TexasOaks

You need to rememember that this is the south (Texas)and body sizes are different than in the north.Thatseconddeer is not2.5 years old; and here's a picture of a 1.5 year olds (six ponts).

MdDave

ben673 yeah so i let that deer go it walks 100 yards down the hill an BOOM guess what someone else jus filled there freezer.. an there i sit... the only way i see "let them go they'll grow" working is if its state wide ora personowns a good bit of ground an can keep the deer hangin around..

TexasOaks

Here's the second buck but earlier in the year:

TexasOaks

Here you can see when his brow tine is not broken:

ben673

I see your point, we've got a lot ground we can control. So, in your situation there's the chance the deer you let go will be shot by someone else, but if you shoot it there is no doubt he won't get any bigger. Probably the best thing state agencies could do is move the rifle season until after the rut, less buck movement = a higher doe harvest (ex. Iowa, Illinois, Kansas). Also, I like antler restrictions, they protect most 1 and half year olds, and make hunters carefully study a deer before they shoot it.

TexasOaks

I agree; we have them in our county where we hunt.

stikbow26

I wouldn't shoot either of these bucks where I hunt, but that doesn't mean in some places there shooters. They are diffently different bucks in the first pic notice theleft antler 3 up and a little brow in the second pic two up and a brow!! Walt

snedd162

they are both mature deer but the first one hadgreat potential