Thread: How does antler growth work?

I have a couple of cameras out in the hills and managed to capture a few beasties getting about. Ive been trying to find out whether some of the younger appearing stags with weak looking antlers will improve over time, or if they are destined to be average for life. As in, will an average looking 4 or 6 point stag become a 10 or 12 or more? I understand that feed and genetics play large parts but I would like to know more. The area is north island bush, so I don't have the luxury of sitting hundreds of meters away and assessing an animal before choosing to shoot or not. But the cameras do give an idea of what is about, its just hard to know what should be left to grow and what to harvest.
Ive added a couple of images of a stag just for conversation. He's no record but the pics may help the discussion.

For me personally if I see a stag with both bez tines then I'll leave it if it's not mature enough. If someone else shoots it before maturity then so be it.
Otherwise I'm not really that fussy about what I shoot as far as stags go.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

much of our bush especially North Island just will not produce antler's of any real size - why because the greenery that had the good nutrients in it are now gone- the genetics are still there but nutrients are not - areas with very low deer numbers and no goats will be the exception - stags with access to top dressed pasture especially high clover content yes they will produce - South Island producing some good heads in places but I bet its in areas with lower numbers and no goats like Fiordland - just get out and do your bit and shoot with a BBQ later enjoy

Up to the individual as to what is a good head or not. Here in Marlborough/Nelson region the odd good head turns up but generally nothing spectacular apart from some ‘estate’ animals. There’s some good genetics out there but not necessarily enough good quality feed. Plus too many animals in some areas. Nothing spectacular in the accompanying photo and a couple of them were escapee farm animals ( hung around at back of farm for a couple of years ) with good genetics, just hard dry country. If a head looks good enough for you, take it. There’s nothing wrong with starting low and aiming high, gives you a reason to get out there and try for better if that’s what rocks your boat.

In our area, if I see a stag with no bez tines, or one of those narrow ugly bloody things that grow 3ft long with only 3 or 4 points per side, and Im after meat for the freezer, then it goes down. We dont need ugly heads producing more ugly heads. And a stag that has no bez tines usually wont grow them in later years. But if theyre good looking young heads with all the right bits kinda in the right place I leave em. Theres other hunters that would like a nice head for the wall and maybe those stags will get the opportunity to grow another couple of years, grow in to really big trophies.

If it looks like what you would consider a nice head, but is possibly too young, then I would leave it for another year or so. If it looks kinda funky or ugly, dont let it grow older, it wont improve. Put it in the freezer while its good and fat.

I got told by an old experienced hunter (he is still hunting at 74) that 6 pointers will never make a trophy and leaving them will only spread their genes.

There’s definitely plenty of ugly ones to knock over.