Posted 11:00 pm Thursday, February 09, 2012
Record-Book Bucks Skyrocket
By STEVE KNIGHT
Outdoors Editor
It won't come as a surprise to deer hunters, but the number of record book white-tailed deer bucks has skyrocketed in recent years.
Outdoors Editor
It won't come as a surprise to deer hunters, but the number of record book white-tailed deer bucks has skyrocketed in recent years.
According to Boone and Crockett Club, the recognized registry of all big deer antlers, the number of book deer is up 400 percent in the past 30 years.
For Boone and Crockett's purposes, a trophy deer is one that scores 170 net typical or 190 net as a non-typical. Boone and Crockett said it took in only 617 trophy whitetails between 1980 and 1985.
That number increased to 3,090 from 2005 to 2010. But that tells only a part of the story.
Because of the interest shown in deer management, Texas is considered the capital of North American deer hunting.
However, it only ranks 11th in book entries for the latest period with 132. That is up from 12th between 1980 and 1985 when there were 19. Wisconsin actually leads the pack with 383 book deer between 2005 and 2010. It was third 30 years ago with 40, an 857 percent increase.
This reflects one thing and one thing only - the amount of trophy deer hunting under high fence in Texas, deer that don't qualify for the B&C book. Las Cazadores, the South Texas-based deer contest, had 45 entries grossing 200-inches or better this season only, and this was considered a bad antler year by all accounts. There is no doubt hundreds of book bucks slipped through the rules crack in the last five years.
The increase in trophy deer is a seismic shift that reflects changing times. No longer are deer hunters solely hunting for meat. It is now more about from the neck up than the neck down for many hunters. Deer quality isn't recognized by the pound, but by the inches of antler.
"There are multiple things going on," said Alan Cain, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's white-tailed deer program leader. "First and foremost people now are talking about deer management, and in the last 30 years of deer management hunting has evolved. It is not like in the 1980s when if you would see a buck you would shoot.People are managing for older age, quality and more of them, and doing a better job."
With the growing number of hunting shows, articles, organizations and even big buck contests promoting deer management, every deer hunter today knows age, genetics and nutrition are the keys to producing bigger bucks. While most lease hunters can't do a lot about genetics and nutrition, they are allowing bucks to get older either through choice or regulations such as Texas' minimum antler width rule.
"I think we have helped improve antler structure with the antler restriction. We are seeing a shifting age structure to 3 and 4 year old deer, even though I know it is frustrating to some people," Cain said.
While some scorn the concept of trophy hunting, the management required to create trophies on low-fence properties actually leads to stronger herds.
It starts with an aggressive doe harvest to maintain overall numbers.
That is coupled with a culling program, geared to increasing antler quality by allowing the best of the bucks to escape until reaching antler maturing at 6 ½ years old and up.
Reduced deer numbers on the range means better habitat. The development of protein feed has also coincided with improved deer quality.
There is no doubt some high-fenced ranches have brought in deer to influence genetics. The impact of northern white-tailed genetics is similar to the Florida bass impact across the state.
However, Cain doesn't believe that isn't the case on most ranches.
I think the majority are working with native deer, not something come out of a pen," he said.
Once happy with a 10-pointer or may a deer that scored 110 or 120, today's hunters have their sights set on a bigger prize and believe even on the smallest tract of land they can create a situation where they can get it. As more and more sees the possibility it creates an informal cooperative among neighbors that just might result in more trophies.
Have a comment or opinion on this story? Contact outdoor writer Steve Knight by email at outdoor@tylerpaper.com.
Follow Steve Knight on Twitter @tyleroutdoor.
