In the first two installments of this series, we presented results from our landmark study on antler development in free-ranging deer. For many years, biologists and hunters alike have debated the practice of culling spike-antlered yearlings from the herd. The two “camps,” as one outdoor writer once described it, thoroughly mixed and permanently fixed! In other words, both thought they were right although they vehemently disagreed.

One opinion states that spike yearlings will never develop quality antlers later in life. The other supports the idea that, given a chance to grow up, spikes will indeed produce quality antlers. The two opinions arose for various reasons, but most are the result of two scientific studies that produced diametrically opposed results. The study conducted by Texas Parks & Wildlife at their Kerrville research facility showed that spike yearlings were genetically inferior to their fork-antlered cohorts.

The other study, conducted by Dr. Harry Jacobson at Mississippi State University, found the exact opposite results. Dr. Jacobson concluded that there was no correlation between a buck’s first set of antlers and those he sports at maturity. Obviously, both conclusions cannot be right.

We are at a loss to explain the different results from these two studies. On analysis, both have their strengths and flaws, yet one fact is consistent with each: Both studies were conducted using penned deer. Not to criticize either study, but we must point out that penned deer face entirely different conditions than do the deer found on the average hunting property across North America.

On the one hand, penned deer are coddled all their lives. They seldom want for anything except freedom. On the other hand, they also are maintained under very unnatural, crowded conditions that can affect their physiology. That’s why we decided back in 1996 to design an entirely new study that looked at antler development of wild deer. We wanted our subjects to face drought, cold, breeding stress, and constant harassment by coyotes and other predators. In other words, we wanted them to be just like wild deer everywhere.

The study was designed to not be a genetics study. Instead, it was aimed at answering one simple question: Can you look at a buck’s first set of antlers and predict what he will have at maturity? In addition to genetics, the end result of what any animal grows into at maturity is also controlled by certain environmental factors.

But the Texas and Mississippi studies assumed antler size was controlled by a simple set of genes. They did not consider other genetically related traits, such as the ability to efficiently use nutrients, escape predators and compete for mates. You may have the genetics to be an NFL linebacker, but without proper nutrition you’ll never even make the Pony League team!

HOW WE DID THE STUDY
As described in earlier sections of this series, our study began in South Texas in 1997 and involved capturing buck fawns and yearlings over several years on 12 different ranches.

Thanks to helicopter capture techniques developed in New Zealand, we captured over 1,100 yearling bucks alone (not including buck fawns). We then marked each buck with ear tags and tattoos and released them.

In subsequent years, we attempted to recapture as many of these animals as possible. This allowed us to measure a buck’s antlers over several years to determine how he performed under natural conditions. We also obtained data from bucks harvested by hunters on these properties. (Some bucks were being culled for management purposes on some of the ranches.) It was necessary to capture large numbers of bucks, because unlike working with penned deer, the chances of recapturing a specific wild buck are never 100 percent, especially when you factor in natural mortality.

To date, we have obtained data on 1,132 yearlings, 277 2-year-old bucks, 131 3-year-old bucks, 62 4-year-old bucks, and 33 5-year-old bucks. Last month in Part 2, we revealed our findings. Basically, we found there was no correlation between the size of a buck’s first set of antlers and his antler size at maturity (4.5-plus years).

Once a spike, always a spike -- right? And bucks like the pencil spike on the left-hand page will never amount to anything, so they should be culled from the herd -- right? Wrong! Here's what the pencil spike grew into in 4 1/2 years. His 10-point rack actually beats that of the average buck killed in Texas each season.

We did, however, find statistically significant differences for immature bucks. When divided into two classes (3 or fewer points and 4 or more points), yearling bucks with 3 or fewer points had significantly smaller antlers at 2 and 3 years of age. This was true for all standard Boone and Crockett measurements except inside spread for the 3-year-old class. However, when these bucks reached the 4-year-old age-class, antler sizes in both groups were very consistent.

Since research has shown that whitetail bucks reach full body maturity at 4 years of age, it appears that bucks starting out with 3 or fewer points catch up by the time they mature at 4 1/2 years. Other researchers have hypothesized that buck fawns born late in the fawning season tend to have spikes as yearlings, while those born earlier have larger racks at 1 1/2 years of age.

Although we generally support this theory, there was no way to know when the bucks we captured were born. Whatever the reason, though, our data support the idea that bucks starting out with smaller antlers can produce antlers as good as those beginning their antler growing life with multiple points, if they’re allowed to reach maturity.