Sometimes they don’t pop

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Last year



This year



A deer like this looks mature to me. I love a one buck state but this is where it would be nice to have some landowner discretion to not have to burn your buck tag.

 

[BenA]

I bet if you give that buck one or two more years (if neighbors don't shoot him) he is going to surprise you with mass and extra junk. Your wife or another relative may want to shoot him?

 

[T-Max]

I'm trying to make that not the same deer, and I'm also trying to make him younger. Neither of those things are gaining any traction... Haha! That said, I agree with Ben. Just let him go and watch him grow...

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I bet if you give that buck one or two more years (if neighbors don't shoot him) he is going to surprise you with mass and extra junk. Your wife or another relative may want to shoot him?

My wife couldn’t hunt a dead deer haha!
I have a good buddy I take when he can come up. He would have the green light on this one I suppose. But I kinda think like you, I wonder if he doesn’t have a jump in him at some point.

 

[T-Max]

Unless he becomes a bully and limits the activity of other bucks for you, I don't think he would be of much concern. Could be a good case study if nothing else.

 

[Bill]

Looks old enough to put on the ground to me. But holding off wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Kdog]

How old do you think he is?

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

How old do you think he is?

Idk that’s a great question. I could see 4.5 but I could also see 5.5. Based on his body I don’t see anyway that blocky of a body was 2.5 last year.

 

[BenA]

I think he's 4.5 now.

 

[Kdog]

He has a huge body and blocky head with short legs. Down here that is an easy 5.5 YO that would fit into our plan, but it my be a 4.5 up there that needs another year.

That 8 I sent you was aged by two people from the jaw bone, One said 4.5 and the other said 5.5. I am leaning towards a late dropped 5 YO.

 

[BenA]

Watch Winke's experience with this buck and his thoughts:

 

[T-Max]

Watch Winke's experience with this buck and his thoughts:

 

[SwampCat]

This is a 5.5 yr old buck. If anything, his antlers decreased in size from the previous year. He did weigh 195 lbs.


Above deer is 7.5. Very typical of our older deer.


This deer above we think was 5.5 last year. Pic of deer below on left is deer this year - lost quite a few inches


Biggest deer I ever killed we believe to be 6.5 and was a 158” 10 pt. Year before, he was an 11 pt. My son killed a 9 pt 148 6 yr old. Was a big ten - probably upper 150’s as a 4 yr old. Lost a pt when he was five. My wife killed a 149” 9 pt that lost a g4 from the year before.

I could go on and on about deer decreasing in antler inches here after age five and even age four. I have seen one deer add considerable inches after age four - four yr old ten pt probably 150 class added 8 stickers next year. He was the exception to begin with.

Much more common for our deer to lose points after age four - they pick up a little mass but it doesnt make up the difference. I have also never seen a buck that was not impressive at age three become a really nice deer at age 4 or 5. Not saying it doesnt happen - just extremely rare here.