There are whitetails, mature whitetails and then the elusive super secretive whitetails.

All kidding aside, I believe the "top end bucks" in many areas have got to be that wayNOT simply because they tend to be just a bit spookier then most andNOT simply because they have learned from previous mistakes, I honestly believe that something has happened for most of their lives to allow them to survive to monsterous proportions. I think in many cases its because for whatever reason thelargest bucks have been much less interested in the rutting ritual. Not that they won't or don't breed but they will NOT run and trail for miles and make a lot of the mistakes many other bucks do once their mind gets fogged by the rutting instints. Again realize that I'm not talking just about any mature buck but the truly top end deer in my area to which the question was asked. I don't know if it's something genetically different or hormonally different but it just seems that when a truly top end buck is ever killed here, many times no one had ever seen the deer during legal shooting hours and not even a shed had been recovered from it's past. However, I don't believe this is becasue the bucks travel miles and miles in a huge range. In fact, I believe the opposite to be true. I believe that the top end bucks do NOT have a huge area and in fact spend the vast majority of the time living in a realitively small area in which they are intimately familar with. I also believe that they rarely move during legal shooting hours to do anything. Just like humans once the reach a certain age, they seem more content just to sit around and be lazy and care more about survival that runnin' around and chasin' the girls. I've also noted that many of these bucks aren't the traditional giant bodied and thickly swollen beasts like our typical mature buck is. These top end bucks seem to be in excellent shape, have beautiful coats withno scars on 'em and no damage or breaks to their head gear? I've also noted that many seem to have small unswollen necks, certainly NOT the norm for a mature breeder buck??? Could it be that these top end deer somehow have a hormonal imbalance thatprevenets them from gettingthat pumped up about the rut??? If so, I believe this may explain why they could live into that 6 1/2 and 7 1/2 age classes? This may also explain why even in hunted areas these deer simply are NOT seen and when/if they are it isn't running a Doe across an open field. Where and how do these beasts live right under so many other hunters noses yet not only manage to stay invisible??? In many instances, even their shedsare never recovered.... now THAT is a hiding spot! I'm just personally convinced that a "top end" buck ina givenarea is a totally different species.

Of course, by this thread asking about "top end bucks in your area", realize that in my neck of the woods this would include several of the largest antlered bucks in the world and many taken within just 5 to 15 miles of me. From the previous ('99) archery state record that scored 251 6/8 P&Y to Illinois' All-timerecord non-typ, the Bryant Giant, that scored 304 3/8" B&C (X-bow in '01) and even Scott Dexter's state record muzzleloader buck that scored 294" B&C,no one had ever seen these monstersuntil the day they were shot!