I hope someone can answer this question. How this question came up was when I mention to my girlfriend that the whitetail deer loose there rack every year. She didn' t beleive me. Well I showed her an article on it and then she asked me a question that I could not answer. I know the racks come back every year and they grow fast. Here is the question " If they loose there rack every year then how does a 10 point become a 10 point the next year?? How does nature know to grow back the same size every year?? Does anyone know??

the deers genetics are what determins the racks characteristics. Its age and nutrition along with its genetics are the determning factor of the size of the rack.

Well that is what I figured the answer was. She is very analogical and has to analyze everything right down to the last detail!! LOL!

Just because it is a 10 point this year does not mean it will be a 10 point next year. It could be a 12 point or a 6 point depends on age, food, health, etc...

Ok...this is what she is talking about and I didn' t know for sure what the answer was. I figured that if it' s a 10 point this year then it could be a 12 point next year but I didn' t know that it could be something less then a 10 point. I have heard guys talk about seeing the same deer every year and it being the same number of points. So what would make it become less then a 10 point??

I am not a pro., but from my understanding age can effect the rack. A deer reaches a peak in life just like humans, we are probably are strongest between 20 and 35. Then age starts creeping up on us just like with deer we loose some strength each year. the deer looses the same way, if he doesn' t get enough protein etc... then his rack will not grow also. So lets take a deer at the age of 4- 6 he might be a 12 point. Now lets say this deer can live to be 12 he would probably only be a 6 point. Age, nutrition, conditions(weather, range), etc... all play a part in a bucks rack. This is just my 2 cents, someone else may be able to explain it better.

The 1st couple of years of a buck' s life are devoted to skeletal development.When his body is full developed,nutrition goes towards rack development.After so many years,teeth start to wear down to the point that it can' t eat the hard mast that is crucial to maintain body and rack size.If a buck is fortunate to live past 7.5-8.5 yrs,it will slowly degenerate and eventually will die from starvation.

All of this make sence to me. Now if I can just get her to buy into it!! This has been an on going...shall we say conversation for the last couple of months!!

Loghead, you are going to have to tell me how you can keep you girlfriend interested in deer for " Months" ! My wife doesn' t stay interested in deer for " Minutes" unless we are discussing how I am going to cook it. Sounds like you have a keeper.

LOL! LaBushman you are right...she is a keeper. She loves squirrel and knows how to cook it. She loves the brains!!! LOL! Try and get any other woman to cook let alone eat squirrel brains. She is different then most woman you will ever meet. She is interested in what I do and like to do. Go figure!