anter growth and shedding from mountain deer to swamps

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ghoasthunter
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anter growth and shedding from mountain deer to swamps

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:12 am

I have been shed hunting for twenty years and have a observation. I find my best genetic sheds 95% of the time in mountains. I also observe the sheds drop earlier and on more consistent time frames. Does anybody else see this? most of my swamp deer are main frame 8 points and 10s. Mature mountain bucks on other hand are 10 point main frame they develop split g2 and g3 and sometimes double brows. my theory is they get better minerals from ground. most of the available water in mountains comes from natural springs. I'm thinking the springs are pushing up extra natural minerals from deep under ground. Then the deer are drinking the water and eating the plants that take in the water. versus the swamp deer drinking from runoff ponds and ditches. the bucks do shed months later in swamps probly from more browse and thermal climate the swamp provides. does anybody else see the same things happening in areas you hunt?


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JoeRE
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Re: anter growth and shedding from mountain deer to swamps

Unread postby JoeRE » Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:35 am

I think it depends a lot on what region you are talking. But richer soil does increase body weights and antler growth no doubt about it. I have heard if you want to find big bucks look for limestone quarries. That is a sign of mineral rich soil. There is obviously more to it than that but still its something.

Around here the more rugged terrain has somewhat smaller antlers for each age class. Those big rich soil river bottoms seem to produce more huge deer. The important think to keep in mind is age class. The more rugged terrain often has older deer because more bucks are able to survive each hunting season so that results in more mature bucks. But comparing average antler size for each age class, they seem to be smaller than those fertile farm country bucks. Just is more old bucks on unmanaged land with rougher terrain and because they are older, they may also have bigger antlers...
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ghoasthunter
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Re: anter growth and shedding from mountain deer to swamps

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Tue Jan 09, 2018 2:42 pm

JoeRE wrote:I think it depends a lot on what region you are talking. But richer soil does increase body weights and antler growth no doubt about it. I have heard if you want to find big bucks look for limestone quarries. That is a sign of mineral rich soil. There is obviously more to it than that but still its something.

Around here the more rugged terrain has somewhat smaller antlers for each age class. Those big rich soil river bottoms seem to produce more huge deer. The important think to keep in mind is age class. The more rugged terrain often has older deer because more bucks are able to survive each hunting season so that results in more mature bucks. But comparing average antler size for each age class, they seem to be smaller than those fertile farm country bucks. Just is more old bucks on unmanaged land with rougher terrain and because they are older, they may also have bigger antlers...
I'm in northern NJ and we have a lot of lime in our mountains and our river bottoms are fed by mountain streams so makes sense.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A HUNTER HAS IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS
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ghoasthunter
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Re: anter growth and shedding from mountain deer to swamps

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Tue Jan 09, 2018 2:44 pm

the age class in our swamps is same as mountains most of time
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