There are three aspects to antler development in white-tailed deer, genetics, nutrition, and age.

Age is crucial for developing quality antlers and must be considered right along with nutrition and genetics. A lot of people are concentrating on genetics these days when many would be better off improving their deer habitat and letting their bucks get a little older. I really think most hunters would be happy with the results of letting their bucks mature on good habitat before harvesting them.

Research and experience have shown scientists that bucks reach their peak antler growth between 5 and 7 years old.

Many folks claim their biggest bucks are over 7 years old. This may be true with penned deer living under optimum conditions, but I question whether it’s valid in wild deer. If some of the biggest bucks being harvested really are over 7 years of age, what percentage of the deer 8 and 9 years old do they represent? If 80-90 percent of the bucks 8 and 9 years old have declined in antler quality, then it is dicey business to manage for the l 0-20 percent comprising this very small age class.

More research should be done before concrete statements are made about post-mature bucks growing the biggest antlers in the wild.

Irrespective of the 8–9-year-old controversy, bucks have to be at least 5 years old to grow their biggest antlers. Being able to estimate a buck’s age before harvest is vitally important in a trophy management program. Aging deer on-the-hoof is more art than science.

A person needs to look at a lot of known-age animals to get the feel for the process. Aging deer means looking at many different characteristics and making your best educated guess. Factors like individual animal variation, health, breeding stage, observer bias and geographic area all influence an animal’s appearance. There is a lot of variation among animals that leads to mistakes when judging the age of deer, especially when an animal shows characteristics from multiple age classes.

Figuring a deer’s exact age is difficult and unnecessary. What is important, is being able to place the deer in one of three major categories: young, middle aged and old. They consider yearlings and 2-year-old deer young; 3-4 years old, middle aged and 5-7 years as old.

Young deer have: 1) long legs 2) long, thin necks 3) high flanks, 4) rumps higher than their shoulders and 5) an overall slim, dainty appearance.

Middle-aged deer have: 1) thick, muscular necks, 2) necks that swell from the shoulders 3) heavily muscled rounded hindquarters, 4) bellies that are full, but not sagging, 5) legs that no longer appear long and gangly and 6) flat backs that do not sway.

Old deer have 1) swayed backs, 2) “pot-bellies”, 3) very heavy necks and shoulders, 4) necks that blend into their chests, 5) short or stubby-appearing legs and 6) “squinty-eyes.

Allowing the bucks on your hunting lease to grow up will pay dividends later. Hunters interested in trophy deer management should hone their skills to increase their odds of making accurate judgements about age.

My ‘on-the-hoof aging suggestions are simply guidelines. Mistakes are going to be made when judging a deer’s age. We just have to learn from those mistakes and while we keep practicing.

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Texas Christmas trees

It looks like the Texas Christmas tree sales will be getting a boost this year, said a Texas A&M AgriLife expert and others associated with the industry.

Texas Christmas tree growers are expecting another good year for live tree sales.

But not just any Christmas tree, Raley said. There will be a much greater demand for live Christmas trees, as many people consider them the quintessential symbol of the holidays.

He also noted that almost all artificial Christmas trees are imported, and live trees have the benefit of being entirely biodegradable.

Texas Christmas tree production and pricing

According to the Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association, TCTGA, there are 175 Christmas tree farms in Texas producing some 200,000 trees annually on about 2,500 acres statewide.

Various Christmas tree types grow in rows at Texas tree farm. They are various colors, ranging from a bluegreen gray to a dark green.

Despite the drought, Texas Christmas tree production was good, but increased input costs are expected to make tree prices a little higher this year.

Prices will vary depending on the size and type of tree and may be a little higher than last year, he said. But generally, there should be no big price increases. However, where you may find higher prices is for those trees that are grown out of state and then brought into Texas, as they will have additional costs associated with transportation.

The Virginia pine is the favorite among Texas Christmas tree growers because it grows well in many areas of the state.

These trees will likely cost 10-12% more this year, due to higher input costs combined with the rising cost of transportation.

People choose a live tree for Christmas so they can have variety from year to year instead of pulling out and putting up same artificial tree every year. They also enjoy coming to the farm and choosing their own tree. In that regard, we provide more than just Christmas trees, we provide a complete experience for the family.

Christmas tree popularity

The most widely grown live Christmas tree species in Texas are the Virginia pine, Leyland cypress, Afghan pine and Arizona cypress.

Raley said the best-selling and most popular live Christmas tree species is the Virginia pine. because it grows well throughout the state.

“Virginia pine trees were selected by the Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association for their survivability, growth and form,” he said.

The Afghan pine seems to be growing in popularity in some parts of the state, especially Central Texas, where it also happens to grow the best. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Michael Arnold)

However, he said, there has been an increased interest in other tree species, particularly the Afghan pine.

Afghan pines grow well in Central Texas, and that’s the area from where most of the increased consumer interest has come. But there has also been growing interest in other species as live Christmas tree selections.

The Tree Improvement Program is working with industry and growers to provide seeds and technical assistance in finding additional tree species that may be grown successfully in the state and offer consumers even more options when selecting their live Christmas tree.

Reed said for those wanting to buy a live Christmas tree, his best advice is to shop early.

“If you wait until the second or third week of December to buy, you’ll have a limited selection of Christmas tree types and sizes,” he said. “It’s best to buy early. If you properly water and maintain your live tree, it will easily last through Christmas.”