IMO.....any deer under 3.5 ......his potential is simply "unknown"....maybe even 4.5yrs.

IMO....any deer 3.5yrs+ is a trophy in his own right (Based on age, ALONE).

So.....I have a hard time with the term "cull buck". He's either a juvenile....who's potential can't be determined at his young age.....or....he's a mature "trophy".

What's your take?

Ours all die before 3.5 so no one will ever know.

Some call them "cull" bucks........others call them "Rob" bucks

I hate the term "cull buck", drives me nuts!!

I think at 2.5 years old you can tell on some bucks that there not going to turn out like you want them to. Not all, but some.

I only see that term as relative to someone's management goals, if they have one... mature buck is typically determined by the age of 4.5 yrs or older I say. As far as abuck being a cull buck...well I guess if you manage for BIG mature bucks, then it would be a deer that is 4.5 yrs old with no potential to grow any larger or has poor genes so to speak...a 4.5 yr old with a score under 125" maybe a cull buck to some people and places, again it is relative to location and goals. just my 2 cents, but I have no experience in aging bucks or managing them....

Any buck that isn't a button buck is a "cull" buck for me

NOT a fan of the term “cull” buck. In most circles it is a cop out to shoot a small young buck. I’d rather people just fess up and say I wanted to shoot this buck, rather than trying to cover it with an excuse.
Now if it really is a weird freaky dink that is a little older I can understand a bit better, but I still don’t think it makes much difference one way or the other.

Although not a fan of the way highly managed properties are run, I learned many of the mature “cull” bucks that are shot are not necessarily to remove their genes, but to remove their mouths from the herd. It’s a shame that a huge mature buck can be deemed insignificant on highly managed properties, when it would be the talk of the town in other places.

I do not believe in a cull buck existin 100% free ranging herd that is manage my state DNR.
If you want to shoot a deer, just shoot one like PT and call it could. I hate it when guys state they shot the deer because of a "bad rack"(not you Rob)

This is just what I think, maybe I have never seen one[8D]

yeh my whole perception of the management thing is not good. I mean we have never had a management rule anywhere I hunt. Last year at my club we killed 97 bucks and out of them, 27 were 2.5 yrs old or older..one took 2nd in the state this year and scored 193" ...we killed everything from spikes to 12 pts and in between....there will always be big bucks if the food and land will hold them in this area I hunt..

Thank you.

The term means nothing to me. Ihave not or will never use it in any scenario that has or will face me.