Age can effect a buck’s antlers. Whitetailed deer do not achieve maturity until they are 5 to 8 years of age. Studies have demonstrated the average buck achieves only about 10 percent of his potential antler development by age 1.5 years (when he completes his first set of antlers as an 18-month-old buck).
It has also been able to demonstrate that there is little relationship between the first year antlers and the antler development a buck will have when he reaches the mature age classes of 5 years or older. This means a spike-antlered buck has a good chance of becoming a trophy-quality adult buck. By the time a buck has completed his second set of antlers he still only has achieved only 25-35 percent of his potential antler development.
At 3 years of age. A buck still only has achieved about 50 percent of his potential antler quality. It is not until 5 years of age that most bucks approach their full antler potential, and often, antlers don’t reach their maximum size until 7 or 8 years of age (for captive deer raised under ideal conditions).
This is information from studies done concerning antler growth and developement. Like I said earlier. If this deer is actually a 2.5 or 3.5 year old deer he still has a lot of antler growing to do. If you are after "trophy" antlers leave him alone. If you are after deer then shoot him.
A 2.5 year old deer having 8 points or more is by no means the norm across the country but rather the exception. If a 2.5 year old deer does have 8 points or more it will likely be short tined and narrow. If this deer in the pics is this young he has a heck of a lot of potential.