This new property I've been blessed with has more buck activity than I've ever seen in my life. Some really nice looking deer and some up and comers. There is one buck in particular that I'm super excited about seeing next year. He has double split brow tines. Very unique rack. Hes even got little kickers at the base growing all over. I swear he is the smallest 12pt I've ever seen. Now what I dont know and I need someones expertise. Are split brow tines or antler deformities and oddities carried over year to year? Or could he never grow split tines again?
I think he'll have them again next year, look how many folks are able to show sheds from years past of a buck and you can definitely tell they came off a particular buck. I believe non-typical genes are even passed down, but only an occasional few offspring have it happen to their racks. Up where I hunt my dad shot a really cool non-typical 35-40 some years ago. It wasn't huge, but might've really been a tank in another couple of years. It is what most envision when they here "non-typical", it has super mass with gnarled points and stickers all over the main beam. Unfortunately the rack has been lost to us, it was hanging at my grandparents place and once they passed away the house was rented out. No one took it off the wall and it of course walked away with one of the renters. Since then, 2 or 3 more have been spotted in the area over the years, but no one has been able to connect on one. It could be coincidence I suppose, but I feel that there is non-typical genes in that area's deer herd that show up on rare occasion in some of the bucks. It seems to be few and far in between. Hard to say what that deer will do. If he didn't put on quite a bit of growth by next year then I'd probably cull him if I could, but I'd bet that he'll keep the split eye guards.
I plan to put lots of minerals and Lucky Buck out this winter and spring to hopefully put some mass on these deer. Seems to me alot of the bucks on this property have nice racks, 8 and 10 pointers. But they are some scrawny racks. Guessing lack of minerals and nutrition?
Tom ( @Monster Raxx ) may have some insights on particular ratios which may be beneficial...else it's probably somewhere in the forum archives from a few years ago.
Couple things, I don't really see any reason to believe lack of nutrition is occurring - just young deer not coming into their prime yet. Great young deer, but far from mature yet. Maturity is all they need. Also being a fellow Hoosier be careful with mineral use, as the IC code spells it out clearly the entire site must be removed (including affected soil) to be legal to hunt the property. Best of luck!
Yeah I believe as well that they are young. 1.5-2.5. I have always been worried about mineral sights for that exact reason so I plan to put this one in a location I don't plan to hunt over and is easily accessible for me to dig up and place back down year after year
