I'm betting if we took the 3.5 yr olds out of the equation.......there would be MANY a "Mature Buck Hunter" that would have to alter his career kill count.

At 21 I was mature,and at 36 I am not any more more mature phyiscally, I am just wiser with less hair

I may get fatter, and my earskeep getting bigger. Deer get fatter and antlers get bigger.

I've let allot of 3.5 year old bucks walk. Most were in that 120" range and some were 130 inchers. How do I know they were 3.5, I've watched them from there 1st rack on. Allot of hunters call 3.5 mature, nothing wrong with that! In my woods I call a 4.5 a mature deer. If a person wants to get scientific about it, a 1.5 year old is mature too then. He can breed just like the big boys!

Well I voted 3.5 also. But when I say this, I almost need an asterik * . I don't believe they are truly mature until 4 I think they have to live through that 3rd rut. There are so many expiriences to be learned,and thats what these deer are doing learning!
Look at the trail cam thread, is that not a conditioned responce to avoid a trail cam. I have 1.5 & 2.5 year old deer that I think run to the camera to get their picture taken. Yet the 3.5's vanish from film.

GMMAT said it if we take the 3.5 out of the equation the number drops big-time...Why? 2 reasons there are way fewer 4.5's because alot of "smart-ones" died at 3.5 trying to mate....and many,many dumb ones, who died before that!

I don't think you can throw hunter avoidance abilities into the equation. That would mean that a 6 year old buck in Alberta that has never seen a person is not mature.

According to my wildlife biologist neighbor, who has been a wealth of knowledge, a 2 year oldis an adult, a 3 year oldis mature. Also, judging the age of a deer on hoof is no easy task. You can have monster 2 year olds, and small 3 year olds. Also, identifying bucks from 1.5 to 2.5 is difficult. I am not doubting those who say they have done it. I am simply saying that their racks can change drastically between those two years.

A final note. Most 1.5 year olds here have at least 8 points. We have the occasional 9 or 10 point yearling. So, you can't use # of points as an indicator either.

What I meant, Bob.....was I'm betting there are those who voted 4.5 as being mature.....but who might claim a 3.5 yr old as one of their "mature" buck kills. It can't be both ways.

I'm just wondering.....if you shoot a 3.5 yr old.....have you shot a "mature" buck? That was my intent.

OH I understand the Statement fully and as a hunter I am almost forced to agree with you (hence the astrerik) otherwise I may go all season without seeing a mature buck!

3.5's are tweeners

I was waiting on your answer, Troy....and I don't disagree with you.

But...we gotta start somewhere!

I have to disagree based only on how the wildlife biologists classify them. What real reasoning can we as hunters have to go against the scientists? Real logic here, not "because they's got them some smarts"