September is definitely a time when bachelor groups begin to split up and when the "Boys of Summer" go their individual ways and become much tougher to see during daylight hours. Painting of the "Boys of Summer" by Michael Sieve. For information, contact www.wildwings.com.

Quality deer management has caught on like wildfire with hunters all over the country. In my home state of Wisconsin, the number of hunters practicing quality deer management has skyrocketed. It is very encouraging to see hunters taking the responsibility of managing for the overall health of the deer herd. Ultimately, this responsibility will always lie with hunters like us.

However, many of the hunters with whom I talk are disappointed with the results they're getting from their management programs. These hunters are not tagging the big bucks they were hoping for. In many cases, they're getting frustrated with letting small bucks walk, only to go home empty-handed. Our hunting party went through the same process until we finally took the next step in deer management and found the success we were looking for.

So before you throw in the towel and abandon your management program, I challenge you to rethink the way you manage your herd. Seeing results will require time and possibly a change of attitude. It also requires patience and an open mind.

BEYOND ANTLER RESTRICTIONS
The first step is to look at what your management strategy program considers to be a "shooter buck."

The most common criterion I see hunters use is antler size. Wider than the ears, 8 points or more, and a gross score of 120 inches or more are all common minimum antler size standards used by hunters. The antler restriction method of managing the buck harvest on your property will definitely result in a higher number of bucks, but this method has some shortcomings that could ultimately harm your overall management program.

For one thing, this method often results in younger bucks being shot and it also has an adverse effect on antler genetics. In many places, 8-point yearlings are not at all uncommon, and under an 8-point-and-above program they're fair game. Using antler size alone as a gauge creates the likelihood that the most impressive young bucks could be harvested well before their time, while many older bucks with poorer antler quality are passed up and left to reproduce. Not only does this system remove the bucks with the best chance at becoming trophies, it also affects the genetics being passed onto the herd. Most deer management programs are designed to improve antler genetics within the deer herd, yet the "antler size" system often does the opposite.

I also see many hunting groups culling out the smallest bucks on their property in order to "improve" the antler genetics of the herd. I believe this strategy can be very detrimental to their management efforts. On large tracts of intensively managed property there may be a place for culling some mature bucks that have not displayed the antler characteristics managers are looking for. However, this practice does not work for the average landowner.

Some managers remove spike bucks from the herd because they think these bucks are "genetically inferior." But "inferior" genetics may not be the cause of some bucks having only spikes their first year. For example, fawns born later in the year tend to have lower body weights going into their first winter and are commonly only spikes their first year. These bucks will soon catch up and show their potential in following years. They just need time. Believe me when I say that most of these spikes will become wallhangers if they are given time to reach maturity.

I also strongly believe that most bucks don't show their genetic potential until they are 4 1/2 years old. Two years ago my brother Andy passed up a very poor 2 1/2-year-old buck we named "Pencil Tines" because his antlers were so thin. Andy passed up the buck again when he was 3 1/2. By that time Pencil Tines had grown substantially, but his rack was still below average.

A year later when Pencil Tines was 4 1/2, my brother shot him on the second day of season. Pencil Tines now sported 11 points and had bases that measured over 6 1/2 inches in circumference. So you can see why I believe that culling bucks may result in reducing the number of "shooter" bucks on your property in the future.

In summary, culling is a poor choice for the average property owner because normally there aren't many 4 1/2-year-old or older bucks to cull in the first place and the younger bucks have not yet shown their potential. Don't waste your time trying to cull the younger bucks. Instead, let them go and see what happens.

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