live2hunt743

So I'm curious how a bucks antlers develop. So say you have a buck born an an average piece of land with no food plots but sufficientscaveging and corn put out. Enough water and all also as well as cover. So about this buck, pretend it was born this year. What are its antlers going to be like next year, the year after ect... What I'm looking for in a nut shell is how the points develop. Is it like spike first full year, 6 point the next? How's it work? I know its impossible to tell for sure so pretend.

Thanks much

buckhunter14

It's really hard to say without knowing the area. I can explain my area though and maybe it will be similar to yours.

Born this spring: This fall button buck, 1/2 year old.
Next fall: Spike - Small 6, 1 1/2 year old.
Fall after Next: Small 8 -Small 10, 2 1/2 year old.
Fall after fall after next: Large 8 - Large 12, 3 1/2 year old.

This is just what I have experienced with.

mauser06

fall he will be a button buck....year after that he can have anything from spikes to a basket rack.....for some reason(guess good genes?) a good bit of our 1.5yr old bucks are basket racks with some points....ive seen upto 10......no lie my buddy killed a 4x6...spread was only like 9 inches....and it had no mass....you cant really tell whats going to happen with them and their points....they generally gain mass and spread throught their life....and are usually dead for one reason or another well before the decline.......my buddy shot a nice 2.5yr old here this season....it was a heavy 8pt with a 16inch spread....

JagMagMan

Depending on natural nutrition, and genetics, Young bucks can be anything from a spike, to a basket-rack 8 point, or so!
Up to age 3 1/2, most of the bucks nutrition will go to body growth. If all things stay equal, after age 3 1/2,mass, and spread should take off! Genetics, will have a lots to say about points, and spread also.

Hotburn76

Used to think age had alot to do with rack but this year I realized it does not matter. This years shotgun season when I was checking in my deer this kid brings in this nice 13 point buck. As I was getting ready to leave the DNR guy said its a 1 1/2 old buck, the hunter said no way, and I thought the same thing so I stuck around to see the DNR guy show him the teeth. Im not a expert at judging teeth but the DNR said that a deer only has thatthird premolar with three cups when they 1 1/2 years old and the next year they loose it and its replaced with one that has only two cups in it. The DNR said theirs no deciding on wear since they only have that cup at 1 1/2. after that he said you can debate wear on food source and other stuff but not a 1 1/2 year old. He aged mine at 2 1/2 busted rackeight. The next day my nephew gets an eight bigger than mine and sure enough it was 1 1/2. But the 13 point I spoke about had a nice inside of maybe 12" or so and tines were nice, but the mass was real bad maybe at the base only a little bigger then my thumb. The dnr said that is the only way you put age to a rack and that is buy mass but he said thats not always the case.

JagMagMan

You are right, you cannot age a buck, by his rack!
But, as I've said, and you've pointed out too, "mass," is usually THE key to age! Until bucks are fully grown, (3 1/2 years, or so) most nutrition is used for the bucks body growth. After that, more nutrition will go to antler growth!