I don't really understand racks....
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Iowa
Posts: 470
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
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Schuyler county,IL
Posts: 286
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...
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 1,071
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...
#8
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.
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.
#10
true but managing also shows you when the buck is declining and needs to be taken out of the herd as well...