To prize hunters, the goal is to harvest a deer with big antlers. The bigger the rack, the more valuable the prize. I don’t know any hunter who has not shared stories about huge antlers. They talk about the number of points, how big the spread was, the diameter of the antler, how long the tines were, etc.

The question is, how can you increase the chances that the deer you are hunting will have large antlers?

There are three main things that can influence buck antler size:

1. Genetics

2. What The Deer Has To Eat

3. The Age of the Deer

Genetics determine the potential size of the antlers. In other words maximum antler size is a trait that is inherited. This is a fact that experienced deer hunters and game managers know and that science has proven. Leases are often managed in a way to produce the biggest bucks by limiting the size of the antlers that are permitted to be harvested. A limit is put each season on genetically desirable prey and killing of genetically inferior antlered deer lets the gene pool move towards more favorable traits. The actual effect of these strategies is questionable, but the though process and fact basis of this practice is very sensible. The fact is that culling of deer with inferior genetics is seldom possible when you consider the number of other deer killed within a population.

Nutrition or what a deer has to eat is another factor affecting the size of a deers antlers. Even with optimal genetics, the deer will not realize its full potential if the animal does not receive the proper nutrition.  Most experienced hunters have hunted through seasons where drought has affected the food sources for the deer and the large antlered deer just weren’t there. In order for deer to reach their full antler producing potential, they need adequate nutrition throughout the entire year. Summer and spring diets are the most vital since the majority of antler growth really happens during those seasons. Inferior foliage growth during these months can greatly limit antler growth. Good habitat management can help alleviate the toll taken. Sometimes, it’s necessary to implement additional feeding.

The final factor is age, however research suggests that once a buck has reached 3+ years of age genetics and nutrition play a larger part in antler growth. Usually antler size potential increases throughout the first few years of life. It continues to increase some during the fourth through sixth year. However, the actual growth rate and size depend on the breed of deer and the deers genetics. For this reason, the harvesting of bucks younger than 4 years is not encouraged. The practice by insensitive hunters of culling bucks that are too young can lead to such colorful expressions from more experienced hunters as, “That deer still had milk on its breath.”  It’s best to allow the young bucks to mature and only harvest them afterward. If you are at a point where you need venison, but can’t seem to get a mature buck, then you should harvest a doe. You will see the benefit of this during the next season of hunting.

Do you want to know the advanced deer hunting tips that the finest hunters have mastered?

And please visit us at www.Deer-HuntingTips.com to learn more secrets and advanced deer hunting tips.

The average deer hunter who has average skills and an average commitment to the hunt, usually get average results for his efforts. You might be satisfied with just getting that single deer every couple of years, but if you want better than that for yourself, learn how to get that trophy buck.

The advanced deer hunting tips I’m sharing with you here are for the true hunting masters.

1. Scout Your Hunting Area – This does not simply mean know where you are going to sit while you are hunting. It means to go out and truly get to know your hunting location. The most successful hunters actually start hunting months prior to the first day of the hunting season. Get permission to be on the lease you intend on hunting and scout out all the potential hunting spots. I surveyed all the potential hunting sites and then did a “dry hunt” — went through the motions of hunting but without a gun, so I could get to know the areas that had the most deer movement, the largest bucks, and the best buck-to-doe ratios. It is advisable to scout the lease during midday as well in order to find any signs of big bucks. Speaking of which:

2. Know the Signs of Big Bucks – Knowing what to look for allows you to zero in on the areas where the trophy deer are. Spot any tracks. Be aware of the size, number of, and the direction of the tracks, which will clue you in on the size, number of and movements of the deer. Look for Scrapes – areas where bucks scratch the ground accompanied with urination to mark territory and attract does, typically below low hanging tree branches at the border of heavy brush during the rut. Another thing you want to look for are rubs. As a buck attempts to get the velvet off their new antlers thy need to rub on trees and posts. They also do this to mark their territory during rutting season. A “rub line” is a series of rubs, six or more within about a 100 yard space. The rubs are typically on the side of the tree that the buck is traveling form so noting which sides of the trees have rub marks in a rub line gives clues as to the direction of movement. Also, look for bedding areas and make a note of their size. No bucks will go through that area without leaving signs!

3. Understand Your Firearm. Know the ballistics of the cartridge and bullet you are using. Realize and be able to adjust for the distance you are shooting; the rise on short shoots and the fall on longer shoots. Practice judging distance and if all possible walk off the probable sighting areas ahead of time so if you are making a 400 yard shot you know it is 400 yards and you know the drop your bullet will realize at that distance and be able to adjust.

4. Shot Placement. If you master the aim and ballistics of your deer hunting rile, you will be more comfortable with precision shot placement. While many hunters have several different ways to shoot, one way that can help you is to shoot for the neck of the animal, as that will immobilize the deer much more quickly. If you hit the deer lower on the neck the carotid arteries will be severed. If you hit the deer high on the neck you will break the deer’s spinal column. Finally, if you hit the deer in the center of the neck you will get a combination of both of these effects. If you’re shooting from the side, front, hindquarters, or head-on, the neck is the most effective target, even more so than the traditional “behind the lower shoulder” target. I don’t recommend attempting full rear shots unless you are trying for a trophy buck that you can’t pass up. Cleaning a deer that’s been shot in the rectum is unpleasant, to say the least. You want to make smart decisions when you take a shot. The best deer hunters make a fast and efficient kill.

5. Attractants, Calls and Rattling. Briefly, our last advanced deer hunting tips involve attractants (food plots, mineral blocks and flavored blocks, and salt licks) deer calls, and techniques for rattling. Preparation time is necessary for food-based attractants. Planting food plots takes time ant attention much as any gardening does. You should set out food attractants in an area weeks or even months prior to hunting season, so that the deer will become familiar with their feeding times and the location of their meals. Usually calling or rattling will only work occasionally and only during the rut. Bucks will mostly be attracted to the rattles and calls because they’re curious if not in rut, but while rutting they’ll rush toward the noise, which is far from an ideal situation. There have been times when I have almost been run over by a buck while I was rattling. With this in mind, if you choose to use this technique you need to be prepared to react quickly. It’ll take a lot of time to get good at this. To effectively mimic the call or re-creation of realistic fighting sounds of deer has a learning curve, but can become very effective once learned.

No matter how interested in deer hunting you are, anyone with the slightest interest dreams of getting a nice trophy buck; you might also be a deer hunting fiend who wants a trophy rack each year. If you plan to become an elite hunter, you need to know the advanced deer hunting tips that the finest hunters have mastered.

If you want to learn more about deer hunting and tips that can help you land the large bucks that get you trophy racks, go to http://www.deer-huntingtips.com and have a better hunting season than you’ve had in years.