Pondering, napping while sitting in the deer stand
Did you see the 30 pointer? Neither did I. But I did see some new research talking about antler growth and development and in relation to genetic potential.
It’s interesting to note this research focused less on the genetics of the individual deer than the gestational period prior to birth. It states that a buck’s antler size is often determined prior to ever hitting the ground, and genetics has less to do with it than the health and condition of the doe that births the fawn.
If you have ever seen any of the “high fence” hunting shows, even on large ranch facilities, you hear the phrases “management buck” or “cull deer” (insert redneck drawl when you say that).
But we know that a late born fawn from a doe that didn’t get bred in her first heat cycle will not catch up to a fawn born at the optimal birthing period until it reaches the age of three to four. So a three and a half year old with a scrubby rack and without a lot of mass may finally catch up and produce a large rack with a lot of mass in its fourth year of life because its body has finally caught up to the others of the same age born up to six weeks earlier.
The reason is the quality of the forage in the green-up period providing the doe with greater protein for milk production and for the young fawns to forage on when they start to forage. This is a major reason QDM stressed doe-to-buck ratios, among other things, to provide the greatest opportunity for does to be bred in the first heat cycle of the rut.
This new research is now telling us that if the doe is deconditioned while carrying her fawn, it will never reach its genetic potential in antler growth. A scenario where the doe could be deconditioned would be a hard winter. Another is that she would be depleted after nursing and raising two fawns the previous year and not able to put on enough fat to ensure her metabolism adequately over the following winter.
Essentially this research suggests that if the doe was deconditioned while gestating a fetus, that fawn will never become a true trophy buck even if it had the genetics to become a new world record.
To me this points to the importance of quality habitat. I ponder these things while waiting for the 30 pointer on the stand. Well, that and why do you see so many squirrels when you hunt deer but not when you hunt squirrels? And I think about the fact that I’ve seen only one grouse from the stand while bowhunting this year. I haven’t seen that many grouse while grouse hunting either so I’m back to that habitat thing again. I ponder other things too and sometimes I don’t ponder anything at all, especially when I’m napping. There is no better place to nap than in the woods. But if I’m hunting with Josh he keeps waking me up and won’t let me nap. I ponder why he does that once in while too.
“What if a deer come along,” he tells me.
“Shoot it,” I usually respond, “I’ll wake up.”
That would be a good way to wake up. The only thing better would be awakening to the 30 pointer breaking a stick at about 40 yards out and standing there looking away from me. I’d like to wake up like that sometime.
Once, way back like 35 years ago I was lounged out on my back taking a nap on the bench seat of a john boat, because there isn’t a better place to nap than on the marsh either. A big drake green head woke me up with a loud “quack.” He was directly above me about ten yards high trying to gain altitude.
My shotgun was rested against the tiller to my right; I grabbed it and shot him. That woke up my buddy Fritz napping in the front of the boat. He said it was a great way to wake up. I agree, a big green head, a big buck snapping a stick, or your kid shooting a deer is a great way to wake up.
Whether napping or pondering such things on our second weekend of deer camp, I’m wishing you good luck, a Happy Thanksgiving, and please remember “Safe Hunting is No Accident!”
THROUGH A
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CHUCK K OLAR LOCAL OUTDOORSMAN
