Summer rains = larger antlers

[SilverDollars]

Has anyone(hunting NM) been witnessing larger than normal antler mass as a result of this year's spring and summer rains in NM?

[powderhogg01]

I think antler mass is equal to the year in whole. I was at a talk once and the speaker put it like this. When we have a wet spring and summer there is a lot of fresh green grass which has the high proteins needed for antler growth, but this is limited due to winter weather from the previous year. If an elk has come out of a hard winter, it will take a lot more feed to get the body back to where it needs to be in order to build that antler mass.
When we have a light winter, with limited snowpack, the elk are able to keep feed up and keep there body mass in the prime. They THEN enter the wet spring and summer already built up and that allows all that plant energy to go into antler mass.
I know you were looking for a local answer.. and I am sure something will turn up. Just giving what I have heard.. this was from a state biologist who worked with colorado on the elk herd population. it made perfect sense to me, if the animals have to rebuild there fat/body mass they wont be growing antlers as large. If we come out of a light winter and into a wet summer the animals are prime to do nothing but build mass!! That is what I am seeing this year, we had a light winter here in central CO and a real wet spring and summer.. the animals have all been quite stacked!!