The Antler Reality

It has become very common of late to encounter mis-truths created and distributed by opponents to intensive deer management. As president of the Texas Deer Association, I feel it’s essential to set the record straight and reveal these falsehoods for what they really are: emotional and fear-based propaganda with the specific agenda to damage or destroy a vital and vibrant rural industry in the State of Texas. So, let’s get back to facts and science, shall we?

ANTLER SIZE MATTERS One has only to look at the newsstand to see that antler size has become an integral part of our hunting heritage. Hunting magazines, antler scoring systems, big buck contests…and countless other pieces of evidence prove that antler size matters. The addition of social media to the consciousness of our society has only fueled the passion that modern hunters have for antlers.

DEER HUNTING IS NO LONGER SOLELY SUSTENANCE BASED “Somewhere between the take-a-deer-or-go-hungry days and the taming of the Texas frontier in the final quarter of the 19th Century, the size of a buck’s rack became a matter of hunter pride and bragging rights.” Credit here goes to Mike Cox, writing in the November issue of the Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine, for succinctly summing up the cultural changes to hunting which have occurred over the last century. Please don’t misunderstand my intent here; filling the freezer with venison remains a vital part of our hunting heritage. The fact remains, however, that many hunters care about the antler size that are on the bucks they take. The development of groups like the QDMA (Quality Deer Management Association), amongst many others, is proof that hunters want to become educated about modernized deer management techniques. The display of disdain by opponents to intensive deer management for a segment of hunters that is passionate about antlers is a dangerous proposition to hunting as a whole. There are many in today’s society that would like to see hunting end completely. Continuing a divisive campaign because of philosophical differences or financial agendas is not good for deer hunting and management in Texas.

TRADITIONAL DEER MANAGEMENT SHORTCOMINGS Decades of modernized harvest techniques (high-powered rifles, improved optics, trail cameras, modernized archery equipment, etc.) has seen the “trophy” buck become an endangered species in many areas of our nation. An inspection of the Boone and Crockett Record Books shows the glory age of trophy harvest across the country was half a decade ago, as deer numbers were rapidly growing and hunter numbers were still relatively low as compared to the available resource. Intensive deer management and restocking of improved genetics has and will continue to serve as a counter balance to the over-harvest of trophy class animals from the Texas deer herd. The explosion of growth in the use of intensive management techniques in Texas validates two important aspects. First, it demonstrates the great NEED for modernized deer management. Second, it shows the EFFICACY of these techniques. Why is intensive deer management growing across the state of Texas? It’s very simple, actually. It’s because it works!

TEXAS’ HUNTING HERITAGE CLOSELY TIED TO PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS Texas land is about 97 percent privately owned. That means that conservation of wildlife habitat depends solely on the motivation of private landowners to participate in habitat and wildlife conservation to assure a hunting heritage for the next generation. It’s essential that this motivation be there for all landowners; not just large acreage holders. It’s very easy to manage and control game populations when you count your sections, instead of your acres. The vast majority of Texans, now and in the future, will not be wealthy enough to own tens or hundreds of thousands of acres. For the rest of us (that certainly includes myself!), we rely on high fences and stocking of superior genetics to ensure that our small wildlife sanctuaries are financially sustainable. The ability of a small acreage landowner to grow, prevent early age harvest, and capture the monetary value of a desirable commodity (large antlered bucks) is essential to the future of wildlife habitat conservation in the state of Texas. Anyone that tells you different is ignoring the facts of wildlife habitat fragmentation and encroachment of urban sprawl.

FOLLOW THE DOLLARS Pricing per acre on deer leases and real estate is not based on the quality of venison taken. The monetary value of hunting can be influenced greatly by the antler quality of deer (real or perceived) on a property. The success of intensive deer management has greatly changed the landscape for hunting leases and real estate in Texas. No longer does a hunter have to be leasing or hunting in the Golden Triangle of south Texas or on a large acreage ranch to be assured a good opportunity at producing trophy class whitetails. Intensive deer management has leveled that playing field. The fact is that many small acreage landowners can now effectively produce more and larger bucks than many large acreage properties can produce in any given year. No longer do large acreage properties have a monopoly on big antlered bucks. As Texas hunters see the success of intensive deer management, many are investing in their own properties and seeking advice on stocking superior genetics. The financial implications of reduced demand for hunting opportunities on large acreage properties are real. It’s easy to follow the dollars and see how these folks might become detractors to intensive deer management.

IT’S NOT ABOUT STEROIDS Detractors of our industry often suggest unethical practices, such as steroid use in breeder deer, are the only possible explanation for the success of intensive deer management. This disbelief is in line with the opinions of many traditional deer managers 20 to 30 years ago who felt that deer breeding could never be a successful tool in deer management. These opponents to deer breeding have likely not been involved with deer breeding operations to see how effective these operations can be in improving the antler quality of a deer population. The success of deer breeding has nothing to do with steroids. Many experts in the industry recognize this attempt by detractors to defame deer breeders as just that. Dr. Scott Bugai, a licensed and accredited Texas veterinarian with extensive experience in the deer industry has an interesting take on steroids: “Anybody who truly understands the antler growth cycle should know that anabolic steroids, or any class of steroids for that matter, will NOT enhance antler growth. The use of anabolic steroids during the antler growing phase will actually retard the growth during that growing cycle.” The real success of deer breeding is based on two simple principles: selective breeding and increased fawn production. The ability of a manager to select a pairing of a buck and doe has greatly enhanced the ability to improve antler genetics without sacrificing the health or vitality of the deer. Maintaining the health of a deer herd, whether in the pasture or in breeding pens, can greatly increase fawning success, leading to increased recruitment and creating a larger sustained yield for harvest several years down the road. These two simple principles are greatly responsible for the success of deer breeding as an effective management strategy in the toolbox of Texas deer enthusiasts.

THE ANTLER REALITY The truth, which is very hard for some to face, is that modern wildlife conservation is closely entwined with the rapid changes our society has encountered and will continue to encounter over the next century. Ignoring or denying the success of intensive deer management is a foolhardy attempt by a few to turn back the clock to a time when buffalo roamed the plains without fences to impede their movements. Traditionalists must come to grips with the Antler Reality, or face the real proposition that the next generation of deer hunters may only experience hunting in the garb of the new wave of video game simulators. The next time you hear from a detractor to intensive deer management, take a moment and ask yourself what their real motivation is. Is it truly to protect our hunting heritage? Or, is it really an attempt to sustain a financial system or wildlife philosophy that does not recognize change as an important part of any biological succession?