parents.
Same as a human, a big mother and a big father usually has big offspring.
Jel .. Walker walks the walk not just talk .. Bo knows deer ..

[daywalker]

Yes I agree. Antler size and configuration are a function of age, genetics, nutrion and physiology. Succeessive years growth may depend on nutrition of the previous winter. Good antler development reflects ability to find and obtain resources, and thus denotes high social ranking. Symmetrical antler development, while desirable to us hunters, does not guarantee breeding success if the animal in not effective in challenges with similar-sized males.