RE: Question for "mature buck" advocates
I hope this works.........
Good buck age structure:
6 1/2+ xxx
51/2 xxxx
41/2xxxxxxx
31/2 xxxxxxxxxx
21/2 xxxxxxxxxxx
1 1/2 xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have hunted herds with an age structure almost like this. It makes fun and exciting to experience. This is what you get when you "let them go to let them grow".
Bad buck age structure:
4 1/2+ x
3 1/2 xx
2 1/2 xxxx
1 1/2 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have hunted herds like this as well.[&o] This is what you get when you "if it's brown it's down" hunt. Every season 80% or more of the bucks killed are 1 1/2. Pretty soon you don't have hardly any mature bucks. The ones you do have are super cautious, mostly nocturnal at the slightest hint of human presence. Not a very fun hunt if you expect to possibly get a glimpse of "old Mossy-Horns". I stopped hunting areas like this and searched out new areas that were better. If you were to let the little ones go or had antler restrictions in place you can see how you'd increase the number of older bucks.