Antler size or body weight?
#1
Antler size or body weight?
What's your preference?
I hunt northern New England (Maine and New Hampshire) and we usually judge our deer by body weight. It's that big, old 200+ pound, dressed, buck that dreams are made of. Sure we appreciate a nice rack but most of the guys I hunt with would rather shoot a 180 pound 8 pointer than a 160 pound 10 pointer.
I am sure there are a lot of hunters, especially in the Mid-West, down South and even New England that look at a trophy buck by the number of points his rack will score, not the dressed weight.
I also understand that states that have 'smaller' deer will always prefer a big old rack.
If you hunt places where truly big bucks grow, what's your idea of a true trophy?
I hunt northern New England (Maine and New Hampshire) and we usually judge our deer by body weight. It's that big, old 200+ pound, dressed, buck that dreams are made of. Sure we appreciate a nice rack but most of the guys I hunt with would rather shoot a 180 pound 8 pointer than a 160 pound 10 pointer.
I am sure there are a lot of hunters, especially in the Mid-West, down South and even New England that look at a trophy buck by the number of points his rack will score, not the dressed weight.
I also understand that states that have 'smaller' deer will always prefer a big old rack.
If you hunt places where truly big bucks grow, what's your idea of a true trophy?
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 564
Typically in our area of Indiana, rack size and weight go hand in hand. If you kill a 200lbs (dressed) you can just about put money on it that he will score 140+. But those heavy deer are largely shot in bow only (teh drop to 170-190 in rut). You get down into the 160-170 lbs range, those deer will almost always score inthe 110-120 range. 150lbs and under spindly 1.5 year old deer. Now as I said, this is EC Indiana bow season numbers.
In 25+ years of hunting EC Indiana, me, my dad, my brother, my uncle have yet to harvest a 200 lbs buck. Got lots of 170-190 lbs all sporting 125" of bone or better, but none over a duece. The biggest ones have always been killed in bow season.
In 25+ years of hunting EC Indiana, me, my dad, my brother, my uncle have yet to harvest a 200 lbs buck. Got lots of 170-190 lbs all sporting 125" of bone or better, but none over a duece. The biggest ones have always been killed in bow season.
#4
Spike
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 8
Definitely antler size. I don't think I've ever looked at a mount and thought about a deers weight. But, it does seem that weight is viewed as a determining factor in what is considered a trophy. Without looking a deer, at 200lb 8pt. sounds better than a 160lb 8 pt. Also, I know a club that strictly determines the yearly trophy based on weight. So I guess it just depends...
#6
don't think I've ever looked at a mount and thought about a deers weight.
#8
Where I hunt, north central Louisiana, if I wait to kill bucks 200 lbs or larger, it's going to be a long, long time before I eat deer again. I would go by antler size anyway. A good deer down here will weigh 150-180. Just 100 miles to the east, deer over 200 lbs. are common. Antler size all the way.
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Seymour Texas and Grand Marais Minnesota
Posts: 117
A trophy to me is any deer that has made it through many seasons, has been educated to the ways of the human hunter and is 100% free range..... when I want meat I shoot a young doe.....