Can you grow better bucks in florida?

CAN YOU GROW BETTER BUCKS IN FLORIDA
I HAVE OFTEN THOUGHT ON THIS TOPIC, AS HAVE MANY OF YOU. I HAVE HEARD A RANGE OF REASONS WHY THE FLORIDA DEER MANAGER WILL NEVER GROW THE TYPE OF DEER THAT ARE TAKEN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. MANY WILL SAY WE DON’T HAVE THE AGRICULTER INDUSTRY OF THE MID-WEST OR THE GENETICS OF TEXAS, BUT I STILL BELIEVE THAT FLORIDA CAN OFFER A GREAT CLASS OF DEER. LETS TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT SOME OF THE DEER TAKEN IN FLORIDA
THESE EXAMPLES ARE TAKEN FROM THE FLORIDA BUCK REGISTRY
Larry Furr 1/1/1977 Gadsden 168 1/8
Roy Ems 11/30/1983 Leon 165 2/8 Shotgun
William Scharber 1/1/1990 Pasco 162 4/8 Rifle
Bobby Davis 1/14/1994 Dixie 159 4/8 223 Ruger
Felton Sheffield 11/12/2003 Alachua 159 3006
David McQueen 10/12/2008 ALACHUA 157 ARCHERY
Chris Harrell 11/19/1987 Madison 156 7/8 Modern Weapon
Gary Leis 12/30/1987 Taylor 156 5/8 Rifle
Ricky Richarte 11/15/1996 Madison 155 4/8 Rifle .367 lever inner arm
Gary Borland 11/25/2001 Martin 155 2/8 30-06 Remington
James Stovall 9/25/1999 Pasco 206 compound bow
Clark Durrance 1/1/1940 Gadsden 201 3/8
Arthur Finkly 1/1/1948 Jefferson 196 5/8 Shotgun
Henry Brinson 1/1/1959 Jackson 186
Dennis Ross 1/1/1951 Taylor 185 3/8 (Find - Pick-up) None
W.L. Hurst 12/1/1970 Calhoun 181 2/8
Lee Crews 11/11/2000 Alachua 179 Rifle
Patti Blichmann 1/1/2002 Leon 172 4/8 Found Dead
Tommy Sims 1/22/1994 Jackson 172
Robert Partin 11/25/2010 ALACHUA 170 6/8 RIFLE
THESE EXAMPLES SHOW SOME OF THE DEER HARVESTED IN FLORIDA, AND YES THERE ARE SOME 200+ INCH DEER! SO THIS PROVES THAT BIG DEER CAN GROW IN FLORIDA. NOW I’M NOT SAYING THAT THOSE GUYS ARE BEHIND EVERY TREE BUT THE DISCUSSION IS CAN YOU GROW A GREAT DEER IN FLORIDA. THE ANSWER IS YES! SO WHAT GOES INTO GROWING A GREAT BUCK IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS. THERE ARE THREE MAJOR FACTORS THAT GO INTO GROWING A QUALITY BUCK
1. AGE: THIS IS A MAJOR FACTOR AS DEER WILL NOT GROW THEIR BEST SET OF HORNS UNTIL THEY REACH AGE 4-5. THE MAJOR ISSUE WE SEE IS THE “IF I DON’T SHOOT HIM MY NEIGHBOR WILL” MENTALITY. LETTING YOUNG BUCKS WALK IS THE ONLY WAY THEY WILL MAKE IT TO THE AGE TO PUT ON A GREAT SET OF HORNS. NO ONE CAN CONTROL A NEIGHBOR OR ANYONE ELSE WHO SHOOTS A YOUNG BUCK. THAT IS NOT FOR YOU TO LOOSE SLEEP OVER, BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS STICK TO YOUR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND GET YOUR NEIGHBOR A SUBSCRIPTION TO “QUALITY WHITETAILS”. SO THE FIRST STEP IS LEARNING TO LET EM’ GROW AND YOU WILL BE WELL ON YOUR WAY TO GROWING A GREAT DEER.
2. GENETICS: THIS IS THE FUN TOPIC BECAUSE MOST THINK OF GENETICS AND THINK WE JUST DON’T HAVE THE “STUFF”. THE TRUTH IS THAT MOST DEER HAVE THE GENES TO GROW A GREAT SET OF HORNS ACROSS THE WHITETAILS RANGE. A LOT OF THIS GOES BACK TO MY FIRST POINT …..AGE. ONLY AGE WILL SHOW YOU THE TRUE POTENTIAL OF A BUCK, MOST GUYS SEE A COW HORN SPIKE AND SHOOT HIM UNDER THE FLAG OF “CULLING” OUT A POOR DEER. BE VERY CAREFUL OF CULLING YOUNG BUCKS WITHOUT REALLY KNOWING WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT. MANY OF THE DEER WE SEE WITH WHAT IS DEEMED A FLAWED RACK BECAUSE WE HAVE IT IN OUR MIND THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE THE GENETICS OF OTHER DEER AND SHOULD BE KILLED FOR MANAGEMENT REASONS. THE TRUTH IS IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL ON A FREE RANGING DEER WHEATHER OR NOT THE “FLAW” IS GENETIC OR NOT, THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT CAN EFFECT A DEER’S ANTLER GROWTH SUCH AS AN INJURY, LACK OF WATER AND RAINFALL, NUTRITION, AND HABITAT. SO ANY BUCK UNDER THREE YEARS OLD SHOULD BE GIVEN A PASS. YOU NEVER NOW YOU MAY BE “CULLING” A FUTURE STUD.
3. NUTRITION: NUTRITION CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE TO DEER IN A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS. AGRICULTURAL AREAS ARE A GREAT THING IF YOU OR THE GUY NEXT DOOR FARMS AND PLANTS CROPS THAT THE DEER CAN EAT ON. FLORIDA IS NOT REALLY KNOWN FOR OUR AG INDUSTRY, BUT IN SOME AREAS OF FLORIDA WE DO HAVE COUNTIES WITH LARGE FARMS. SO IN MOST OF OUR SITUATIONS WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO SUPPLIMENT FOOD. FOOD PLOTS ARE A GREAT WAY TO DO THIS. PLANTING FOOD PLOTS BENEFIT THE DEER AND LETS FACE IT THEY ARE FUN FOR US ASWELL. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE GOING OUT IN 100 DEGREE HEAT AND PREPING AREAS FOR FOOD PLOTS. MOST HUNTERS THINK THAT GOING OUT THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE SEASON AND HITTING A AREA WITH A DISC THROWING OUT SEED AND HANGING A STAND IS FOOD PLOTTING. HOLD ON SLOW DOWN HERE THERE ARE SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER. WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH THE PLOT? IS IT A HUNTING PLOT OR A FEEDING PLOT? WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? SIMPLE A HUNTING PLOT IS GENERALLY SMALL WITH IRREGULAR SHAPES AND UNDER ¼ ACRE IN SIZE. A FEEDING PLOT FOR NUTRITION SET UP WOULD BE LARGER 1 ACRE OR MORE IN A PLACE THE DEER WILL FEEL COMFORTABLE USING IT. DON’T EVER HUNT OVER THE FEED PLOT AS YOU DON’T WANT YOUR DEER FEELING LIKE SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM IF THEY GO IN THERE. NOW WITH THAT SAID THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PLANTS THAT WILL MAKE UP YOUR PLOTS ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS. A GOOD SET UP WOULD BE SOMEWHERE AROUND 60-40 TAKE 60% OF YOUR PLOT AREA AND PLANT PERENNIALS SUCH AS CLOVER, ALFALFA, CHICORY ETC. AND THE OTHER 40% AND PLANT ANNUALS SUCH AS SOYBEANS, PEAS, OATS ETC. THIS SHOULD GIVE YOU A GOOD YEAR ROUND FOOD SOURCE. WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID FEW THINGS WILL OUT PERFORM NATIVE VEGITATION, SUCH AS PERSIMMON AND OTHER SOFT MAST BROWSE. SPARKLE BERRY, BLUE BERRY, ACORNS, BRIARS ARE ALL IMPORTANT FOOD SOURCES FOR DEER AND IMPROVING THESE CAN BOOST YOUR HERDS NUTRITION, BUT IN MOST CASES YOUR GOING TO HAVE TO WORK TO IMPROVE IT. GOING IN AND OPENING UP TREE CANOPIES SO SUNLIGHT CAN GET TO THE FLOOR, BURNING OFF YEARS OF LEAVES AND PINE STRAW, AND REMOVING INVASIVE PLANTS. FERTILIZING THESE AREAS IS A WAY TO GET THEM UP AND GROWING. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT ONE DEER CAN EAT 1 TON OF FORAGE PER YEAR. THE SPRING GREEN UP WONT LAST ALL YEAR SO ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE NATIVE VEGITATION PRODUCE MORE FOOD WILL GREATLY IMPROVE YOUR CHANCE OF GROWING A GREAT BUCK.
CONTROLLING YOUR DEER HERD IS ANOTHER ASPECT OF GROWING A GREAT BUCK. GETTING YOUR SEX RATIO IN LINE WILL GO A LONG WAY IN YOUR OVERALL MANAGEMENT GOAL. MOST OF US HAVE TRAIL CAMERAS THAT WE WILL HANG OUT TO SEE IF WE CAN CATCH THAT GREAT BUCK UP AND MOVING IN OUR FAVORITE AREA TO HUNT, BUT CAMERAS CAN BE A GREAT MANAGEMENT TOOL. I HANG MINE ALMOST YEAR ROUND AND I HAVE A SPREAD SHEET ON THE COMPUTER THAT I USE TO TRACK THINGS SUCH AS FAWN SIGHTINGS, NUMBER OF DOES, WIND DIRECTIONS WHEN THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN ETC. THIS ALLOWS ME TO GAUGE THE NUMBER OF BUCKS THAT USE THE PROPERTY, HOW OLD THEY ARE AND HOW THEY ENTER AND LEAVE THE AREAS. USING THIS SYSTEM OVER TIME WILL GIVE YOU A BALL PARK ON NUMBERS, AGE CLASS, INJURIES AND NOT TO MENTION ITS FUN.
I HAVE MENTIONED THAT I BELIEVE WE CAN GROW BIGGER AND BETTER BUCKS BUT TO DO SO WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO DO THE LITTLE THINGS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THIS IS NOT MENT TO BE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APROACH TO GROWING BETTER BUCKS JUST A FEW THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU I HOPE IT WAS HELPFUL