Photo by Mark Werner

Although the total number of bucks bagged by deer hunters in Michigan was down in 2004 compared to 2003, the tally of bucks with exceptional antlers was close to the same during both years. However, the fact that two of the whopper deer killed last fall had antlers large enough to qualify as new state records puts 2004 on a whole different level in terms of trophy-buck production. It's not every year that a state-record deer is tagged, and it's even more rare that two of them are killed.

What those results mean is trophy-buck production is alive and well in Michigan. The opportunity to take a world-class buck in our state this year remains at least as good as it was in 2004, and perhaps it's even better. When deer numbers are lower, those that remain are usually in better health and could have a higher nutritional level than before with reduced competition for food. Healthy bucks that are well fed grow the biggest antlers.

Part of the reason deer numbers are down in some areas is due to the harvest of antlerless deer. Although some hunters think too many does have been removed from some locations, the removal of a percentage of antlerless deer annually helps balance the sex ratio, which increases the odds of hunters seeing bucks. Having a more balanced sex ratio, such as three does for every buck, is better than seven or eight does per buck because those extra does often take the place of bucks.

Far more hunters than ever are filling antlerless permits with does rather than button bucks, too, because they are taking the time to look at baldies before pulling the trigger. The bumps on the heads of button bucks that will become polished antlers the following year can normally be seen by hunters who take the time to look for them. The voluntary protection of button bucks across our state means the odds of seeing antlers are better than ever even though total deer numbers may be lower.

Another factor that's at work to increase your odds of taking a trophy buck this year is the spread of the voluntary concept by experienced hunters of passing up young bucks with spike and forked antlers to allow them to live another year so they will grow larger antlers. This practice has been popular among many hunters for years, but it seems to gain new followers every year. There are some deer management units (DMUs) in our state where mandatory antler restrictions that are more stringent than the traditional 3-inch spike rule to qualify as a legal buck, but these areas are on the decline.

In a portion of Clare County, for example, deer hunters were limited to shooting bucks with at least 3 points on one antler for a period of five years. After that five-year period, a sample of hunters and landowners were surveyed to determine the support for continuation of that mandatory antler restriction, and there wasn't enough support for extending the regulation. Surveys concerning antler restrictions in other parts of the state have experienced similar results. That doesn't mean yearling bucks are no longer passed on by hunters in those areas. Plenty of hunters still choose to let them walk. It's simply not required that everyone do it.