They do fall off, but I have no idea where they go
I have found 3 sheds on our farm in 23 years 3.

Spike
2 point
4 point

In all honesty I don't really look that hard, once I hang my last stand in Feb I am done walking around.

Jim PA is not at hate status yet, but they are getting close[8D]

Mee too, makes me wonder

Buckmagnet great point

Germ, you have got it figured out to a T. Great post.

Minnesota: The land where the big bucks SHOULD be[8D]

I hate Iowa, Wisconsin, Ill, even the Dakotas...oh and Canada too! Minnesota nice, pish posh.

This is why I've made it a point to talk to land owners and hunters on all the surrounding farms around ours to get our own management plan in order since the MN DNR will not. Play the cards you're dealt, you can make you're location better...if you choose.

Well, I was one of those people saying that age determines a trophy......and I never said my area(s) don't produce inches. As a matter of fact, it does....and it doesn't. My camp and main hunting area is in NW Ontario....about 100 miles from the nearest ag field and about as big of woods as you can get. This area is known for the huge body size and also great age structure. Like I said earlier, you can have two 5.5 yr olds, one 80" and one 160".

Here's a question.....I hear a lot of guys saying that they see bucks that are x.x yrs old and x.x years old. How do you detemine that you saw 2 3.5 and 1 4.5 year old in a season? Are you basing this on antler size? Body composition? Have you been watching this deer for x number of years? So, when guys tell me they are seeing bucks of a certain age, I don't put much stock in it. Its more of a guess than a fact. Kind of like the numbers a lot of guys throw out about rack size on live deer.

Everyone talks about Ohio and other states as having huge populations of BIG deer. I think it depends on your area and what land you have access to. I hunt an area that has moderate pressure especially gun season. I see allot of deer every year. In the few years I've been hunting the area (6-7) I've seen 3-4 bucks over the 120-130 mark (the biggest of which is in my avatar) A mature deer in one area may not sport the headgear my buck did. Genetics plays a big role here. I think overpopulation or over hunting of bucks cause alot of smaller racked bucks over time. Then you have other places that have huge racked younger deer. Are they "out there"... well I think so. Here a 120 is probably not a bad goal. You may eat tag soup some years though.

Basically if your hunting 1000 acres you can "look" harder for the bigger ones. But if your like me and hunt smaller plots then your not going to have the same chances. Same goes of public land or private. There is an advantage to private land. No one should argue that. I killed mine on a 12.5 acre lot (allot of which is unhuntable due to a house and yard) so I don't have a huge advantage over public. And trust me I have some of the same problems like ATVs on the neighbors property etc.

Every area isn't holding the next world record, or a 180, 150, or even 120. But I think a few mature deer exist everywhere, regardless of the antler size.

I have no idea Unless I see them two years in a row. Than I havea good guess. I go by body. I am just guessing

Remember when(if) you played little league baseball, football, or whatever you played? OK, let's say your team lost to the champs. Trophy time rolls around and instead of just handing out the trophies, they let you, the losing team, pick whatever "size" trophy you want. (Provided the bigger trophies are actually there for picking-Sorry Jeff)

Now, do you carry your little snot-nosed self over to the itty bitty trophy table or do you go grab the biggest one you can carry?

Don't give me the BS that you would pick the small one because we know that would be the right thing to do. blah, blah, blah

You know which trophy you would want and you know why. It looks better. Feels better in your hands. More to brag about. And it is shinier than the crown on the Undisputable King of Window-Lickers' head. That's why!

LT

Everybody who participated in this thread gets an awesome E-Trophy from the King. Very good debate, lots of interesting and intelligentopinions offered by all-involved. It's quite rare that we get a 20-pager that doesn't turn into a (highly-amusing) mudslinging match.


Awesome


Germ and Motown each get Barbie dolls.


Sexy

While I don't think this discussion changed anyone's opinions, ultimately, I do think we may be able to glean an understanding of the odds and statistical frequencies involved when hunting the biggest deer on your farm, in your township, or in your county.

Thanks for the Barbie mate. Nice collection you have there also. Kind of explaines why the kings mouth is shaped like a circle track. " Lets go racin boys "

I like dirt track racing.

Last time I checked record keeping orginizations score by inches of antlers!

Pretty simple, age really doesn't count for anything. It seems age comes into play onlywhen someone is trying to validate an Old Buck they took into being trophy class.

Even at that age a lot of times is only a guess!

It doesn't matter to me what you kill. Kill what you want, and I'll do the same. If you are Happy, I'm tickled for you as well

Don't try to enter a 100" 7.5 year old in P&Y and think it has a chance to make it.

Dan