Bad winter = bad antler growth?

[peakrut]

Here in my part of the country of Wi Ive checked my cams and it seems the antlers are not even close to growing like they did in 2007.
Can this be attributed to the late winter we had this year and more snow then we have been getting in years past?
I would think so but want some opinions on this please.

Thx,
T

[peakrut]

*yawns*

[janesburg]

Peak,

I'll let you know next week. I am leaving today to put my cams up where I've gotten pics of great bucksin previous years.I haven't had them there since last Fall. I will then check my cameras over the 4th. (If anything big shows his face I will post them)

But, so far around home you may be right. I've only got a couple little guys showing up on my cams.

[WVSPORTSMAN]

could it be that alot of the nicer bucks didn't make it through the hunting season? Here in my area they look to be about the same pace from last year. But I could see a low food winter affecting summer growth patterns.

[Twes]

End of July and August is when I really find out what I have.

I'd love to be seeing the big boys now but it doesn't work out that way for me.

[robbcayman]

I would think it would be more related to food source. If one year they have an abundant food source and the next year it isdown, I would expect antler growth to decline too.

[peakrut]

With the exception of all the rain we have gotten everything looks great from a food source perspective. I have tons of pics from last year at this time and a big difference.
One thing I am doing different is only putting one cam out because last year I felt I was pressuring the woods to much with multiple cams.
I am only talking 152 acres here with maybe less then half woods.

Thanks Janesburg I am looking foward to it.

[Dr Andy]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20041021/ai_n11485431http://

[MeanV2]

July always seems to be the growth month, but I have seen a few that were alreadyas wide as their ears and showing very good growth.

Dan

[Critr-Gitr]

Tony,

A hard winter could definitely be a contributing factor. Even if they are getting good nutrition now, if they started off deeper in the hole, nutritionally speaking, than they have in previous years, then you could very well see a difference. There is even research out there that shows the nutrtion a deer recieves the year it is born is as important to antler growth as the nutrition the deer recieves in the year the antlers were actually grown. So you might could be seeing some differences due to a different age class of deer also. My vote would be hard winter though.