RE: What is a mature buck in your area?
Yeah. I don't know many that would ask for ID with a rack like that hanging over his head. I suppose the areas of our lease where we let them grow they make it to 5 1/2, but being that its a business deal and we take alot of guests, many come into camp under that. I let one of our employees take his 13 yo son to my stand after I had my 2 bucks already and he shot a young deer with a decent rack, but not shooter worthy for an experienced hunter. I was PO'ed, but when you put it in the hands of other people its a crap shoot. My 2 bucks last year were 4 1/2 and 6 1/2 by looking at the teeth( not 100% accurate, but a good approximation.) The 4 1/2 should have been bigger by that age and blind luck, not my judgement made him that old. He ran out of the brush and I popped him, to my everlasting shame. The 2nd one was the perfect thing all the way around. I have him on video from previous years, had put the crosshairs on hism before and whispered "bang" . If only I hadn't missed left, I wouldn't have gutted the poor old guy. But I got the lung as well and he didn't run farther than a lung shot would, so that's good. Just a little messy cleaning him.