Managing for Trophies One Buck a Time
Promptly after seeing movement on the nearby ridgeline, sunlight met antlers. A little shaky, my binoculars followed the buck as he stepped just barely outside of the live oak cover 150-yards out. He looked familiar. Then after a quarter-turn of his antlers, I realize it was “Curly” by the corkscrew G3. The mediocre, yet interesting 8-pointer from last season had exploded. Well, not so much in points, but mass and tine length. I watched the deep-chested 9-pointer retreat back into the cover never to reach bow range. “What a difference a year makes”, I thought.
Whitetail hunters have a lot in common, with very few exceptions. They cherish their time in the stand, with fellow hunters at deer camp, and talking about hunting most any time. The great majority of them love the antlers on these majestic creatures – immensely.
Arguably, deer hunting success should be measured in memories more than inches. On the other hand, nothing is more symbolic of deer hunting than the antlers themselves. And for most, the grander the antlers the better. Coveted traits include long times, mass, and extra character points. Defining a trophy depends on the person, area, and mindset.
Whatever the case, optimal whitetail antlers come with good nutrition, habitat, and age. For those with the goal of harvesting bucks with large antlers, hunting based on age structure is key. There are those that covet and seek big-antlered deer and then those that manage for them; through patience and a sort of hopeful delayed gratification. One that means passing on nice (sometimes exceptional) looking bucks. This means managing not only for nutrition, habitat, and age structure but expectations and goals.
Throughout the country, there are organized efforts to manage for mature whitetail bucks. And if adhered to, the result is a better age structure; and antlers. In Texas, for example, there is a 13-inch inside-spread minimum. And if you choose, you can join a wildlife coop through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Here, member hunters across free-range areas can collectively manage for mature bucks. And it works. These hunting grounds eventually have improved antlers to prove it. Through this approach, hunters within larger stretches of free-range hunting territory collectively adhere to antler and age parameters; a far cry from hunting lease or club rules on individual properties.
Then there are the many expanses of private hunting grounds where no formal management structure is in place. What if these neighboring landowners with shared deer populations informally agreed on shared management rules even if on a la cart basis?
The main fear of passing nice bucks that haven’t reached their full potential usually goes something like this; “The neighbors are going to shoot him anyway so what’s the point?” or What if he goes nocturnal or moves on?” These fears are certainly warranted.
Making the Leap
A Neighborly Agreement
The buck continued to show impressive growth into 2018 and once again, the two bordering hunters agreed to pass on him.
“The cool thing was we each found one side of his sheds in 2018. We scored the buck at 143-inches”, said Yancey.
Yancey would continue to hunt for the hit-list buck as would his newfound hunting friend and cohort. He went on to have a couple of encounters with him during October of the 2019 season, with no luck.
Epic Results
Yancey’s neighbor harvested the mammoth buck later in the 2019 season. Scoring a whopping 183-inches, a lot was gained from the 3-year journey.
“The journey was so cool. Though I wasn’t able to shoot the buck, I was invested and it was quite a ride. I will have the memories for a lifetime”.
Not only was a truly special deer taken, but a friendship blossomed between two diehard deer hunters”.
“Before, my neighbor and I had no real relationship. We were basically unknown to one another. I now have a new friend and there is mutual trust. I’d say everybody won here.”
A la carte micro-QDM may not have a huge impact on the overall quality of an area deer herd, but it doesn’t hurt. Just ask Yancy. I initially heard his story on the Drawn to Wildlife Podcast where Yancy shared the account with friend and host Drew Ramage. Needless to say, I was fascinated.
While I’ve seen my share of antlers grow by letting bucks walk, I’ve never had an experience as dramatic as Yancey’s. After all, it’s rare to see whitetail antlers grow 40-inches in a year. It however just goes to show what can be accomplished with a little patience and cooperation between neighbors.
Not everyone has a buck of that size walking around – or for that matter, hunting neighbors trustworthy enough to enter such an agreement with. But to the extent possible it might just be worth a try. If you ever harvest a special buck under such an agreement, share the moment with others. After all, it’s these animals and moments that have made whitetail hunting so special for decades upon decade. I know I’m going to roll the dice and continue to practice micro-QDM in the future.
Based in Texas, Jerald Kopp is President of 1st Light Hunting Journal. His articles cover a variety of topics about hunting and the outdoor lifestyle. Jerald is an avid outdoorsman with deer hunting and whitetails being by far his greatest passion. He was introduced to hunting and fishing at an early age and has been enjoying it for 40+ years. In 2005, he established the Empowerment Outfitter Network (EON) – a faith-based non-profit organization that provides hunting opportunities for disabled and terminally-ill children and youth. When not hunting, he spends his time traveling and enjoying life with Amy, his wife of over 30 years. Jerald and Amy have two adult daughters and a son-in-law.