RE: Do older deer become harder to kill?
 

I don't think it's age as much as pressure.

If you have a deer that's six years old and has been haplessly wandering through vegetable gardens without threat of predation or death-by-hunter, he's already trained himself to be "sloppy" - lots of daytime movement, not bothered by human presence, largely unthreatened.

Now, compare that to a six-year-old deer on the public forest. He will be trained to strictly limit his daytime voluntary movements, and will probably be very reclusive. Same goes for a deer that lives in a timberwolf-infested mountain range. For those deer, getting sloppy = getting killed.

My in-laws live in a tight residential development that's probably 10 years old. All tiny woodlots, too small to bow hunt, and there are deer there. There's a few long-snouted, gray faced does that are practically tame - they'll stand in the veggie garden while you're out on the patio, maybe 15 yards away. Killing them wouldn't be hard at all. I'm just waiting for the day that a big buck moves into the neighborhood. LOL

RE: Do older deer become harder to kill?
 

My question is in general. I'm not trying to associate it with any specific type of hunting.

Let's just say you're Germ.......and you only want to take mature deer. If you pass on a 1.5 yr old.......and then pass on him as a 2.5 yr old.......and later as a 3.5 yr old......and then harvest him as a 4.5 yr old......have you accomplished more by taking the same deer as a 4.5 yr old vs. when he was a 1.5 yr old?

Fair question?

RE: Do older deer become harder to kill?
 

In general, I'd agree. Older bucks get bigger, heavier, wiser, lazier, arthritic, and just tend to move less. So, anytime you're comparing two deer, say a 1.5 year old and a 5.5 year old, you're gonna have a harder time killing the one who spends less time on the hoof and more time on his belly.

RE: Do older deer become harder to kill?
 

gets my vote.

RE: Do older deer become harder to kill?
 

Definately as a deer gets older, it is more difficult to kill. They are a lot smarter and know how to outsmart you! I feel that the older they get, it all becomes "luck".. Good luck with that buck and hope to see it on here next year! :)

RE: Do older deer become harder to kill?
 

Older and wiseras time goes on, so therefore, yes I would think they would be harder to get

RE: Do older deer become harder to kill?
 

Shooting a mature deer is much more of a challenge than shooting a yearling for the simple reason that there arent as many of them. The deer that were "stupid", made mistakes or just had bad luck, whether they got shot or got hit by a car, well they are dead and cant get any older. The deer that make to maturity, 4 and a half, have been around the block, had some close calls and know what it takes to make it till tomorrow. Smarter, i dont know, harder to kill, for sure.

RE: Do older deer become harder to kill?
 

yes the older the smarter they had to get old some how;)

RE: Do older deer become harder to kill?
 

I don't know if I think they get smarter - I deffinitely don't disagree with the statement though. I think they adapt to different things as they get older and I do think they learn to go more nocturnal.

I think an even more interesting question would be - what kind of memory do deer have from year to year? Do they remember when hunting seasons start and end, where stands are generally hung, etc.? What do ya'll think about that?

RE: Do older deer become harder to kill?
 

Here's what someone I know had to say about the subject......