I don't really understand racks....
 

I don't understand age and rack growth. A buck probably starts his rack as a spike or fork. Somewhere something in his genes determines how big and how many points he will have. There are some monster 6 or 8 point bucks and some 10's always have a little basket rack. I shot a nice 8 pt last year and I don't believe he would have ever been a 10 or 12 point deer. I guess what I'm asking is.... Is there a point in a bucks life where the points just quit growing and more mass happens until he reaches his prime and then the rack starts decreasing in quality? Maybe I answered my own question with the genetics statement. Consider this a thread for discussion

You must have been bottle feed if you don't understand racks...........

Sorry couldn't help it.

DanMorgan

I left the door wide open for that one.

Those giant 6-7 pointers are probably 5-6 years old and need to be removed so they don't spread those genes. That 8pt you shot last year how old was he ?If he was only2-3 years old we would have become a way bigger 8+ pt by age 5-6.Age and genetics in the are will help determine how big, heavy and how many points that deer will get. I have had some big 3 1/2 year old 8s that have become 10'S and bigger the older they got. If you kill them young you will never know...

true but managing also shows you when the buck is declining and needs to be taken out of the herd as well...

Sounds like a bunch of farmers discussing the management of a herd of angus on ranch pasture. Interesting.

I didn't ask how old he was before I shot him. Here he is three weeks before I got him.

Well hes purdy, the thick neck tells me hes older then 3. If he was up at the end of his life he will still grow a decent rack but because the body requires more the nutrients and minerals for the rack start to be utilized elsewhere leading to a rack that will eventually start to decline in mass and size.
My rule of thumb if you can track deer for several years;
year 1-3 growth in body and rack
years 4-6 will start to peak at max capability
years 7 on up rack may remain for another year but will start to decline at this point hes pretty much a senior citizen.

Check out the buck named Desi. It was a put on about 100 inches in it's 10th year.

Just bacause an old buck is declining, doesn't mean his genetics change. Why would you take him out of the herd if he could still spread the genetics that made him great while he was in his prime?