Protein vs Genetics

[trophy8]

My deer like protein over corn. I feed it more for an attractant.


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This. This right here. Going into 500 acres. Heck even 2500 acres and feeding protein thinking you’re gonna grow giants isn’t reality. To truly feed that much costs a fortune. You also need water and lots of habitat improvement. 90% if hunters are feeding as an attractant thinking they are adding inches. You aren’t.

[LivinADream]

Whatcha hiding?

Just as you said, it's smaller than a deers. [emoji1787]

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[KingsX]

Protein takes care of the deer, so the deer can take care of their antlers. Deer can put energy towards surviving or towards antler growth.

Genetics is the #1 most important thing. No debate. That said, you can’t control them on low fence ranches (for the most part). If you have crap genetics on your place, you will not get much out of feeding protein. Even if they do add “inches”, are you ok paying real money turning a 115 into a 120?

I agree %100.
Every post you have on this thread is correct in my opinion about the subject.
Thanks for posting.

In my opinion what people think they’re seeing with protein improving genetics on low fence ground could just be the difference of managing what’s killed better compared to past managers.
I like to believe in protein doing good things when you have genetics. I believe in that situation it works.

[Tom]

no matter where you are, a fully mature well fed healthy deer have some nice headgear. may not be 140" but still can look good. Hunt what ya got.

[kyle1974]

The doe is not mostly responsible for genetics. Fawn inherits one chromosome from momma doe and one chromosome from daddy buck. 33 pairs of autosomes and a pair of sex chromosomes. More chromosomes than we have and their genome is larger. Pretty interesting stuff.

what's your take on this fetal genetic development?

I do not understand how the pregnancy can determine a deer's outcome 5-7 years down the road.

[Black Ice]

Protein vs Genetics

Age is the number one thing that will grow bigger deer on smaller properties.


It sucks to eat tags every year knowing most of the deer you would like to shoot but pass on will get shot by your neighbors.


Here’s a few deer we have shot since 2015.










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[Black Ice]

Protein vs Genetics




Here is a deer I shot last year after passing these deer to never see them again.





This deer^^^^ is the only one I regret passing on due to age and hoping to get one more year but I probably should have shot him.



















We just started feeding cotton seed this year in hopes of keeping a few more deer on our property.


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[Hogmauler]

Your blind chair cost more than my property! Beautiful bucks.

[Chase This!]

what's your take on this fetal genetic development?

I do not understand how the pregnancy can determine a deer's outcome 5-7 years down the road.

I believe it can, from an epigenetic/developmental perspective. Think of it in human terms. Pregnant moms need to take care of themselves. Eat well, prenatal vitamins, no drinking, no smoking, no drugs. And look at the offspring of women who don’t do that. Babies are often unhealthily, and some have life long complications (developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome, etc.).

So it doesn’t change their genetics. Their constitutional DNA is the same at birth as it is death. The moment the sperm and the egg meet, that part is defined. What we are talking about is environmental effects.

[dosrobles]

Our place is 120 acre low fence in the Hill Country. We feed protein January-September. We keep cotton seed out year round. Just started planting food plots again. While I would take an extra 5 inches on any deer, we put a lot of faith in old deer = big deer. We don’t shoot any Buck under 5 yo and we try to manage the doe population. All that being said it’s 120 acres. From a hunting perspective if we can keep some of those animals on our place that’s the primary benefit we think we get from our feed investment. If we create a more healthy population for animals that have given my family years of fellowship and enjoyment I’ll take that and be happy.

[Hogmauler]

So if a buck is a mainframe 8 he’ll always be a mainframe 8 but a healthier version on protein with the possibility of more mass

[Bayouboy]

Biggest difference maker I have come to realize is age. Let em grow.

[trophy8]

So if a buck is a mainframe 8 he’ll always be a mainframe 8 but a healthier version on protein with the possibility of more mass

No

[Bone Thug]

So if a buck is a mainframe 8 he’ll always be a mainframe 8 but a healthier version on protein with the possibility of more mass

We’ve see a lot of 8pts turn into mainframe 9’s and 10’s….Some even add extras when they get more age on ‘em.

In fact some of our big trophy’s were only 8pts at 4.5 then started adding points after that.

My biggest buck to date was also an 8pt at 4.5, then a big 10 at 5.5 and I killed him the next year as a bigger 6x4.

[Hogmauler]

Biggest difference maker I have come to realize is age. Let em grow.

Yes. That’s possible on a low fence if they don’t stray too far during the rut. You let one walk, which I’ve been doing, and hear a shot later. Can’t help but wonder.