Antler Genetics

Many hunters know a buck maintains certain antler genetics over the course of their life. Some genetic quirks or defects could be very small things that as they get bigger are harder to find, others are very clear. Many of us watch them grow up, or go shed hunting each spring to track the progression of the bucks that we have encountered in one way or another throughout the year. The progression of antler growth depends on the area, habitat, food sources, and the quality of the herd. Personally, I have not been able to watch many deer grow to maturity since I hunt in a transition area onto public land. However, recently while looking through trail cam pictures from the past two seasons, I discovered a similarity in two deer. After putting them side by side, I am still not clear if they are the same deer or not. I believe they are the same, because I feel the odds of two deer having antlers that close together two years in a row is pretty slim. However, there is always that possibility, so I think I am going to leave this one up to you, my readers. What do you think about the two pictures below, are they the same deer or different deer just with the similar genetics? The deer in the second image from 2010 was still alive with only one day left in the season, so hopefully he will be back for at least some pictures this year. If I am real lucky….he might just walk past my tree!