Oldest deer ever harvested??
01-17-2008 | 11:10 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,965
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From: Southeast, Va
Oldest deer ever harvested??
I read an article in D&D Hunting that said the oldest deer ever shot was in Alabama, 23 yr old buck!!! Second was a 21 yr old doe!!! Can't remember where the does was. They said in the article that there is really no such thing as a dry doe, rare to see a doe that cannot reproduce. Who knew?? Not me!!
01-17-2008 | 12:13 PM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 9,445
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From: Central Minnesota
RE: Oldest deer ever harvested??
I don't know If I agree with the dry doe part these folks are implying on. My dad lives in Northern Minnesota, they feed the deer corn every winter in a big bird bath about 10 yards from the house. (Its really neat watching them this close). Anyway they have a doe thats been coming in for 17 years straight now. She don't have a tail so thats how they know its her. Dad told me that she hasn't had a fawn now for at least 5 years. When these old doe's get old, allot of times I don't think they have any fawns. I'm guessing they still get bred but I think all of the energy goes into keeping themselves fit, thus they never have the fawn. In the Northern States I think it fits better with what I said because of the harsh winters.
01-17-2008 | 12:48 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 721
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RE: Oldest deer ever harvested??
ORIGINAL: Schultzy
I don't know If I agree with the dry doe part these folks are implying on. My dad lives in Northern Minnesota, they feed the deer corn every winter in a big bird bath about 10 yards from the house. (Its really neat watching them this close). Anyway they have a doe thats been coming in for 17 years straight now. She don't have a tail so thats how they know its her. Dad told me that she hasn't had a fawn now for at least 5 years. When these old doe's get old, allot of times I don't think they have any fawns. I'm guessing they still get bred but I think all of the energy goes into keeping themselves fit, thus they never have the fawn. In the Northern States I think it fits better with what I said because of the harsh winters.
I don't know If I agree with the dry doe part these folks are implying on. My dad lives in Northern Minnesota, they feed the deer corn every winter in a big bird bath about 10 yards from the house. (Its really neat watching them this close). Anyway they have a doe thats been coming in for 17 years straight now. She don't have a tail so thats how they know its her. Dad told me that she hasn't had a fawn now for at least 5 years. When these old doe's get old, allot of times I don't think they have any fawns. I'm guessing they still get bred but I think all of the energy goes into keeping themselves fit, thus they never have the fawn. In the Northern States I think it fits better with what I said because of the harsh winters.
01-17-2008 | 12:52 PM
#4
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,703
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From: Eureka, MO
RE: Oldest deer ever harvested??
That's amazing, a doe can live 17+ years up in your harsh climate. Do you think she would make all these winters if your dad wasn't feeding her?
I was watching the QDMA show that featured a buck they raised in high fence captivity with all the best supplemental feed and documented it's antler growth. It lived til 12 and died of a bone disease.
I was watching the QDMA show that featured a buck they raised in high fence captivity with all the best supplemental feed and documented it's antler growth. It lived til 12 and died of a bone disease.
01-17-2008 | 06:09 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Rhode Island
RE: Oldest deer ever harvested??
I didn't know they could live that long ? a buddy of mine got a buck thus year that the state said it was about 12 1/2 because the teeth were so worn down and that it was one of the oldest they had seen. they felt he did it a favor because they said it probably wouldn't make it through the winter
01-17-2008 | 07:55 PM
#9
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,221
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From: Howard PA USA
RE: Oldest deer ever harvested??
I shot a doe in central pennsylvania about 3-4 years ago that was aged by a game commission biologist that was aged at 6 1/2yrs old. Here in PA they don't get to live that long in the wild. She did have a young deer with her when I shot her though. I wish I would have gotten her jaw bone but it was an afterthought and never did get it.
