Wet Spring/Summer = Bigger Antlers?

[grampy]

Seeing a lot of trail cam pictures lately,  of some really nice bucks this year! Thats awesome and very exciting, especially when they are on your hunting grounds!  But I am wondering, if the wet spring and summer, we've had here in NY, has helped put on a couple extra inches on the average NY buck, this year?  Everyting seems to have really grown this year. So the bucks were eating more nutritious food, while the antlers were developing. So my question is, would this add more inches to a bucks antlers as opposed to a very dry year?  What do you all think?

[phade]

Many deer based biologists believe wet springs result in better growing antler years.

I've hear it repeated enough to think it's true, lol.


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[TreeGuy]

I'd say the mild winters lower stress and allow for a more diverse vegetation growth which in turn gives us a healthy herd, with larger racks.

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[wooly]

I've heard some VERY accomplished shed hunters who pay attention to all those details say "the wetter the better" as far as antler development goes, so I believe there is probably a connection.

I've personally never really documented any comparisons of my own, so I haven't been able to say how it affects my local bucks from one extreme to the other. It's hard to imagine a wet spring and summer wouldn't be beneficial to antler growth over a season of hot, dry, drought conditions.

[ATbuckhunter]

Both a mild winter and a wet spring will increase antler sizes. A wet spring means a higher amount of quality and easily digestible food which means that antlers should get a boost. Just put my cams out a couple days ago so I'm hoping to catch a couple nice bucks. 

[mattypotpie8S]

1 hour ago, wooly said:

I've heard some VERY accomplished shed hunters who pay attention to all those details say "the wetter the better" as far as antler development goes, so I believe there is probably a connection.

I've personally never really documented any comparisons of my own, so I haven't been able to say how it affects my local bucks from one extreme to the other. It's hard to imagine a wet spring and summer wouldn't be beneficial to antler growth over a season of hot, dry, drought conditions.

definitely makes sense.. I'm sold

[nybuckboy]

and lets not forget the passing up of the young bucks to let them grow

 

[TreeGuy]

and lets not forget the passing up of the young bucks to let them grow
 

This arguement follows me everywhere.... No comment on the potential for you to be correct, or incorrect.

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[Adkhunter1590]

Wetter the better is what I've been taught. I was just telling some guys at work a month ago that we are gonna see a lot of big bucks shot this year because it's been so wet and cool plus the mild winter.

[grampy]

12 hours ago, wooly said:

I've heard some VERY accomplished shed hunters who pay attention to all those details say "the wetter the better" as far as antler development goes, so I believe there is probably a connection.

I've personally never really documented any comparisons of my own, so I haven't been able to say how it affects my local bucks from one extreme to the other. It's hard to imagine a wet spring and summer wouldn't be beneficial to antler growth over a season of hot, dry, drought conditions.

I was talking to a young hunter over the weekend, and he asked me the question I posted. I too, really never documented a difference between dry and wet years. But as wooly says here, "It's hard to imagine a wet spring and summer wouldn't be beneficial to antler growth over a season of hot, dry, drought conditions". Almost to the letter, that is what my response was to him. And I'm almost certain, a buck that would be 100 inches in a dry year, would not be 140 in a wet one. So the average two year old and older buck, gaining a "few inches" is very probable in a year like this one. But I was impressed with the young mans question, so I posted it here. 

 

11 hours ago, nybuckboy said:

and lets not forget the passing up of the young bucks to let them grow

 

That's a whole different topic.  Covered and debated, by hundreds of pages, right here on this forum.

[nybuckboy]

47 minutes ago, grampy said:

I was talking to a young hunter over the weekend, and he asked me the question I posted. I too, really never documented a difference between dry and wet years. But as wooly says here, "It's hard to imagine a wet spring and summer wouldn't be beneficial to antler growth over a season of hot, dry, drought conditions". Almost to the letter, that is what my response was to him. And I'm almost certain, a buck that would be 100 inches in a dry year, would not be 140 in a wet one. So the average two year old and older buck, gaining a "few inches" is very probable in a year like this one. But I was impressed with the young mans question, so I posted it here. 

 

That's a whole different topic.  Covered and debated, by hundreds of pages, right here on this forum.

Yes it has been debated and I'm not trying to continue the debate but I think we all can agree there has been a movement for many hunters to "let em grow" over the past 10 years and to think this has nothing to do with bigger bucks is foolish.  I agree that if this was not the case though, that it only makes sense that a mild winter and a very wet Spring and Summer would jump start the plants with the nutrients required to grow larger racks over the growth time.

[growalot]

Well if that's the case there should be some "moose/elk" looking buck around here this fall I know we had some rough weeks with biting bugs earlier...but the colder temps have cut them back this late summer...I have to think that helps...though...I avoid the darker areas thanks to skeeters...I can imagine with the racks being engorged with blood, blood sucking insects can have a large effect ..they really have no defense against them covering their velvet do they?

[BizCT]

Out west they always say the same thing for mule deer that wet springs mean better racks.


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[dbHunterNY]

not sure if it was mentioned already but last year sucked for soft mast trees like apples and hard mast was ok.  this year trees seem to be loaded.  if we get another wet spring going into next year, next year could be even better.

[gjs4]

There are some that argue wetter is as bad as drough for the plants grow rapidly and their cellular make up and lignen is water laden so it's like one boullion cube in a 5 gallon pail regarding nutrients.

Then again if the rain raises all of the 1&2 yos killed in years past like zombies so they wander around as 3&4yos...bigger antlers are a for sure age is where the issue is in our great state. Look no further.


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[TACC]

Good info and opinions never really thought about this until this thread

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