Top States for Mature Buck Harvests

[BenA]

I know the NDA doesn't get a lot of love here. I like some of their stuff, and then there's some, I don't. I had posted a good bit on their old forum, but then stopped a good while before the fallout that left people with the bad feelings they have about the organization. But, they've been coming out with a top list of states that they claim have the best success rates on mature bucks. Their data is just wrong, and I'm not sure why they keep posting it like it's the truth. I know for a fact that two of their "top states" only receive that honor because they are basing it on data from managed properties. Those states don't require the vast majority of regular hunters to divulge any age type data for bucks or even data that could be used to separate buck ages in any fashion whatsoever. They only require it for properties who have signed up with the states to manage for deer, and almost every one of those is doing some type of buck harvest restrictions. When you only report the data from people who are actively managing for older bucks, guess what the results will show? It just aggravates me that they would keep reporting data from managed properties and claim that is representative of the total state harvest. I would have probably joined, but can't bring myself to do that when they will report findings they know good and well to be not accurate. They have some good people working with them, but they're going to keep ruining themselves.

Here's the latest "report": https://deerassociation.com/the-10-best-states-for-mature-buck-harvest-have-a-new-leader/

 

[KY wild]

I agree that information seems useless and not reflective of the country

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

You mean you wouldn’t rather hunt Florida than Iowa for mature bucks?

 

[H20fwler]

All 3 1/2-year-olds are not created equal.
And how do they know how old a deer is or how big if people call or text to check them in.

 

[Mortenson]

All 3 1/2-year-olds are not created equal.
And how do they know how old a deer is or how big if people call or text to check them in.

The dnr agents at the check station don't know how old they are either.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

The dnr agents at the check station don't know how old they are either.

…my taxidermist said he was 13

 

[Mtyhunter]

I hunt in Oklahoma, and while there's some pretty good deer harvest going on, totally useless info there, with many factors like e-checkin obviously not being accounted for. Don't need a fancy report to tell me what my eyeballs can see!

 

[Catscratch]

I've been saying OK is the best sleeper state there is for a decade!

The article says biologist collect jaw bones from processors and check-ins during popular hunting days. This gives them the statistics they needed to write the article.

 

[BenA]

I've been saying OK is the best sleeper state there is for a decade!

The article says biologist collect jaw bones from processors and check-ins during popular hunting days. This gives them the statistics they needed to write the article.

I've discussed this with the head biologist for LA. Almost the entirety of their data is from DMAP properties and he said most of those are being intensively managed. Mississippi uses DMAP as well. DMAP has been a long standing program across the south. When you skew the report like that with data that favors reporting of older aged bucks, you get results like they are putting out.

 

[Catscratch]

I've discussed this with the head biologist for LA. Almost the entirety of their data is from DMAP properties and he said most of those are being intensively managed. Mississippi uses DMAP as well. DMAP has been a long standing program across the south. When you skew the report like that with data that favors reporting of older aged bucks, you get results like they are putting out.

Yep. That's why I said it gives them the stats they needed. Not really any different than revolving door policies lowering crime rates. Not exactly accurate.

 

[b116757]

My deer hunters live in Mississippi they been coming to SE Kansas for at least the last 20 years to hunt our big bucks. I suspect those numbers are using common core math maybe!

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Well in fairness maturity doesn’t equal inches. So a hunter coming from ms to ks to hunt deer isn’t necessarily an indictment on age, moreso quality of age. But I get your point

 

[SwampCat]

Same in AR. Our biologists determine age from DMAP jawbones, meat processors, a few check stations around the state on some WMA’s and NWR’s. While I do believe the data is skewed - especially since a 1/3 the state is in a cwd zone with no antler restrictions. That said, approx 1/10 of the land area is public - usfs, nwr, and wma’s. A lot of the hunters on that land are shooting anything legal - but with a 3 pt on one side apr, not a lot of 1.5 yr old bucks are being killed. But, 90% of the land is private where folks arent nearly as trigger happy. know a lot of folks who killed deer last year, and I did not see a dead 1.5 yr old buck - that is probably out of 20 or 25 dead deer I looked at - including a number of public land bucks. On my 400 acres, the 1200 acres west and the 1400 acres east - there has not been a buck less than 4 1/2 yrs old killed in years - like maybe six or seven years. The 800 acres next to my 62 acre land where I know the guys who hunt, they have also not killed a deer under 4.5. Our 800 acre lease has not had a buck killed under 4.5 in three years we have had it. I think a lot of these southern states where a lot of leases are 3000 to 5000 acres or more tend to be much more selective than a lot of midwestern or northern states where most private hunting ground is not tied up in multi thousand acre tracts. It is harder to be selective where you think a deer is going to walk 200 yards and be off your property. I currently have at least five, if not six bucks on my property I estimate at 4.5 or older.

We are not like a lot of mid western and northern states with short rifle seasons where a guy feels like he needs to shoot one of the first bucks he sees. Now that said, our average four or five year old bucks averages about 120” - so all this age stuff still does not mean we are shooting a bunch of big bucks.

This is a 5.5 yr old, 195 lb live wt buck taken off my land. Jawbone aged. Not exactly a wall hanger. The wt is above average for a mature buck here - the antlers slightly below average



Now, all that said, I do believe our state is probably a little sketchy on their average age buck, but it is probably not too far off

 

[H20fwler]

Same in AR. Our biologists determine age from DMAP jawbones, meat processors, a few check stations around the state on some WMA’s and NWR’s. While I do believe the data is skewed - especially since a 1/3 the state is in a cwd zone with no antler restrictions. That said, approx 1/10 of the land area is public - usfs, nwr, and wma’s. A lot of the hunters on that land are shooting anything legal - but with a 3 pt on one side apr, not a lot of 1.5 yr old bucks are being killed. But, 90% of the land is private where folks arent nearly as trigger happy. know a lot of folks who killed deer last year, and I did not see a dead 1.5 yr old buck - that is probably out of 20 or 25 dead deer I looked at - including a number of public land bucks. On my 400 acres, the 1200 acres west and the 1400 acres east - there has not been a buck less than 4 1/2 yrs old killed in years - like maybe six or seven years. The 800 acres next to my 62 acre land where I know the guys who hunt, they have also not killed a deer under 4.5. Our 800 acre lease has not had a buck killed under 4.5 in three years we have had it. I think a lot of these southern states where a lot of leases are 3000 to 5000 acres or more tend to be much more selective than a lot of midwestern or northern states where most private hunting ground is not tied up in multi thousand acre tracts. It is harder to be selective where you think a deer is going to walk 200 yards and be off your property. I currently have at least five, if not six bucks on my property I estimate at 4.5 or older.

We are not like a lot of mid western and northern states with short rifle seasons where a guy feels like he needs to shoot one of the first bucks he sees. Now that said, our average four or five year old bucks averages about 120” - so all this age stuff still does not mean we are shooting a bunch of big bucks.

This is a 5.5 yr old, 195 lb live wt buck taken off my land. Jawbone aged. Not exactly a wall hanger. The wt is above average for a mature buck here - the antlers slightly below average

View attachment 82399

Now, all that said, I do believe our state is probably a little sketchy on their average age buck, but it is probably not too far off

No disrespect at all, but here that rack is an average 1 1/2 year old.

 

[SwampCat]

No disrespect at all, but here that rack is an average 1 1/2 year old.

Yes, we are well aware

That why not many out of state deer hunters - unless you are lucky enough to score an invite on some property in the delta, or from florida and have a pack of deer dogs and hunt the NF

 

[jsasker007]

I would be more than happy with a 195 lb buck. Antlers taste terrible and are really hard on the teeth.

 

[Brian662]

Is it harder to kill a 5 year old 120" buck in MS than it is a 3 year old 150" buck in IL?

What would YOU rather shoot?

 

[BenA]

Is it harder to kill a 5 year old 120" buck in MS than it is a 3 year old 150" buck in IL?

What would YOU rather shoot?

Without a doubt, the 5 year MS buck is harder to kill. Down here, you just don't see deer like you do when you start heading north. A 150" buck in MS or the south is well above average. That's why you have us southerners heading north. It takes some doing before someone from down here will head north and start passing 150 class bucks.

 

[SwampCat]

Is it harder to kill a 5 year old 120" buck in MS than it is a 3 year old 150" buck in IL?

What would YOU rather shoot?

Around my area, there quite a few 120” bucks. A 150” deer is close to the upper end deer in the area - very few in number and even fewer killed. I dont know how hard it is to kill a 150 in IL - but not really that hard to kill a 120 on the land we hunt.

 

[Brian662]

Around my area, there quite a few 120” bucks. A 150” deer is close to the upper end deer in the area - very few in number and even fewer killed. I dont know how hard it is to kill a 150 in IL - but not really that hard to kill a 120 on the land we hunt.

The question isn't about the inches, it's about the age.

I took a wild stab that maybe the amount of 120" 5 year olds in MS were equivalent to the amount of 150" 3 year olds in IL, for arguments sake only. Trying to make the point that most (selective) hunters don't care about age classes, they care about inches.
Of course there are also the non-selective hunters who don't care about age or inches(but insist on filling a buck tag regardless).