Since you had mentioned genetics I thought that posting some general articles on genetics and variation would be helpful to readers in general. That's all.

But I think the point is also that with genetic variation - even with or without deer dispersal/movement etc., there is always genetic variation from place to place - and that includes antler traits/characteristics/attributes. Not all places are the same. Dispersal/movement would add to variation. Everything varies.

Of course better soil, habitat, mgt. etc. can maximize the potential of antler development in any area, and that is everyone's goal, or at least the goal of some people. But the antler genetics are whatever they are in a given area even with dispersal/bleed over/transition/movement etc. so those antler traits are a factor in potential also, not just soil/habitat/mgt., IMO.

I am reminded of those photos posted some years ago by the gentlemen knows as "Bucksville Fatboy" (or something like that)(I think that is who it was) and all his buck photos in his area were narrow 6 points. He said that is what his area produced. They got thick with age, but never had long tines and never got wide. Even at maturity they were narrow racks. IIRC, he said that was the typical buck in his area and that that was a good as it got.

On the other hand there was the young man who posted some photos in that thread some time back where folks were posting a bunch of buck photos, and North Alabama guys posted a lot more big antlered bucks, and that young man posted pics of 3 bucks he killed on his land/lease and they all had what I would call superior antler traits - width, height. long times, lots of points and decent mass.

IIRC, neither of those two places were in agricultural row crop areas or had any particular superior habitat management practices. And that is a good example of variation of antler traits between different places/areas.