buckeye

I wanted to see what you guys use as reference points when field judging mature whitetail bucks antlers(that's if there is time to break them down EX summer scouting or game cam pics etc.).... If you use any other tactics than I use, post em up. I stress the refrence points are for deer in my area... Your deer may be different.

* The distance from the tip of the snout to the tear duct is aprox. 7-8 inches.

*The distance from the ear butt to the tip of the ear is aprox. 7-8 inches.

*The diameter of a whitetail eye is roughly 1 1/2 inches.

*Alert ears are aprox. 16.5-17 inches tip to tip.

* Bottom of the jaw to the top of the snout is roughly 2.5 inches.



[/align]

RDHunter

Hey buckeyeboy
Hate to break the news to ya but the eyes and ears are the same size from the they'er born , there snout , head , body and everthing else will continue to grow.

Germ

I stink at pictures, buckeye is really good at this.

buckeye

I was not aware that the eyes and ears do not grow at all.... Can you prove this to me? I really don't believe their ears do not grow.... The eyes maybe.... I just don't see the ears not growing.

Not sure whatyour reply had to do with my post anyhow as it was still correct

OGW

Whats a Mature Buck?
We dont have them here in Central New York
Well...Ok...theres a Few...Left out there

Theres not many, because of that mentality of "If it's brown it's down", so that kind of narrows ones chances around here to do much field judging[:@]

RDHunter

You were using the ears and eyesas reference to judge mature whitetails , I have read in one of those hunting books that when they'er born , there ears and eyes will be the same size as to when they get older.

early in

That's easy, if he's not bigger than this he walks.

buckeye

So even if this were true (which I dont believe the ears bit and I am skeptical about the eyes) would those not be accurate refrence point? An inch and a half is still and inch and a half right? Seven inches will still be seven inches......

RDHunter

Yes ... inch and a half is still an inch and a half and seven inch's is still seven inch's but when your trying to determine if a buck is mature you really can't go by the eyes and ears.
They'll be the same wheather if the buck is a one and a half year old or if it's four and a half years old.
So let the debate continue and say it is better to judge a bucks snout than it's ear's.

buckeye

LOL... RD I am talking about relating those measurements to the deers rack to field judge how many inches he would score