JFRWC,
I sent you an e-mail. Lemme know if you get it.
My thoughts...
Well, I think that there is something to what they're saying. Generally, I'm going to agree that bucks that are going to have big horns anytime in their life are going to have them early on. If they aren't trophy potential when they're 2 or 3 then they probably never will be. Which, of course, creates a dilemma in trying to manage for pronghorn if you can do so on a ranch. Theoretically you'd need to try and eliminate the little bucks that are obviously 2 years old or older while also trying to kill the bucks that are big (to make your clients happy)...but if a buck that's big is only 2 or 3 and you kill that buck then that buck doesn't get to reproduce his genes. I think this (big bucks being young) is why MONSTER antelope are still be taken - even World's Record size - almost every year. And also why big bucks seem to appear one year out of thin air. There is one good thing that I know for a fact...given the right conditions or genetics a buck can be over 90 inches for AT LEAST 5 years. We've got one on film for 5 years that was over 90 for all five years. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) he was the biggest the first and second year we saw him. After that he started getting smaller - still over 90 - but still smaller.
That's my take for now. At least until I change my mind.
I sent you an e-mail. Lemme know if you get it.
My thoughts...
Well, I think that there is something to what they're saying. Generally, I'm going to agree that bucks that are going to have big horns anytime in their life are going to have them early on. If they aren't trophy potential when they're 2 or 3 then they probably never will be. Which, of course, creates a dilemma in trying to manage for pronghorn if you can do so on a ranch. Theoretically you'd need to try and eliminate the little bucks that are obviously 2 years old or older while also trying to kill the bucks that are big (to make your clients happy)...but if a buck that's big is only 2 or 3 and you kill that buck then that buck doesn't get to reproduce his genes. I think this (big bucks being young) is why MONSTER antelope are still be taken - even World's Record size - almost every year. And also why big bucks seem to appear one year out of thin air. There is one good thing that I know for a fact...given the right conditions or genetics a buck can be over 90 inches for AT LEAST 5 years. We've got one on film for 5 years that was over 90 for all five years. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) he was the biggest the first and second year we saw him. After that he started getting smaller - still over 90 - but still smaller.
That's my take for now. At least until I change my mind.