Antlers: Beautiful headgear

A buck with good mass is a sight to behold
photo Dave Richey ©2012

Granted, it’s only mid-June. A buck’s antlers are really starting to grow but we’ve got two months to go before we have any idea whether the buck will wear a small or wide rack
It's not that a basket-rack 8-point isn't pretty, because it most certainly is, but beauty is always in the eyes of the beholder. Some whitetail bucks simply have a great deal of class, and others do not. And now is the time to say it: what turns me on may not turn your crank.

Two things that make for a beautiful rack include overall mass and points. A buck with good mass is a sight to behold. Some people favor a typical rack, and they can be stunning with high points and a wide spread, but I really enjoy seeing a non-typical buck.

It’s a personal issue for most hunters, but for me, bucks that have antler bases that most bow hunters can't get their hand around are truly breathtaking. Such animals are old, and it’s the sheer massiveness of their antlers that makes us gasp in amazement.

Hunters all appreciate the majesty of a big rack of antlers.

Locating, and hunting nothing but one big buck, is one of bow hunting's greatest challenges. Finding the buck's home range is important, and then trying to pattern the animal can be a lengthy and time consuming effort, but when properly done and with some luck, the end result is a thing of wonder.

I will hunt any big buck I find. Some years are better for big bucks than others, but often I’ll locate at least one nice buck and sometimes I shoot him. A good buck avoided me two years ago, and the same happened again last fall when I fell off my back steps, but seeing a buck with that much mass and so many points, puts a fire in my belly.

Seeing the animal within bow range is the frosting on a bow hunter’s cake. Making a successful shot is nothing more than the icing on the cake.

I look for classy looking bucks. There is something about a symmetrical rack that is delightful to see, and there is something about those freaks of nature -- the non-typical -- that capture my attention as well. I also like really high racks as well.

Non-typical bucks have so much going on with their rack that it is difficult to make a really adequate assessment of size on short notice, and can lead to disappointment. I look for drop tines, kicker points, sticker points, out-of-balance racks with one side higher than the other. To me, deer with drop tines are really something special, especially if the drop point is long and/or thick.

One fairly common non-typical is one with double brow points on each side, and one look at such a buck gives the impression of Richard Nixon giving the peace sign with both hands. Double brows on one side are fairly common, and there are always a few bucks with double brow points on each side.  A fairly common non-typical may have a third main beam on one side but I’ve never seen one with two main beams on both sides.

A buddy saw a non-typical last year that was much higher on one side, had more points on that side, and he was an impressive looking animal even through his rack wouldn't have scored very high because the rack was so far out of balance.
There are a fair number of big, heavy, high and wide typical bucks that offer the viewer a huge thrill. These bucks have excellent mass, 10 or 12 points with very large G-2s and G-3s, a wide spread and there is little doubt among viewers that they are looking at a very special buck.
Most truly large-racked bucks are large bodied as well. The neck on some look as big around as a barrel. See one of these huge bucks, and the skin seems loose around the neck, and when the animal turns its head, the rolls of skin move with it.

Three-beamers have three main beams rather than two
photo Dave Richey ©2012

Good herd management give bucks more time to grow larger racks.

Time is the major reason why big bucks grow to such a large size. In reality, most hunters shoot the first buck with antlers they see. These 1 1/2-year-old bucks have tiny racks, and once they've been killed, there is never a chance for them to grow any larger.

Many hunters can feel free to disagree with me, but if most of us passed on these small bucks every year, and other hunters in the area did the same, within three years they would be seeing and shooting massive bucks.

Sportsmen who are content with shooting a small basket rack and continues  to shoot them, will never see a big-racked buck. Those who instead choose to shoot a doe are doing the right thing, but it's right only if everyone plays by the same rules. It is one reason why Quality Deer Management rules are effective; only large bucks qualify to be shot. That allows smaller bucks more time to grow high-quality racks.

Shooting a real trophy is a difficult thing to accomplish in this or any other state. One must either be very lucky or very good at hunting to pull off this trick more than once or twice during a lifetime of hunting.

And contrary to what the hosts of television hunting shows may say, a deer does not have horns. They have antlers, and they should know better.

Antlers begin growing in the spring before shedding the velvet and turning hard in the early autumn, Horns, such as those found on cattle and sheep, continue to grow through the life of the animal. There is no excuse for calling the headgear of whitetail deer by something can’t and don’t have. Deer have antlers, not horns.

Antlers: Bones of beauty

12-point; wide & heavy. 3-beamer buck.

It's not that a basket-rack 8-point isn't pretty, because it most certainly is, but beauty is always in the eyes of the beholder. Some whitetail bucks simply have a great deal of class, and others do not.

Two things that make for a beautiful rack are overall mass and points. A buck with tremendous mass is a sight to behold. They are awe-inspiring portrayals of nature’s handiwork. Some people favor a typical rack, and they can be absolutely stunning with high points and a wide spread, but I really enjoy seeing nontypical bucks.

It’s a personal choice for most hunters, but for me, bucks that have antler bases that most bow hunters can't get their hand around are truly breathtaking. Such animals are old, up to about 7 ½ years old, and it’s the sheer massiveness of antlers on its head that makes us gasp in amazement.

Hunters all appreciate the majesty of a big rack of antlers.

Locating, and hunting nothing but one big buck, is one of bow hunting's greatest challenges. It’s not easy tp find a buck's home range, and then trying to pattern the animal can be a lengthy and time-consuming effort, but when properly done, the end result is a thing of wonder.

I will hunt any big buck I find. Some years are better for big bucks than others, but often I’ll locate at least one nice buck and sometimes I will shoot him while other times I will not. One avoided me two years ago, and the same happened again last fall when I fell off my back steps, but seeing a buck with that much mass and so many points, puts a fire in my belly. It’s much like football, for instance: it’s not whether you win or lose, but about how you play the game. This is a one-on-one hunt.

Seeing the animal within bow range is the first taste of the bow hunter’s cake. Making a successful shot is nothing more than the icing on the cake.

I look for classy looking bucks. There is something about a symmetrical rack that is delightful to see, and there is something about those freaks of nature -- the non-typicals -- that capture my attention as well. I also like really high racks as well.

A buck on the prowl looking for an estrus doe

The non-typicals have so much going on with their rack that it is difficult to make a really adequate assessment of size unless a person can study the antlers from all four sides for a length of time. I look for drop tines, kicker points, sticker points, out-of-balance racks with one side higher than the other. To me, deer with drop tines are really something to see, especially if the drop point is long and/or thick.

One fairly common non-typical is one with double brow points on each side, and one look at such a buck gives the impression of Richard Nixon giving the peace sign with both hands. Double brows on one side are fairly common, and there are always a few bucks with double brow points on each side. A fairly common non-typical may have a third main beam on one side but I’ve never seen one with two main beams on each side.

Three-beamers have three main beams rather than two.

One of my buddies saw a nontypical last year that was much higher on one side, had more points on that side, and he was an impressive looking animal even through his rack wouldn't have scored very high because the rack was too far out of balance. It would have too many deduction points to rank very high.

There are a fair number of big, heavy, high and wide typical bucks that offer the viewer a huge thrill. These bucks have excellent mass, 10 or 12 points with very large G-2s and G-3s, a wide spread and there is little doubt among viewers that they are looking at a very special buck.



A photographer buddy -- Dennis Buchner of Grawn, Michigan -- shoots bird and deer photos. Last year he was cruising, and saw a massive 10-point stand up in marsh grass and run into the open woods. The rack on this buck was truly impressive, but there is even more to it than that.

Most truly large-racked bucks are large bodied as well. The neck on some of them looks as big around as a barrel. See one of these huge bucks, and the skin seems loose around the neck, and when the animal turns its head, the rolls of skin move with it.

Herd management give bucks more time to grow bigger racks.

A heavy buck left and a nice winter buck on right.

Time is the major reason why big bucks grow to such a large size. In reality, most hunters shoot the first buck with antlers they see. These 1 1/2-year-old bucks have tiny racks, and once they've been killed, there is never a chance for them to grow any larger.

Many hunters can feel free to disagree, but if most of them passed on these small bucks every year, and other hunters in the area did the same, within three years they would be wondering where all the massive bucks had come from.

Sportsmen who are content with shooting a small basket rack and continue shooting them, will never see a big-racked buck. Those who choose to shoot a doe are doing the right thing, but it's right only if everyone plays by the same rules on a level playing field. It’s one reason why Quality Deer Management rules are effective; only large bucks qualfy to be shot. That allows smaller bucks more time to grow a large quality rack.

Shooting a real trophy is a difficult thing to accomplish in this or any other state. One must either be very lucky or very good at hunting to pull off this trick more than once or twice in a lifetime.




And contrary to what the hosts of television hunting shows say, a deer does not have horns. They have antlers, and they should know better than to call antlers “horns” on television.


Antlers begin growing in the spring before shedding the velvet and turning hard bone in the early autumn. Horns, such as those found on cattle and sheep, continue to grow through the life of the animal. There is no excuse for calling the headgear of whitetail deer by something they can’t and don’t have. Deer have antlers, not horns. I hope that clear up any misunderstanding.

Hunting a good buck. Here’s how.

Two big Michigan bucks that might put a hunter into the B&C record books.                       

Do you ever dream what many hunters fear is the impossible dream? The one where  a Boone & Crockett record-book buck walks out in front of a ground blind or tree stand, and you take a shot and wind up shooting the buck of a lifetime?

It need not be a dream. It can be done, but one of the little known secrets employed each year by savvy sportsmen, can be used by you or anyone else. It's means using a book. All it takes is time and money.

You think Richey is touting books again. True, one book can change your life.

Read & study the B&C records books can help pinpoint hotspots for all trophy game.
The bottom line is if you can control your nerves, shoot straight, and are committed to the hunt, there are only two things you lack: luck and knowing where to go.

I'm prepared to give you a gift of learning where to hunt. You are on your own about the luck part. Don't forget a big wad of money to get you into some of the deer country in the world.

Here's the scoop. The Boone & Crockett Club, 250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801 has published the 27th Big Game Awards book for the years 2007-2009 for $24.95 plus shipping. This 704-page book can be ordered from < www.boone-crockettclub.org > or  by calling (888) 840-4868. It features 60 color and hundreds of b/w photos and portraits.

So ... how does this magical book work. First, you pick out your preferred state to hunt. We'll use Michigan for example because many of my readers live here. Michigan's typical deer records feature typical and nontypical racks.

There are many deer listings, and full pages offer many individual listings of big bucks. Each listing gives the score for each individual beam or tine length and all other scoring measurements as well as the final score of that rack.

It also tells you other more important information besides the name of the hunter and scorer and the year taken. The best thing each entry offers hunters is the name of the county and the year the deer was taken In this state, a big buck can be found anywhere but over the last two decadesy, many of Michigan's largest bucks have been taken in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula. What many smart hunters do is take a look at the counties that have produced the largest bucks over the past several years, and try to find a place nearby where hunting is allowed.

Big bucks can be found anywhere but more likely in key locations.

If a county can produce a record-book buck once it can do it again. The trick is to find out which four or five counties have produced the most trophy bucks in the past several years. Granted,  Jackson County, as an example, has produced many other bucks in the past.

There are some problems to be solved, and they aren't necessarily easy ones, but knowledge is most important and that is what this book provides for those who are willing to spend time puzzling out the best counties to hunt.

The same thing can be done for people who may wish to hunt whitetails in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Montana or wherever.

Learning which counties or specific areas produce the most big bucks is easy. Anyone can do what other big-buck hunters have done. The next thing is to find a place to hunt in those counties, and that can be as tough as finding that elusive buck.

Gaining access to big-buck land in southern Michigan is difficult but it's not impossible. It means talking to landowners, asking permission, being refused the right to hunt, and continue asking. Sooner or later, you may find a person who will let you hunt their farmland. If so, respect their wishes and do as they ask. If possible, obtain permission before hunting season to scout the land.

Many hunters try to find four or five such places, and then they scout the land intensely. They learn where big bucks roam, where they travel, how they move from bedding areas to food sources, and it's important to note that most of southern Michigan counties are heavy agricultural terrain.

Learn the travel routes, scout it thoroughly during the preseason, and early spring is a key time to be knocking on doors for the bow and firearm seasons. Don't wait until after the season has opened.

Get permission, find a buck, keep scouting, and wish for a bit of luck.

It's easy to learn which counties are the best, but it's not as easy gaining permission to hunt. Granted, Michigan has some State Game and State Recreation areas, and many are heavily hunted. Most big bucks will come from private land. That land must have plenty of food, plenty of thick cover or swamps to serve as bedding cover, and a history for producing Boone & Crockett typical and nontypical bucks.

Anyone who undertakes this method of learning where to hunt must be a dedicated hunter, and one committed to passing up young bucks and taking only the older animals. It's not a walk in the park, but hunting any book-buck is never easy.

However difficult it may be, gaining the knowledge of which counties and areas produce the most big bucks is the first and easiest step but it involves using this book. From that point on, it becomes more difficult.

I didn't promise you it would be easier. Don't care to work that hard, pretend you've never hunted before. Borrow a bow or firearm, don't shoot either one, and go out and find a spot that "looks good."

It occasionally works for some lucky first-time deer hunters but don’t count on it.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors