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Growing Mature Bucks
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<blockquote data-quote="TheLBLman" data-source="post: 5502338" data-attributes="member: 1409"><p>My thoughts are somewhere between the two of yours.</p><p></p><p>BSK is correct about the KY soils allowing KY bucks to "express" more of their genetic potential, and especially do so at an earlier age. An "average" 2 1/2 & 3 1/2-yr-old KY buck is likely carrying @ 10" more antler than an "average" same buck in TN. This is mainly due KY (on a statewide basis) having better soils for growing antlers, than does TN. (Sure, pockets of TN have better soils than certain areas of KY.)</p><p></p><p>The differences in genetic "expression" may be less if we compare a 5 1/2-yr-old TN buck to a 5 1/2-yr-old KY buck (assuming same genetic antler potential at birth), but, the KY bucks are still going to have @ 5 to 10" of antler above the TN ones, on average, and mainly due to the soil differences.</p><p></p><p>The other big issue going against TN more is hunters' antler high grading in TN being worse than it is in KY. Even if the buck age structure in TN were about the same as KY's, this makes for a big difference in the size of our antlered bucks that survive to maturity.</p><p></p><p>Last but not least, our TN gun season is about twice as many days as KY's, and allows for exactly twice as many antlered bucks to be killed per hunter. <em>THIS</em> is the main reason our hunters' antler high-grading is so much worse than KY's.</p><p></p><p>So, there is a better chance of growing a larger antlered buck in KY than in TN.</p><p>But to what extent does an average hunter have to kill that better buck?</p><p>It's just a trade-off of pros & cons.</p><p>Twice as many gun-hunting days in TN (a benefit to the average hunter).</p><p></p><p>As to KY's 1-buck limit, it's much more popular with non-resident KY hunters than resident ones, many of whom think the grass is greener on the other side of the line in TN, where residents can kill 2 bucks, and have twice as long to hunt.</p><p></p><p>Of course, the most avid trophy buck bowhunters, especially those who hunt multiple states, are going to find more fault with TN's deer management (and yes, some of it is deserved).</p><p></p><p>The best news, is most avid deer hunters here in TN have the opportunity to hunt in KY, as well as other states that grow bigger bucks than TN.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TheLBLman, post: 5502338, member: 1409"] My thoughts are somewhere between the two of yours. BSK is correct about the KY soils allowing KY bucks to "express" more of their genetic potential, and especially do so at an earlier age. An "average" 2 1/2 & 3 1/2-yr-old KY buck is likely carrying @ 10" more antler than an "average" same buck in TN. This is mainly due KY (on a statewide basis) having better soils for growing antlers, than does TN. (Sure, pockets of TN have better soils than certain areas of KY.) The differences in genetic "expression" may be less if we compare a 5 1/2-yr-old TN buck to a 5 1/2-yr-old KY buck (assuming same genetic antler potential at birth), but, the KY bucks are still going to have @ 5 to 10" of antler above the TN ones, on average, and mainly due to the soil differences. The other big issue going against TN more is hunters' antler high grading in TN being worse than it is in KY. Even if the buck age structure in TN were about the same as KY's, this makes for a big difference in the size of our antlered bucks that survive to maturity. Last but not least, our TN gun season is about twice as many days as KY's, and allows for exactly twice as many antlered bucks to be killed per hunter. [I]THIS[/I] is the main reason our hunters' antler high-grading is so much worse than KY's. So, there is a better chance of growing a larger antlered buck in KY than in TN. But to what extent does an average hunter have to kill that better buck? It's just a trade-off of pros & cons. Twice as many gun-hunting days in TN (a benefit to the average hunter). As to KY's 1-buck limit, it's much more popular with non-resident KY hunters than resident ones, many of whom think the grass is greener on the other side of the line in TN, where residents can kill 2 bucks, and have twice as long to hunt. Of course, the most avid trophy buck bowhunters, especially those who hunt multiple states, are going to find more fault with TN's deer management (and yes, some of it is deserved). The best news, is most avid deer hunters here in TN have the opportunity to hunt in KY, as well as other states that grow bigger bucks than TN. [/QUOTE]
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