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Red River Timber
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Welcome to Red River Timber
Red River Timberlands in now part of Hancock Forest Management If you are looking for a tract to lease or you are a member of an existing hunting club, you've come to the right place. Please browse our hunt clubs and available hunting leases. Have a safe and enjoyable hunting season.
Latest News
Friday, Oct 24, 2008
News Roundup
Outdoor news from across the Arklatex
Red River Timberlands is now part of Hancock Forest Management....
Mountain Lion Caught on Game Camera in Louisiana....
TPW Predicts Average Quail Season .....
Conservative Turkey Season Adopted for Arkansas....
Louisiana 2008 Youth Hunter Registry....
Army worms are attacking food plots in the Arklatex...
Featured Articles
Age the Cornerstone
A buck's antlers generally increase in size with each year until about 5 ½ years of age. Bucks must generally reach at least 3 1/2 years of age to develop what most hunter would consider a trophy rack.
In bucks younger than 3 years of age body and skeletal growth take precedence over antler growth, severely limiting their potential for a trophy rack. This is especially true if a buck is 1 ½ years old. During a buck's first year their bodies are growing rapidly, and just like a young puppy, their nutritional needs are high. Consequently, a buck's first set of antlers are small, averaging about 3-4 point' with a 7-inch spread (see table).
|
Age class |
Average Points |
90% Bucks Points |
Average Inside Spread |
90% Bucks Inside Spread |
|
1 ½ |
4 |
2 to 6 |
7 inches |
4 to 11 inches |
|
2 ½ |
7 |
4 to 9 |
12 inches |
7 to 16 inches |
|
3 ½ |
8 |
6 to 10 |
15 inches |
10 to 19 inches |
Birth date can make a vast difference in a buck's first set of antlers; late-born fawns often have spike antlers. In herds where the sex ratio is unbalanced, or where the herd exceeds the habitat's carrying capacity, late born fawns are common. Does may come into estrus late as a result of a poor diet and or when sex ratios are skewed Does may not breed until their second or third estrus cycle. Fawns born late in the summer will have only 12 to13 months in which to grow their first set of antlers, while fawns born in the spring will have as much as 16 months.
A buck’s antler size increases dramatically at 2 ½ years of age. A buck's second set of antlers will normally double the size of his first in terms of total antler mass. On average, 2 ½ year old bucks have small basket racks while a few exceptional bucks will produce impressive racks.
As we see from the table above the average 3 1/2 year old Arklatex buck has an 8-point rack with a 15-inch inside spread. By 3 1/2 most body growth is almost complete, and bucks are able to put more towards antler development.
What can a club do to increase the number of older bucks on their lease? There is one only answer: protect young bucks. A 6-point x 12-inch inside spread harvest restriction will protect almost all 1 ½year-old bucks while allowing clubs to harvest older bucks.
Nutrition – Foundation Blocks
Good nutrition is essential for good antler development. The key to good nutrition is keeping the herd in balance with the habitat. The only way to accomplish this is by harvesting an adequate number of Does each and every hunting season.
Deer are selective feeders. They seek out high quality nutritious foods such as ragweed, poke-salad and the tender young growth of greenbriar, and blackberry. All of which are native plants high in both protein and mineral content. When preferred foods become scarce, as result of over browsing, deer shift to feeding on lower quality woody browse such as sweetgum. The resulting suboptimal diet, inhibits maximum antler development.
Food plots can also be an important component of a deer management program. Supplemental plantings on as little as 1% of an area have been shown to significantly improve herd nutrition and increase average antler size. They accomplish this by not only increasing the quantity of deer forage, but by more importantly increasing the quality of the herd's diet.
Genetics – Capstone
Given a good diet and a chance to mature, almost all 31/2 year-old bucks will produce a quality rack. Age and nutrition being equal, some bucks produce respectable racks while other bucks produce true trophy sets of antlers. The difference is in their genetics. Every buck inherits antler traits which where passed on to to them by both their parents. Just as some people are short, while others are tall, some bucks have will have larger racks than others.
Studies have shown that the Arkalatex’s buck’s have good genetic potential. On average for any given age class their antlers are just as large as bucks from South Texas. So why don't we see more trophy bucks being taken? In most cases the limiting factor is the over harvest of young bucks. In many areas of the Arklatex fewer than 3% bucks reach 5 ½ years old. The cold, hard fact is that if you kill a buck at 1 ½, he will NEVER be a trophy. In many areas nutrition is also a problem. If your club continues to over harvest bucks and under harvest Does you are not going to produce a lot of trophy racks regardless of how good the area's genetics are.
Much has been written and debated about culling spikes and other small-antlered bucks to improve herd genetics. Under ideal conditions this approach can have merit while under most circumstances culling results only in fewer bucks maturing into quality deer. Culling is best employed behind high fences where diets are being supplemented by food plots or protein feeders.
What can you do on your deer lease to realize the maximum potential of a herd's genetics? Maintain a balanced buck:doe ratio. Unfortunately, in many areas there is little breeding competition due to herd imbalance. In a herd with a balanced sex ratio, the best bucks will be doing most of the breeding, ensuring that the best genes are passed along.
Harvest Management - Laying the Foundation
Antler size is influenced by age, nutrition, and genetics. These factors can be described as foundation blocks. Protecting young bucks from harvest is the cornerstone for your club’s deer management program, "Let-em go Let-em Grow." Consistent Doe harvest and food plots are building blocks. Consistently harvesting an adequate number of does insures ample, nutritious forage for all deer. Planting food plots will improve the quality of the herd’s diet, but without adequate doe harvest the herd will continue to increase and little will actually be gained. Improving gentics is the capstone to a deer management program. Protecting young bucks will not only increase the number of mature bucks available for harvest in subsequent years, but it will also help improve herd genetics. Breeding competition among mature bucks insures that the best genes are passed on to each succeeding generation.
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