Drought Effects

[fireduck]

Whats your opinoin on how the drought will effect the quaility of antler growth. I know gentics and age play a big part but they still have to have nutrition. I know where I live we are in pretty bad shape. We have only cut our alfalfa once this year and we normally get 3 or 4 cuttings. With little water most plants are dried up or very tough so the protien level has to be low. I believ the last time it was this dry was in 87 and 88.

[keith meador]

there is still plenty of green stuff for the deer to eat, and the alfalfa and clover around here are doing okay at the moment, not great, but still enough for the deer to eat. if this continues and the mast crop does not produce a good food plot will be pretty hot come september.

[Multidigits]

You might have to switch to powdered milk for lure.

[keith meador]

You might have to switch to powdered milk for lure.

nothing to hydrate it with, gotta use the real stuff....

[WhiteRubi]

nothing to hydrate it with, gotta use the real stuff....

Keith, Use that LAST few drops of beer in bottle. You know that backwash is nasty anyhow. You might end up with Jimmy Houston hunting with you. I hear he likes those drunk deer.

[Redlined]

Whats your opinoin on how the drought will effect the quaility of antler growth. I know gentics and age play a big part but they still have to have nutrition. I know where I live we are in pretty bad shape. We have only cut our alfalfa once this year and we normally get 3 or 4 cuttings. With little water most plants are dried up or very tough so the protien level has to be low. I believ the last time it was this dry was in 87 and 88.

After looking at the trail cam pics you showed me last week,I wouldn't worry too much about the lack of rain.Those lil' fellars won't eat too much anyways.:D:D:D

[naturalelite]

I don't think there are going to be many acorns around here anyway due to the snow we had in April. JMHO Drought can play a huge role in antler development but I think it would have to get much worst than it is around here for it to affect them much.

[Snareman2]

I saw alittle buck tonight. A friend of mine saw six in the past two days, bachelor groups with four and two in them. I think this dry weather has them moving more, in search of water. I doubt if it will effect the grow, just there movement. More they move out in search of stuff, the more danger they will encounter, ie. traffic, poachers, being spotted by hunters, ect.

[Mount-N-Man]

In my opinion it was a bad year to ban feeding. Everything is drying up around here and the fawns are tiny. I have seen a couple nice bucks though.

[Multidigits]

Age will still be the number one factor on how big the antlers will be, and most people don't wait anyway, so it won't have any effect for most people. It could well be a record harvest this year though.

[mwezell]

I was at a shoot yesterday when a rain shower blew in on us. The wind got up and little brown acorns the size of peas started falling from some of the trees around us. I don't know what this means but I don't think it's good.

[turk2di]

Age will still be the number one factor on how big the antlers will be, and most people don't wait anyway, so it won't have any effect for most people. It could well be a record harvest this year though.

As always, the voice of reason!

[Armyhunter]

Awfuly dry in floyd county

[NonTyp]

There are some small hickory nuts falling by my barn. They are the size of a small marble.

[Shelbyhunter]

I think we will still see large antlered bucks like always in the state. With the one buck rule in effect for sometime, the age class of bucks are always improving.

Deer are browsers so they will switch to whatever is hot. When fall arrives and they discover that no acorns are around (due to late frost), then we may see more deer than usual and those food plots will be really hot this fall...

[WildmanWilson]

I think much of the rack size for this year is determined by last years nutrition and how healthy they are coming into this growing season. A little dry spell isnt going to hurt things at all.

[TripleGee]

Whats your opinoin on how the drought will effect the quaility of antler growth. I know gentics and age play a big part but they still have to have nutrition. I know where I live we are in pretty bad shape. We have only cut our alfalfa once this year and we normally get 3 or 4 cuttings. With little water most plants are dried up or very tough so the protien level has to be low. I believ the last time it was this dry was in 87 and 88.

I don't think there's any problem here in the Somerset area. The other night I watched several fields with multiple bucks in each one, several bruisers also. They were as close as 20 yards. Envious yet? Oh yeah, one little thing. I was watching the Primos gang on DVD! Oh well, I was watching here in Somerset. Sorry, I was up all night. Won't happen again. Well, maybe.