How do I estimate the age of Axis deer bucks?
Filed under: Miscellaneous
I am a big fan and a long time viewer of your show.
I have 3 questions
1. In the first picture I am showing you it is easy to see I have a lot of Axis doe on my property. I only have 3 Axis bucks. How many doe’s should we take out for us to get our population back to normal? Or do we not need to worry about it?
2. We have 3 Axis bucks and I was wondering if you could age 1 of them for us? And who you shoot any of them or wait until they are bigger?
3. Is aging a Axis the same process of aging a white-tail?
Timothy,
I don’t know much about axis deer. I do know they taste good!!
Axis deer are closer related to elk than whitetails. They typically remain in herds and each male has a unique breeding cycle. You may see hard-antlered axis bucks throughout the year. That’s to say their breeding cycle isn’t synchronized like deer, but is asynchronous like cattle.
Most mammals’ bodies change shape as they age in similar patterns. These changes include the shoulders and hips becoming more developed, the back and belly sagging as they age, etc. These changes can revert if the critter lives long enough.
I suspect Axis bucks show changes in their body shape similar to whitetails.
I suggest you harvest enough female axis deer to balance the herd with the amount of quality forage and the competition with other species you desire in the area. I suggest you only harvest males if there is a surplus (more than three) and the male is an age or level of maturity you desire.
Enjoy creation,
grant
October 13, 2015
