Can they be aged on the hoof similar to a whitetail? Do the bucks get bigger necks with age, bellies, blockier heads, etc., like whitetail bucks? We have one that has started showing up to one of our feeders in Ozona. Looks young to me.

These are the only two broadside pics we have of him.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure all members of the deer family show similar traits in older animals. That one looks pretty young, he has a small front end, sleek lines and a pretty skinny neck. Axis are larger than whitetails, and comparing him to those hens, he looks small. I would guess he is @ 2 or so.

Here is a pic of a mature whitetail doe at the same feeder. Comparing her to the Axis, he looks to be somewhat taller. But still young though.

Nice name for the blind overlooking that feeder.

We named that one Trump Tower becuase when my buddy first bought the property, the former owner had a portapotty on a 15' tower as the blind.

How big is that feeder pen? There used to be an old porta-crapper blind on the place I hunt. Hilarious.

That pen is about twice the size of what you can actually see. It goes to the left out of the camera view at least 10-15'. It just looked kinda small with the feeder in the center and we though the deer would not jump in, so we moved the feeder to the edge.

Yes, that is a young Axis. You can tell by his body size, neck size, and color.

Don't mature axis bucks tend to have some dark (i.e. black) hair on the face and head?

FS Guide,

Like with any member of the deer family the older they get the more their characteristics change, body weight, belly, block head, coat color, antler size, etc. Remember that axis bucks lose their antlers at different times of the year depending on when they were born, yes they can potentially have different gestation cycles than whitetails. We have bucks that have just lost their antlers and bucks that are in full velvet at our place in Cotulla.

San Ant Ag is correct also, an axis buck at full maturity will have a clearly defined block head and an almost black patch on their head.

Hope this helps.

So how do you know when an Axis is a cull? We have several large body block headed axis bucks with the black across the face but have nice but smaller antlers. They are bigger bodied than the larger bucks.

Shoot 'em

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So how do you know when an Axis is a cull?

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Culling for pop mgmt, right? Just shoot whatever to keep the numbers in check.

PFG said:

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So how do you know when an Axis is a cull?

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Culling for pop mgmt, right? Just shoot whatever to keep the numbers in check.

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Culling for inferior bucks since they can't all get big antlers.

S.A. Aggie said:

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PFG said:

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So how do you know when an Axis is a cull?

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Culling for pop mgmt, right? Just shoot whatever to keep the numbers in check.

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Culling for inferior bucks since they can't all get big antlers.

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Hmm. Ok. Didn't think culling for genetic improvement was possible.

PFG said:

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S.A. Aggie said:

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PFG said:

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Quote:

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So how do you know when an Axis is a cull?

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Culling for pop mgmt, right? Just shoot whatever to keep the numbers in check.

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Culling for inferior bucks since they can't all get big antlers.

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Hmm. Ok. Didn't think culling for genetic improvement was possible.

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We do it for white-tails why not Axis?

S.A. Aggie said:

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PFG said:

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S.A. Aggie said:

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PFG said:

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Quote:

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So how do you know when an Axis is a cull?

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Culling for pop mgmt, right? Just shoot whatever to keep the numbers in check.

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Culling for inferior bucks since they can't all get big antlers.

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Hmm. Ok. Didn't think culling for genetic improvement was possible.

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People think they do it for white-tails.

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Fify

But seriously. It doesn't work that way.

PFG said:

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S.A. Aggie said:

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PFG said:

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S.A. Aggie said:

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PFG said:

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Quote:

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So how do you know when an Axis is a cull?

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Culling for pop mgmt, right? Just shoot whatever to keep the numbers in check.

---

Culling for inferior bucks since they can't all get big antlers.

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Hmm. Ok. Didn't think culling for genetic improvement was possible.

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People think they do it for white-tails.

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Fify

But seriously. It doesn't work that way.

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Gregor Mendel Says Hi.

Lol

Modern deer science says hi back, says hold my beer so I can laugh at you.

PFG said:

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Lol

Modern deer science says hi back, says hold my beer so I can laugh at you.

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Since when did modern deer science say that? Culling inferior deer "management bucks" are a part of every serious deer program.

https://www.qdma.com/qdm-works-culling-doesnt/

Very enlightening article. Thanks for that.

PFG, my apologies! That is an interesting read indeed. I will be looking for more studies on this topic. I appreciate info and banter.

There are 3 primary components for increased antler size: age, genetics & nutrition.

QDMA is a great resource but it's not the only resource. Their target audience utilizes smaller hunting areas. As such, they place a large focus on wildlife COOPs, creating sanctuaries and, most importantly, aging deer so that the average age of deer harvested increases over time. Those methods, alone, will make a big impact to the average hunter.

If you have a ranch/lease size that is either high-fenced or large enough to keep a vast majority of the herd (even after fawn dispersal), then culling absolutely works. I've been associated with numerous ranches over the years, where the average B&C score has grown significantly over time.

Focus on all 3.