AR Bowhunter

Do you think that there is a difference in the way that mature bucks are hunted? What I am saying is in your experience do older bucks say 3.5 an older act different from deer that areyoungerthan 3.5? Do you approach the older deer in a different way? Do you see fewer deer when you are hunting mature deer than you do when you are hunting anydeer? Do you feel like your are honed in more antry to be more careful when hunting mature deer? Comments areincouraged.

Rory/MO

completely different animal, when they hit that 3.5 y.o. mark. JMO

Hurricanespg

Definitely more tuned into everything around me. They are just much more reclusive, antisocial, smart, skittish, etc, etc.

elkhuntinut

Not that hunting a mature 3.5 plus whitetail will mean you will see less deer as they tend to roam the same area. Just the 3.5 year old plus is more sensitive to human intrusions, scent, and move less than that of a deer say less than 3.5 years.

GregH

Absolutely yes to all of your questions.

Steven McBee

after 3.5 years of age, that buck has had to escape many humans and is a completely different animal to hunt

LouisianaTomkat

For obvious reasons, yes. They are different animals where I hunt. Not many make it that long. The ones that do are super smart.

LT

IL-Cornfed

Who in the whitetail-world could possibly say that bucks, once they reach age 4 1/2, aren't anything less than a different species??? You might as well paint 'em a different color or call 'em by another name because they no longer are "normal" deer. Outside of a short breeding period, they don't even want annything to do with any other deer in the region. Eat, sleep and repeat with the only real goal.... survival. This should be an easy one-sided poll. lol!

tsoc

I definitely agree with what every one else has said! The focus and precision necessary to consistently kill bucks in the older age classes is a whole different endeavor than younger deer.Especially so when there is considerable hunting pressure in the area's you hunt.How many times have we all heard about the big bucks that people capture on trail cams that they never lay their eye's on.

Edcyclopedia

I would even go as far as 2 1/2 year olds.
Once they get kicked away from home and settle into their new habitat,
they start to become a much more reclusive animal and thicker / swampier terrain tends to be their preffered hang-out spots from my experiences.

Of course there may be a bunch that may be dumb/curious deer and won't survive.
Keep in mind, they have to make it past 2 1/2 to get to 3 1/2!