RE: Can we get a consensus....."Mature Bucks"?
 

I guess skeletal and muscular maturity has nothing to do with biology then. [8D]

A bucks skull plate doesnt fully develope until hes 4.5... Body composition changes quite a bit from 3.5 to 4.5 ..due tochanges in muscular maturity. That isnt just fat hes putting on his body after 3.5

RE: Can we get a consensus....."Mature Bucks"?
 

AKA Barry Bonds, his head got way bigger:D

Shed I do nothave the same skull and frame when i was 18:D I was 142, now I go 190[&:]

So when am I fully mature(physical not mental)?

RE: Can we get a consensus....."Mature Bucks"?
 

[8D][8D][8D][8D].......... GERM! I dont know if we ever get the mental aspect mastered!

RE: Can we get a consensus....."Mature Bucks"?
 

When your wife says you are ,and not until. [:o] And just leave the man card at the door.[:-]

RE: Can we get a consensus....."Mature Bucks"?
 

Well, unfortunately for you Troy and Gary, a man's peak physically is right around 25. So, what that means for you guys is that while I am right at my peak, you two are falling off the map:D

But, I guess if we are calling 4.5 year olds the limit for mature on deer, then I am still just a kiddy and you 2 are peaking[8D]Is there an alterior motive here?;)

Really, I am just going on what I have been told. I could be wrong... again.

RE: Can we get a consensus....."Mature Bucks"?
 

I don't go to much by what the Biologist say anymore. Every year that we get a bear were suppose to send in 2 teeth to get them aged. My biggest bear weighed 325lbs dressed with a 20 5/16 inch skull and they said the bear was a 4.5 year old bear. I guarantee that bear was all of 12 years old minimum. Another bear I shot was a 150lb boar dressed, they told me this bear was 1/2 year old. That bear in most cases is 4.5. These guys are lucky if they hit 1 out of 5 with me so far. We still send teeth in just to get a laugh on what there guesses all are.

RE: Can we get a consensus....."Mature Bucks"?
 

I voted 3.5, because that is what I consider my standard of a shooter............but if the question where when does a buck reach it's fully mature antler growth and body size potential it would be 6.5...........but how many of those do we see running around? Not many, I have killed 5.5 year old bucks and I have killed some 2.5 in my earlier days, but the average shooter in my area is 3.5 that is the most in the 130 class range which is what I consider a shooter buck.

I have to ask this though, w/o being sarcastic.............how does someone that has only 2 or 3 seasons under their belt accurately judge age on the hoof?????? It took me close to 10 years before i fully understood how to do it, maybe I'm just a slow learner.........

RE: Can we get a consensus....."Mature Bucks"?
 

Absolutely a fair question. Speaking only for myself.....I probably see more deer than the "average" hunter. I also look at every thread here where we're discussing aging deer on the hoof and try to learn what I can from those posts. I also watch a lot of hunting shows......look at videos....and read a LOT. This aspect of hunting fascinates me. I do what every other person does....look for the tell-tale signs.....and compare them to other deer I've either personally witnessed.....seen on gamecam.....seen on the web or in print.

I don't know any other way.

I've probably seen in the neighborhood of 650 deer from stand in my 3 yrs afield hunting deer.

RE: Can we get a consensus....."Mature Bucks"?
 

Wow, that's alot of deer in such a short time..............mind if I ask what state you hunt?

RE: Can we get a consensus....."Mature Bucks"?
 

NC

2007 - 48 sits.....203 sightings
2006 - 46 sits.....326 sightings

I didn't keep a log in 2005.....but I'm guessing I sat 30 times.....and the difference between 650 and the others is a "guess" (based on subsequent yrs numbers).