Alsheimer wasn’t long into his work on private-land deer management when he realized there was a ceiling to the good intentions of even the most ardent QDM supporter.
“You realize two things really quick,” he said. “One, you can’t stockpile bucks. Two, you have to be realistic with your expectations.”
He used his deer research facility and his incredible photography to illustrate points time and again in pictorials published in D&DH and also video aired on D&DH-TV.
“Reaching top-end antler growth is no easy feat and requires a host of factors, all working together for it to happen,” Alsheimer said. “However, when you understand the process and are fortunate to see such an animal (live or dead) it is a sight to behold.
“Hunters often ask my opinion concerning the size buck they should attempt to harvest on their first trip to a North American whitetail mecca, be it South Texas, Saskatchewan or points in-between. Such conversations are interesting because most of these hunters have never placed their crosshairs on any whitetail bigger than a yearling. For the most part, conversations with their outfitters have led them to believe that they should hold out for a buck in the 150- or 160-inch range. There are many areas where such trophies are possible, but not nearly as possible as many hunters are led to believe, especially when hunters are at the mercy of unpredictable weather.
“I’m a firm believer that a 140-class white-tailed buck is a trophy anyplace in North America. I’ve hunted whitetails from Saskatchewan to Texas to New York and points in-between, and my experience has taught me that sightings of bucks with hat sizes greater than 140 inches are few and far between — at least under true fair chase conditions.”
The best analogy Alsheimer said he could offer is that a 140- to 145-inch buck is the equivalent of a 6-foot, 5-inch man.
“When you realize that the average height of an American male is 5-foot, 10-inches, you quickly get the picture that a 140-class animal is way above average and very special,” he said. “Frankly, in the majority of whitetail habitats a 140- to 145-inch buck is as close to top-end as it gets. To expect anything more is wishful thinking.”
Charles J. Alsheimer was a preeminent expert on deer behavior and collaborated on groundbreaking research on the moon’s impact on whitetail breeding patterns. He authored seven best-selling books and hundreds of magazine articles on the whitetail. He served as field editor of Deer & Deer Hunting magazine for nearly 38 years and as host of Deer & Deer Hunting TV, which aired on the Outdoor Channel, before his untimely passing in 2017. His work on deer behavior was ahead of its time.
