I've read on other forums that antler growth can be affected by drought. It's dry as 4377 here and the muley bucks I've seen don't seem to be lacking in the size department. They all seem to be pretty normally sized to me.

Maybe it has to do with them drinking out of my stock tanks :D I've got a 50 gallon water tank here by the house I keep full when the horses are across the road like they are right now. There's a 200 gallon water tank over there that I have to refill every 2-3 days. There's always fresh deer tracks in the dust when I check either of the tanks.

It's fun to eat breakfast out on the deck at 0600 and watch the deer "sneak" up and get a drink. I usually glass the area over across the road to look for horns too. The bigger bucks should start showing up here pretty soon.

here's some from earlier in the spring

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/recoil_junky/IMG_0457.jpg

and a doe and her fawn getting a drink last week.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/recoil_junky/IMG_0724.jpg


RJ

Usually in a drought, the problems deer face are getting enough minerals and protein in their diet, as the vegetation dries up and some food sources aren't available. This also causes the doe to drop one or less fawns because of lack of browse.

If the sage and other forbes are still holding up, and you're supplying them with adequate water, they should thrive.

Mule deer populations are in a decline in most western states while the whitetail is thriving. They have cut back noticeably on the tags here in Arizona on mule deer.

If you'll look under the fawn's belly you can see a salt block w/ trace mierals. I'll get another one to put over across the road when I get back from the buisness trip back east. I don't see the deer licking on it very often but they do use it some.

RJ

Read somewhere years ago that a deer will continue daily (nightly) feeding until it has acheived 15% protein in the diet, then will feed for other nutrients. I've personally seen deer and elk make a wallow out of spots where ranchers placed salt and mineral blocks for several years in a row. The minerals leach into the soil and becomes a natural salt lick for years to come. Good places places to stake out.

I used to make a mix of white salt and trace mineral and mix it in the dirt. Now I just keep one of those brown mineral blocks out all the time. Deer use it whenever the weather is warm. I have used lics to move deer in my direction. It can make deer detour around things and can move a network of trails over some distance. Pretty interesting. Easier than brush and fence.

Even in a drought water is everywhere around here. This is the first year I have ever had deer eat my tomato plants, leaves, green tomatoes and all.

I have been seeing three heavy racked bucks hanging out together, I guess the 'maters are doing them good.

During the early part of the antler growing season it was very dry but water was available through stock tanks. I do think they miss out when they are not comsuming their moisture through plant matter... the same with minerals. I think it is important that they get their minerals through plant matter rather than raw or bulk minerals.

I base this on my observations. My place has fewer deer than it will support, hope to keep it that way, and the native brush is very high in nutrients. My deer will not eat from a protein feeder. That was a lesson I learned through about 4000# of wasted feed.

This picture is of a 2 1/2 year old 7-pointer that hangs out in my yard. I will try to get a good picture of him this week to show the progress. I'm going to half to keep MikeG away from him as he still has 3 years of growing to put behind him.

Whitetails are capable of adding 1" of antler mass a day if they have the food supply behind it.

We have gone thru the same gyrations about feeding. I remember the 4500# plus year about 5 years ago of corn that we fed and there were 3 deer killed the entire season.

The feeding of protein and never touching it and just down the road 20 miles the deer eat it out of tube feeders or tripod barrel feeders.

I also think the patterns will vary from year to year.

Michael, you may want to try a trough of it ocationally or use different methods for tests with very limited poundage.

Like here, some put corn on top of pine needles, others say scrape them away, others say put it in the swamp runs a few inches deep in water. I know they like acorns wet and swollen. I heard for years that the whire of the feeder scared our deer away. I know that ain't true.

I have had poor luck on hunting feeders but the deer sure will eat from feeders. If it were up to me there would be no feeding during season. Instead we feed during and around season because that is when we are there.

You have done it longer than me but you need to get them eating protein for bigger racks and the pellets is the cheepest and most convienient, I would think.

The sure enough big deer around here disapeared twenty years ago when they finally planted the last soybean field in the county to pine trees.

Anybody try feeding soybeans instead of corn? I think it is much higher in protein, not sure how palatable the dried beans would be.

Another wild thought. We kept a hundred head of brood cows when I was coming up. The main farm had pure spring fed running water for the cows to drink from. When they went to water you could see those cows jockey to get upstream from the others to get at clean water. The other place we kept cows they had to drink out of a muddy old farm pond.

The cows with the good water always were in MUCH better condition. There could have been other factors with the grazing/soil quality, but I always believed it was the pure water.

From observing the big, fat bodied deer in Indiana years ago, their favorite browse was corn, soy bean, winter wheat and alfalfa.

Think the deer in this area pretty much eat anything that is green.... which isn't much right now.

Darn near hit a young coyote this morning, on a 4-lane highway. He waited in the center lane till I passed, then continued his trip.... likely looking for something edible, same as anything around here when it dries up!

You have done it longer than me but you need to get them eating protein for bigger racks and the pellets is the cheepest and most convienient, I would think.

The native brouse here in South Texas is 21 to 30% protein. You only need to supplemental feed if the deer herd is exceeding the carrying capacity of the land. The best supplemental feeding I've found is through food plots.

I heard that. Seasonal food plots have got to be the way to go if you irrigate or get the rain. We seem to have too many deer here for the natural brouse to support and it has been a lot of years since we have been able to depend on the rain. Last two years have been better on rain though.

Here is the my house 7-pointer 30-days since the last picture... He is 2 1/2 years old.

I have only seen one small buck close to the house. I did see 3 really nice bucks a couple miles up the road and I've been back a couple times to look for them again but I haven't spotted them again. Their antlers looked to be growing just fine :D

RD, if'n you let that one grow he'll be a dandy in couple more years.

RJ

Make Mickey keep his hands in his pockets when he comes to visit, Michael!! :p

I am living just outside Rochester, NY for the time being,, then back to Tucson. At any rate, in spite of the big people population, deer thrive here. I have a herd in the back yard every couple of days including a bunch of fawns that are getting bigger by the day. I have a 6 pointer here a lot but he is one of a few bucks I have seen. A lot of the deer have been hit by cars and are crippled in different ways. It is a shame as the "bunny huggers" will not allow anyone to shot them, even with a bow just to keep them in check. I see deer dead on the roadside almost every day any more. Maybe when some tree hugger has a deer go thru their windshield and kicks their kid to death, they will allow for some control of the population. We have deer everywhere including racoons, woodchucks and turkeys. This place, is turning into a hunters paradise except, you can't hunt. I have to learn what kind of deer resistant plants I can have in my yard as the deer eat all of them now. Other than the grass which I have to still mow..

Bring your water wings with you when you come, Ruger - Tucson was almost swept down river the past couple of days! The area got 10 12 inches in little over 24 hrs. 'Course, us drylanders up here in the Phoenix area got a light shower or two!! :(

Heck I saw that 7 pointer Monday night with my own eyes.... a real healthy looking critter!

Hope he makes it through the season.

That Texas high rack. And the spread looks good. He would be an all time best for me with the recurve.

I figured I would add a picture of my "yard buck" and I finally got some slack time. This guy has been hanging around over across the road with the horses. I put on my Prarrie Ghost camo and put the sneek on him and the bunch of does that live over there.


http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/recoil_junky/IMG_1779.jpg


http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/recoil_junky/IMG_1781.jpg


http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/recoil_junky/IMG_1785.jpg

I got within about 30 feet of him before I had the camera on. We kinda spooked each other in the sage brush, but he never was too nervous.

Hope I can get that close with the ILH this fall when it counts.

RJ

The day before season opens, all the pickup truck doors banging, guys target practicing and the whiff of gunpowder/gun oil/solvent and he will disappear in that magical puff of smoke, only to be seen the day after season closes! ;)

These two guys were about 100 yards from the house yesterday evening while I was grilling burgers. Maybe they wanted a taste of my Budwieser.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/recoil_junky/IMG_1799.jpg

For some reason I couldn't get this straight on picture to post last night. He's about the widest 2 point I've seen in quite a while. He'll sure be a dandy in another couple years if he makes it that long.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/recoil_junky/IMG_1801.jpg

RJ

Looks like I'd better go tighten my fence up a bit. :o