What is a Cull Buck?
BuckManager.com | Deer Management
You’ve heard the term before, but what exactly is a cull buck? Sure, white-tailed deer managers and hunters often talk about “cull” bucks and it’s a hot topic — which bucks are cull bucks and which ones are not? However, there is an important factor to keep in mind: Sometimes a cull to one person is not a cull to another. A cull, by definition, is something that is considered inferior or inadequate — not as good as the rest. As such, the topic of cull bucks comes about when ranch managers and hunters want to know which bucks should be culled to improve herd quality. After all, deer antlers are highly heritable. Otherwise, you could never select for antler quality through buck harvest.
Cull bucks are bucks that are deemed genetically inferior in antler quality to other bucks in the area. With that said, a cull buck on one ranch may not be a cull buck on another ranch based on measurable or non-measurable attributes. So, what is a cull buck on your property? The answer depends on several factors — and those factors vary by property and both past and future management actions.
Cull bucks should always be judged relative to other bucks on the property of the same age. For example, if most of the bucks at 3 1/2 years of age on your property have 8+ points, then 3 1/2 year old bucks with 7 or fewer antler points would probably be considered cull bucks. However, a 2 1/2 year old buck with 7 points may not be considered a cull. Other bucks commonly culled are those with very short or missing brow tines or very short tine-length overall. In short, what’s considered a cull varies by ranch, and typically, by who is in charge of buck management and harvest.
A ranch that has been under intensive herd management for years may consider a 5 1/2 year old buck with a 130-inch Boone & Crockett score as a cull, regardless of points. On the flip side, this may be the best buck ever seen on another ranch, especially those at the early stages of deer management.
Culling typically takes place around 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years of age, although the earlier the better (even on yearling bucks). On intensively managed properties, a common practice is cull spike bucks at 1 1/2 years of age and bucks with 8 or fewer points at 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years of age. The idea is to remove “inferior” bucks and leave better bucks to breed and pass their genes on.
Since a cull buck is relative to other bucks at the same age class, accurately aging bucks on the hoof becomes of great importance. Typically, deer managers most comfortable with aging bucks and removing culls are those that have experience and knowledge about individual bucks over multiple years.
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Which is the best way to manage a deer herd?
1. Shoot the does and nothing less than an 8-point buck? OR
2. Shoot spikes and 4-point bucks to allow the larger buckw to mature, while also thinning the does?
Dee | Nov 9, 2008 | Reply
Dee, shooting does and only bucks with 8 or more antler points won’t get your deer management program very far. Keeping the deer density at the proper carrying capacity for the habitat is good, but it’s going to take more attention than an 8 point rule.
Shooting spikes and 4 point bucks is better than the 8 point rule from a buck management standpoint, but from experience I can tell you that you won’t get every spike and 4 point each year—and it may not be from a lack of effort. Some bucks just slip through, that’s why it’s called hunting. However, shooting “low-end” yearling (1 1/2 year old) bucks will help improve the quality of mature bucks on your property.
With that said, you must still cull bucks by age class. I would say shoot yearling bucks with 4 or less antler points, all bucks with 7 or fewer antler points that are 2 1/2 and older, and bucks that still have 8 points at 4 1/2 should definitely be removed if you are trying to improve the buck herd. If you just want more mature bucks, then you may want to let these deer go another year. It all depends on the objective of the ranch because deer management objectives can vary from property to property.
Buck Manager | Nov 10, 2008 | Reply
SHOOT BOTH
DECA | Dec 11, 2008 | Reply
I live in Alabama we have about 500 acres to hunt. Do we need to kill the bucks with no brow tines? We see a lot of spike bucks with 9 to 12 in horns. Is that good? We are seeing a lot of spike and 4 point bucks, but not many big bucks. What do you recommend that we need do? How many food plots do we need on 500 acres? How can we get bigger bucks on our land?
Bryan | Feb 2, 2009 | Reply
I would recommend those interested in buck management taking any spike buck you see that is in the 9 to 12 inch range. Some say their antlers should split before reaching that height. We hunt in Louisiana and harvest only mature bucks, does, and very tall spikes and cull bucks (deer with messed up antlers: deformed, 1 spike 6 inches taller than the other, etc).
Adam | Feb 11, 2009 | Reply
I have a 3.5 year old 7 point buck that was a 7 point last year. This year he is a little heavier horned and has short brow tines, but is still inside his ears. He would be considered a cull buck, wouldn’t he?
Dwight | Oct 3, 2009 | Reply
I have heard that an 8 point buck will not become a 10 point. Is that correct once they have reached maturity or is that a fact in general regardless of age or maturity? Am I being told correctly?
Dwight | Oct 3, 2009 | Reply
Dwight, if you are interested in improving your whitetail buck herd then I would suggest removing any buck that is 2 1/2 years or older that has 7 or fewer antler points. A 3 1/2 year old 7 point, or a 4 1/2 year old 7 point as in your case, is a definite shooter.
In regards to your second question, 8 point bucks can become 10 point bucks, but age is an important component. A good yearling buck (1 1/2) with it’s first set of antlers may be an 8 point deer. This is a good deer and will most likely have 10 or more antler points a year or two down the road. In fact, really good yearling bucks can have 10 points.
The problem comes at 3 1/2 years of age. An 8 point buck at this age is much less likely to develop into a 10 point buck than say a yearling or 2 1/2 year old 8 point. These 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 year old 8 point bucks are then harvested on many ranches as management bucks, knowing that odds are not in their favor at this point in their life to become superior antlered deer.
Buck Manager | Oct 3, 2009 | Reply