RE: Mature buck question
 

Body size does matter in maturity of a whitetail. There is a diffrence in body size of a 3 1/2 year old buck and a 5 1/2 year old buck. the 5 1/2 has a fuller chest and neck, and weighs more. It's a proven fact.

slayer

RE: Mature buck question
 

Just to let you know, this 2 1/2yr old wieghed 167 and had very heavy mass...so it does Defy your intentions, but you did say "most".

RE: Mature buck question
 

buckeyebuckhntr:

I have no hard feelings, I just wanted to make sure that you know what I was talking about. Nice buck in your picture, did you get him shoulder mounted?



Deerslayer_37:

[/quote]Body size does matter in maturity of a whitetail. There is a diffrence in body size of a 3 1/2 year old buck and a 5 1/2 year old buck. the 5 1/2 has a fuller chest and neck, and weighs more. It's a proven fact.

Of course I know its a proven fact. I spend a large part of my life looking at bucks and aging them by there body. In my first post, I said that body characteristics and tooth wear are the only ways to properly age a deer. There is a huge difference (body wise) between a 3 1/2 and a 5 1/2 year old deer.



MDManiac:

Just to let you know, this 2 1/2yr old wieghed 167 and had very heavy mass...so it does Defy your intentions, but you did say "most".


I did say most dont have mass :) But that buck is bigger then most
2 1/2 year old bucks. If that buck would have made it to 5 1/2+ then he probably would have been a B&C book buck. I would love for all the
2 1/2 year old bucks that are running around on the ranch to look like that one.

Happy hunting all.

RE: Mature buck question
 

Buckeye what did that buck net out at.

RE: Mature buck question
 

Mt largest, 180lb 10 pointer was taken the first time we had contact. I had scouted hard and knew of many other bucks but this guy was new to me.

RE: Mature buck question
 

Deer vary so much in weight and antler size by region across the country that it's pretty much impossible to set a single standard for what constitutes "big".

For instance, I've killed one 160 lb. dress weight buck here in western MT, so it meets your basic standard. But, it was only 3 1/2 years old and net scored 109, probably not what you had in mind as a "big" buck. Going back over the family's kills over the past few years, we have taken 7 3 1/2 year old bucks (with rifle). The average score is 110 net, range from 102 to 121. Body weights (estimated in most cases) would range from 140-160 lbs. dressed, plus one eastern MT buck I took that dressed approx. 185 (still 3 1/2 years old).

I believe all 7 were taken between 10 and 30 Nov.

RE: Mature buck question
 

Funny how you should say this----in 2000 season my friend shot a 11 point that dressed out at 223 lbs and was aged by the ministry at 3.5 years old------just last year i shot an 13 pt and it dressed out at 198 lbs and aged by the ministry at 5.5 years old---all this by the tooth wear.Actually 2 ministrey guys aged mine and the taxidermist.
Here in my neck of the woods i have seen deer at 2.5 dress out at 180 and 3.5 dress out at 150.I think it all has to do with the vegetation and water on how much a deer will weigh come hunting season.
The older deer just look older,a little more grey on there face,the belly is starting to sag.
The big buck contest here last year was won by an 8 pt that was aged at 3.5 years old and dressed at 268 lbs.

RE: Mature buck question
 

Of the 4 bigguns I've taken with a bow I had only seen 1 of them before...I watched him along with another big buck all summer...I'm pretty sure I'd passed him up the yr. before also as a 120ish 8 pt. When i took him he was 149 4/8 gross 10 pt. that weighed 165 dressed..also have a 140 4/8" 10pt that weighed 195, a 128" 8 pt that weighed 205, and a 126" 10 point that weighed 175.

RE: Mature buck question
 

It netted around 182.

I just do not understand how a simple UNSCIENTIFIC thread got hijacked into an arguement:eek:

In my neck of the woods a 150 pound buck usually has some impressive head gear. Sure there are excpetions. There are exceptions to nearly everything.

I will refrase my question to those who want to nitpick my question.

How many of the 3 1/2 year old bucks and older that you have taken were spotted prior to harvest?

RE: Mature buck question
 

buckeyebuckhntr:



Actually most 3 1/2 year old bucks no longer have spots on them, they normally lose there spots after they are several months old.

LOL, now I'm just messing with you. :D