GROUND SHRINKAGE: Some tips to help hunters evaluate deer before pulling the trigger
It is the seasoned deer hunter's worst nightmare, similar to the one experienced by an offensive lineman who gets caught holding on a fourth-and-inches play in a really big game.
Anyone who has pulled the trigger on a buck deer that turns out to be much smaller than originally thought knows the feeling.
I would rather show up at camp with a bloody nose as evidence that I gripped the rifle too loosely than bring back a buck with a rack that falls short of the grade. Ridicule would be imminent with some of the company I keep at deer camp. These days, it could even get you into trouble with the law.
Anyone who has spent much time in a deer blind has probably experienced "ground shinkage" in the field at least once in their hunting career. It can happen to anybody. It has happened to me, and I consider myself to be a fair judge of a buck on the hoof. But sometimes the deer "shrinks" as we climb out of the blind and track it down after a successful shot.
As the quality management bug continues to spread among landowners and managers, hunters are learning to become more proficient at evaluating deer before the decision is made to click the safety to the off position.
That's a good thing. Older deer typically mean larger racks. Plus, a deer herd with an adequate number of adults in the mix equals a healthy deer herd.
When a deer herd is healthy, a host of biological and sociological benefits are certain to occur. A more pronounced rut, improved fawn survival and more pleasurable hunting experiences overall are among them.
Learning to judge whitetails on the hoof is not rocket science. It is more about learning to recognize some of the physical characteristics that separate young bucks from the older ones.
Veteran whitetail experts Dave Richards and Al Brothers wrote an informative piece on whitetail aging that appears on the Quality Deer Management Association Web site. You can check out the story in full at www.qdma.com. Here is a quick summary:
The physique of a 1 1/2- or 2 1/2-year-old buck will appear noticeably different than one that is on its third set of antlers, just as a fully mature 6 1/2-year-old whitetail will have an entirely different look from a 3 1/2-year-old.
A 1 1/2-year-old buck is in the same league with a grade schooler -- dainty, baby faced with a skinny neck, tight stomach and pencil-thin antlers.
The same buck will have a thicker body at 2 1/2. However, like a middle schooler going through growth spurts, the buck's legs, neck and head may appear out of proportion in comparison to everything else. The buck's second set of antlers will be larger than the first but still pencil-thin.
A buck officially becomes a high school teenager at age 3 1/2. The body will be well proportioned with a flat stomach, straight back and muscular neck beginning to show evidence of increased testosterone levels during the rut. Under optimum range conditions, antler development could qualify a 3 1/2-year-old deer as a shooter under a "quality" management plan.
Obvious changes begin to take place if a buck lives beyond 3 1/2. Wildlife experts say a buck's skeletal framework is fully developed at 4 1/2, similar to a young man fresh out of college. Its neck and body will be thicker. Given a good growing season, a 4 1/2-year-old buck can grow a set of antlers many hunters will find hard to resist.
By age 5 1/2, the deer is fully mature and should be wearing its best rack to date. Its legs may begin to appear too short for its body, which could likely exhibit a sagging back and pot belly. During the rut, the buck's neck will appear short and thick. Tarsal glands on the inside of the rear legs will be swollen with urine stains extending all the way to the hoof.
That's all interesting stuff. Still, the main thing that catches the eye of most whitetail hunters is the size of the crown a buck is wearing on its head.
When a true whopper walks out, many hunters with a good eye won't take the time to look for a sway in the back, sag in the belly or gray around the eyes. They are more interested in points, mass, symmetry, beam length, tine length and inside spread. Those are the factors that determine the difference between a good buck and a great one for most deer hunters. Here is an explanation of each.
• POINTS: Points are determined by counting the number of tines or points on the rack. The Boone and Crockett Club, the official record keeper for North American big game animals, requires that a point be at least 1 inch in length before it can be calculated into the official score of the rack.
• MASS: Mass is determined by calulating the thickness or circumference of the antler from the base to the outer reaches of the main beam. B&C scorers take into account several mass measurements when evaluating a rack.
• TINE LENGTH: This is the length of the individual points. The longer the points, the more impressive the rack.
• SYMMETRY: This refers to how similar the rack is from side to side. A near perfect typical rack will have the same number of points with nearly identical tine lengths on both antlers -- or good symmetry.
• BEAM LENGTH: This is the measurement from the base of the antler to the tip of the antler.
• INSIDE SPREAD: This is the measurement between the widest point of the main beams. Many hunters place a lot of emphasis on the inside spread of a rack, even though this "air" accounts for a small percentage of a B&C score.
In some counties, inside spread weighs heavy in harvest regulations. Antler restrictions currently are in effect in 61 counties. The regulation allows hunters to take two bucks, only one of which may have an inside spread of 13 inches or more. The second buck must have at least one unbranched antler -- a "spike".
How do you tell the difference between a legal buck and one that is not? Look it over. Closely.
Spikes are fairly easy to pick out. However, determining the difference between a buck with a 12-inch spread and one with a 14-inch spread can be difficult, especially at long distances.
Good binoculars can help. When evaluating deer, compare the antlers to the ears in an alert position. If the distance between the antlers is equal to the distance between the animals' ears, the buck is probably a legal shooter.
If you are unsure, don't take the chance. There is no room for ground shrinkage in borderline cases.
• Matt Williams' e-mail address is mattwilliams@netdot.com.
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