Ask The Biologist

Sometimes even bucks that have everything don’t have much headgear.

QUESTION: I know age, genetics and diet influence antler size. The bucks in the area I hunt seem to have decent mass but short tines and not very big racks. Other bucks nearby seem to have bigger racks. Which do you think is the reason for this?

ANSWER: It could be any one or all of the above. With good genetics and nutrition, yearling bucks might grow 6- or even 8-point racks, but they’ll be thin and relatively short-tined. Heavier mass means older bucks, and short tines suggests they may lack either proper nutrition or the right genetics for taller tines.

I’ve experienced this in the area I hunt around home. There’s enough variation that some bucks sport nice racks, but many have heavy beams and short tines and look very similar, so I suspect it’s the local genetics.

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