Biologist identify the different skin tumors from deer as papillomas, fibromas, or papillofibromas depending upon the type of tissue making up the tumor. However, there is evidence that skin tumors common to whitetail deer are caused by just one type of virus, the papillomavirus, so the term fibroma will be used to refer to all types of warts and tumors. The disease occurs throughout the whitetail’s range in North America.

Research has found that fibromas are most common on deer 2 1/2 years old and older, and bucks seem to be much more susceptible to the disease. Fibromas are typically observed as firm, tumor-like masses attached only to the skin. They can vary in size and get up to four inches in diameter. All fibromas, warts, etc. are fleshy. Some are covered with gray or dark skin which often is scratched and bleeding. Others have a black, dry, hard surface that may be fissured much like the head of a cauliflower. They are all pretty darn gross.

Fibromas are randomly found on an infected deer’s body, but occur most frequently about the eyes, neck, face, and on the front legs. They may be single or multiple. In fact, a heavily infected deer may have 30 or more of the “cancer-like” nodules.

The transmission of the papillomavirus occurs through direct contact with warts or lesions of an infected deer that contain virus particles. Transmission of the deer disease may also result when infective lesions are abraded by vegetation that is subsequently in contact with uninfected hosts. In addition, insect bites may also transfer the virus from deer to deer. Most lesions (70 percent plus) regress within a matter of months, but some deer can become covered. There is nothing that can be done to control papillomavirus, but it is believed that most deer get infected at an early age and develop immunity.

Two years ago we have adopted a 3.5 year old minimum buck age and have gone from taking bucks in the 13’0s to bucks in the 150′s. Do you think this is okay or should we raise the minimum deer age or set a minimum antler score? Thanks!”

Answer: First off, let me say that it sounds like you have got a great situation for both deer hunting and the ability to grow bigger bucks! A ranch of 7,000 acres will allow you to comfortably conduct deer management for whitetail deer. White-tailed deer require a minimum 16 percent protein diet for optimal nutrition, so I would recommend the free-choice feeding of protein pellets with a minimum 16 percent protein. Can you feed a 20 percent protein? Yes, but I recommend going with 16 percent. The extra 4 percent protein will not deliver noticeably different results, except to your pocket book.

Supplemental feeding will definitely increase antler growth in bucks. Many hunters mistaken feed protein pellets just to increase antler growth. Yes, protein has this result, but the herd benefits far outweigh just antler growth. A simpler, less expensive way to increase antler growth is just to let bucks get one year older. That said, feeding protein will benefit the deer found on your ranch immensely. An increase in antler growth will be noticed by bucks in each age class, but does will also be healthier and will recruit more fawns into the deer herd.

The benefit of feeding protein for bucks, as in the additional inches of antler per buck, will vary from property to property. This is because other factors come into play. These factors can include overall habitat quality, habitat condition (precipitation related), age composition of the buck herd, deer density, genetic potential of bucks and the ranch’s buck to doe ratio. Most ranches that offer free-choice protein pellets between January and September can expect to see an additional 10 to 20 inches of antler growth per buck over unfed bucks of the same age.

Addressing your question about minimum age and deer hunting, a 3.5 year old buck has a lot of potential for increased antler growth. Deer complete their skeletal long bone growth at about 3 years of age. During the first 3 years, however, much of the nutrients that would be used for antler growth are needed for skeletal growth. Once this is over, bucks typically put those additional nutrients into antler growth. This is why bucks typically make a huge jump in antler quality from 3.5 to 4.5 years of age. I would recommend implementing a minimum of at least 4.5 years of age or older for deer management for whitetail deer for this reason.

Stay away from a minimum score for buck harvest. All this will do is promote the harvest of your best bucks at an earlier age. Some of the bucks with the best potential may reach your minimum score at 2.5 years old. It would be a shame to shoot that buck at 2.5 years old if older bucks of lesser quality are running around, left to do the breeding, that may never achieve your minimum score. Use age as your criteria and judge each buck based on his antler quality for his age. In addition to the factors listed above, deer management for whitetail deer takes being able to accurately age deer on the hoof. Make sure hunters on your property know how to age deer before you turn them loose.

Response: If you want to produce and grow bigger bucks, then I suggest learning as much as you can about deer management techniques. Manipulation of habitat and selective deer harvest can help by improving age and modifying genetics. Of course, property size is important in how much you can do for the deer in your area. The more property you have, the more you can do to help the animals in your area.

My first recommendation is to learn to age deer on the hoof. It really helps to judge a buck by his head gear based on his age. Bucks with missing brow tines should be candidates for harvest. This also goes for spikes, especially if they are 2.5 years of age or older. Most spikes are yearling bucks (1.5 years of age), and can be shot to allow the best bucks to grow and reproduce. Shooting spikes will decrease the number of bucks that reach maturity though. You must decide if you want to allow the best bucks to grow, or simply just have more mature deer.

Antler characteristics are based on genetics, so what you see is what you get. Young bucks with better than average antlers will grow up to be much better deer than say two or four point yearling bucks. Land owners that want to grow bigger bucks must manage for age, genetics and nutrition. Keep the deer numbers and the appropriate level for your habitat and that will help the bucks on your property reach their genetic potential. Selective deer hunting is just one part of the equation, but no important than the other two elements.

From my casual observations, there seem to be many more does than bucks. Most of the South Texas properties I have been on in the past have about the same number of bucks and does, but this place is skewed. Because of this, I am thinking about letting my friends and family harvest a few does this season, as well as guiding hunts off the ranch. How many does would you take off this ranch without effecting the buck to doe ratio?”

Answer: First, congrats on getting access to what sounds like some great hunting property. South Texas is known for good deer and with proper deer management I have no doubt that you will see the results. The buck to doe ratio is important on a property, but so is the total number of deer. For example, a 1:1 buck to doe ratio would be ideal in your situation, but this will not help you if there are too many animals for the habitat.

My first recommendation for this ranch would be to start collecting data and writing it down. The daylight deer sightings should be documented. In addition, get a deer spotlight survey line in place and start counting. Even just two survey runs (nights) combined with your daylight counts will give you enough herd information to make deer management decisions for this year. A week’s worth of data collection will answer many of your questions and offer much more guidance.

With regards to your last question, “How many does would you take off this ranch without effecting the buck to doe ratio,” the answer is 0. Each and every doe you shoot WILL effect the buck to doe ratio, so you can’t shoot anything without moving the needle in one direction or the other. The general rule of thumb for South Texas ranches is to shoot 1 doe for every 100 acres. However, based on what you’ve written it sounds like you may have to shoot more does. Set some goals, conduct some deer surveys and put together a deer management plan. You need something to go by or you will just be shooting into the wind!

Answer: First, understand that most whitetail deer get their nutrition from plants found in their environment. So good job on your current situation. It sounds like your habitat management activities are producing a lot of high quality browse plants for deer. These browse plants are high in protein. Feeding deer, protein or otherwise, gets a lot of attention. The biggest reason is because it is the easiest thing a hunter can do.

Believe it or not, protein is not as Limiting as many deer managers think. That being said, it’s like a beef-loving hunter choosing between a t-bone and a ribeye. Both high-quality cuts will provide the protein levels that their body needs, but one is typically preferred. The same thing can be said of deer. On well-managed lands, quality plants will be available that deer can eat. On properties that have good natural foods and provide protein pellets, for example, deer have a choice. Some will go for the pellets, some will prefer the native stuff. Many will use both.

To understand protein metabolism and requirements in whitetail deer, it is important to keep in mind that whitetail are ruminants. Much of the protein that deer use does not get put directly to work. In fact, microbes in the whitetail’s rumen use much of the dietary protein for their own growth and reproduction. This sounds like a bad for the deer, but it’s not. The important thing to remember is that microbes are continually passing out of the deer’s rumen, which are then digested by the deer.

The conversion of plant protein to microbial protein benefits whitetail deer. Deer do need protein, but they really need are the building blocks of protein—amino acids—to survive and thrive. Whitetail deer can actually make their own proteins if they have the necessary amino acids. Also, many amino acids can be manufactured from other amino acids by the deer.

After reading the above paragraph, it would sound like deer do not need to consume much protein at all since they can create their own from amino acids, but deer can not create all the different types of amino acids that they need. The “must-have” amino acids that deer are required to have in their diet are called essential amino acids.

People and other non-ruminant animals require 10 essential amino acids in their diet. Without them, their growth is poor. Ruminants, on the other hand, do not have requirements for essential amino acids because the rumen microbes convert plant protein to microbial protein, which the deer then digests. Amino acids in the microbial protein closely match the whitetail deer’s requirements. So, one reason why deer are not as limited by protein as many people believe is that microbes help ensure the amino acid composition of the diet matches that needed by the deer.

My recommendation to you would be to maintain the deer population on your Pennsylvania property within the carrying capacity of the habitat. As long as they are not overcrowded they should fill their deer protein requirements from the browse, forbs and mast found there. Improving whitetail deer is about age, genetics and nutrition. The most important factor on many properties is simply allowing deer to reach their genetic potential. They will never do that if they do not have good nutrition and are not allowed to grow old. Manage for good habitat, proper deer density and age and the deer hunting on your property will improve. Feed them if you really want to.

I know of ranches that feed protein pellets year round and even one that is stops in early fall regardless of the habitat conditions on their property. I know supplemental feeding definitely helps the deer, and does still have fawn that they are nursing. Currently feeding protein, whole cotton seed, and some alfalfa hay. Whitetail deer are in good shape right now. What should we do?”

Answer: The answer to your supplemental feeding question depends on your deer management goals and objectives. There is no black and white right or wrong answer because it depends. Some landowners will feed deer year around because they want to grow the largest and healthiest deer possible. It also helps when you don’t have to harvest a large number of animals (already low or stable numbers) and money is not a factor.

Some hunters want to feed to grow bigger antlers and larger does, but have a set budget, so they then bait with corn during the fall to reach their deer harvest goals. Year-round protein feeding can make it hard to see deer to harvest. Some managers must stop feeding protein and use bait corn so they can harvest the large numbers of deer required to keep the herd healthy.

That said, most deer managers will feed protein during the stress periods of winter and summer, switching to timed spin feeders loaded with corn to lure deer into a specific location for selective harvest. Food plots and free-choice supplemental feed gives whitetail the opportunity to avoid daylight observation by using darkness to their advantage. You can’t manage what you can’t see.

However, if the density on your property is low enough and your fawn survival is not too high, then there is no need to harvest a large number of deer. In that case, healthy, nocturnal deer are not an issue. Supplemental feeding is a great deer management tool, but it’s not the only one. It must be used as a tool to improve herd health, or removed to improve deer harvest. Whether you feed year-round or not depends on where the deer numbers on your property fall.

Answer: It sounds like the guy you hunt with did in fact shoot what is referred to as a cactus buck. These bucks are not rare, but they are not abundant either. This “cactus” condition in whitetail bucks that results in antlers remaining in velvet and continuing to grow beyond the normal velvet-losing time of the year. The condition that causes a deer to be a cactus buck is called cryptorchidism.

The condition impacts testosterone levels, which regulate antler growth and development. In the most extreme cases, the testicles of cryptorchid bucks remain in the abdominal cavity and never descend into the scrotum. As a result, the normal production of testosterone is reduced and the normal antler cycle is destroyed.

In most cases, the cactus buck abnormality occurs naturally, without injury—these deer just do not develop properly. However, the same effect can result when a normal deer that suffers from testicular damage. A buck could function normally for several years then incur some type of testicular injury and then become an injury-created cactus buck for the rest of his life.

In normal whitetail bucks, decreasing photoperiod during the late summer causes a rise in testosterone levels. This spurs the velvet shedding process. During the following spring, as days begin to get longer and photoperiod increases, a normal buck’s testosterone level drops. This initiates the antler shedding process. In cactus bucks, because they lack functioning testes, this cycle does not occur. Instead, cryptorchid bucks remain in velvet and continue to grow indefinitely, often developing antlers with numerous abnormal points, giving them the descriptive name, cactus buck.

White-tailed deer populations have been dealing with these diseases for years, but deer populations continue to hold strong. Blue Tongue and EHD outbreaks in the U.S. occur in deer almost yearly at southern latitudes. EHD and Blue Tongue are spread by midges such as flies or gnats. These insect vectors spread the disease when they bite deer. As a result, outbreaks are virtually untreatable and typically run a course on an annual basis, although weather conditions impact the duration and severity of the outbreak.

Blue Tongue and EHD outbreaks are more noticeable during periods of high temperatures and little rain, but the deer death rate is usually low, with only a small percentage die-off in the population. A deer infected with EHD and Blue Tongue will change its behavior. It will become less careful and seek both shade and water. Some of the symptoms of this deer disease are high fever, excessive salivation, and swelling of the facial area and tongue.

The “blue tongue” that gives the disease its name occurs only in a low number of cases. Symptoms will begin to show within a week after a whitetail deer is bitten and infected with Blue Tongue or EHD virus. Infected whitetail are less fearful of humans, salivate excessively, exhibit peeling or sloughing of the hoof walls, lose their appetite, and do not forage for food. Blue Tongue and EHD induced death can directly come from hemorrhages of the heart or other organs and indirectly from inadequate nutrition/starvation. Hemorrhage and lack of oxygen in the blood results in a blue appearance of the oral mucosa, hence the name “blue tongue.” Blue Tongue and EHD are non-transferable to humans.

In closing, Blue Tongue and EHD are carried by biting insects infected with the disease. Environmental conditions impact the severity of an outbreak and dry periods tend to be the worst. Most episodes are detect during the summer months or drought. Infected deer will often show no fear of humans and often salivate excessively. Eight to 36 hours following the onset of observable signs, deer pass into a shock-like state, become prostrate and die. Whitetail that die from these diseases will often be found in the shade and in or near water sources such as creeks, rivers or tanks.

Fire is an important management tool that has been almost eliminated from many habitats, but is beginning to make a comeback. Prescribed fire is generally accepted as the most economical habitat management tool available, and it’s a very effective tool for whitetail deer habitat improvement. However, we all are aware of the risks and liabilities of improper use of this tool. Prescribed fire is a great tool for managing deer habitat, but also providing high quality plants for other game and non-game species.

Prescribed fire can rejuvenate the landscape and promote vegetative growth that is beneficial to many game species. Non-game species may also benefit from prescribed burning. Birds will often come in to an area soon after a fire has passed. Many wildlife species respond favorably to the new growth after a fire, and although deer eat very little grass, they love the young, tender shoots that arrive soon after a fire.

However, some animals will respond negatively to a fire in the short-term, as litter accumulation and dense grass growth are important to their survival. But in general, a moderately applied prescribed fire regime aimed at promoting a patchwork of vegetative conditions will promote the highest diversity of plant and wildlife species.

Across much of the white-tailed deer’s range, supplemental feeding of protein pellets, cottonseed and soybeans are a very common practice. These foods, though targeting deer, find its way into the mouths of other game and non-game species. But feeders, free-choice or otherwise, are not limited to just whitetail deer. Spincast corn feeders, milo quail feeders, turkey feeders, truck/atv feeders, and others are all used as part of a wildlife management program, but non-game animals will get some too.

But wildlife and deer management does not stop with just food. Interest in deer has now further expanded water availability and the number of modified wildlife-friendly watering sites game management. Stock tanks, wildlife guzzlers, and modified water troughs are now found well-distributed throughout some properties. Wildlife need food, cover, water and space, and ranch owners are providing everything that animals need to boost production and hunting opportunities.

These management practices are great for deer, but what effect does all this supplemental feed and water have on non-target, non-game species? First, most hunters will tell you that raccoon populations seem to expand and grow smarter with every feeder design and addition. Many songbirds and rodents are also attracted to available food and water sources. Northern cardinals, lark buntings, wood rats, meadowlarks, ground squirrels and brown-headed cowbirds commonly visit feeders. Supplemental water, of course, will attract a multitude of non-game including skunks, armadillos, mockingbirds, great-tailed grackles, bobcats and coyotes, to name a few.

But it’s not all good for wildlife. Feeders and water sources may also have some detrimental effects for non-game species. This includes the increased risk of predation. Predators will seek out wildlife feeders and water sources because of the increased concentration of potential prey. In addition, congregations of animals in any one spot greatly increase chances of disease transmission.

Most landowners interested in wildlife management practice will predator control to differing degrees. Predator control ranges from an occasional coyote or feral hog being shot to intensive raccoon, skunk, coyote, and bobcat shooting and trapping. The effect on remaining non-game species may be important. In some cases, a reduction in predator numbers can lead to increased competition between managed game species and non-game animals.

Comprehensive whitetail deer management plans designed to improve the quantity and quality of white-tailed deer always include an annual harvest strategy. Harvest is the main method used to maintain deer densities within a property and to “cull” unwanted antler characteristics from the deer herd. Believe it or not, harvest strategies of game species have important impacts on non-game species.

When white-tailed deer populations are allowed to grow beyond the carrying capacity, the natural habitat gets damaged and all the non-game species that rely on that habitat suffer. Furthermore, eliminating all the deer on a property can also be detrimental to species that may rely on white-tailed deer impacts. In short, some wildlife species benefit while other species are harmed by game management. It is up to individual landowners to decide why and how they will manage their property for deer and other game species, and non-game species too.

The oldest buck looks to be about 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 years old, which is good to know that we do have some older deer on the place. One thing that does concern me, however, is that we have very few does coming to the protein feeders. Whitetail bucks seem to be dominating all four of our protein feeders, and we just are not seeing as many does as we thought. During the last hunting season, it looked like we had about three does to every buck, but the camera photos are showing more bucks than does. Is this common on other properties?

Response: Actually, yes, it is common for game cameras to photograph more bucks than does and protein feeders. This is because males, the biggest and strongest animals, tend to dominate the best resources, including protein feeders. This is one reason why I recommend that hunters and landowners to never use camera photos from protein feeders to estimate the buck to doe ratio on a property. Cameras placed on feeders will always skew the numbers towards bucks.

That being said, Llano County is looking pretty bad this year. With the lack or rain, I am surprised that you have not seen a good number of does on camera to, but there may be other reason involved right now. Does may also be tending to their fawns more right now since most are still quite small. Because of this, does may be avoiding all feeders, protein included, to some extent until their young get a bit older.

Lactation and fawn rearing takes a lot of energy, so I suspect doe activity around the protein feeders on your ranch will increase as fawns increase in size. Although cameras placed at protein feeders will not help you ascertain the buck to doe ratio, they will help you get a really good idea of the bucks on your piece of real estate. These photos should reveal the buck age structure as well as help you find the shooters this deer hunting season, whether they be mature trophies or those classified as culls, and that should help your deer management program.

If you want to use game cameras for deer surveys, scatter several cameras across your property on trails, water sources or roadways. This will help you estimate the buck to doe ratio as well as the fawn production of deer found on your property.