Young 12pt. 1 or 2yrs?
 

Our season has been closed a couple of weeks now but as is the norm, the bucks are really using my standing cornplots. This lil 12 (5x5 + matching stickers on his G-3s) however showed up recently, we never saw him during season. He's standing only a few feet from the cam so I realize it's tough judge scale. I kinda think he is a 2yr old based on his neck, overall body fullness & his antler mass vs what most 1yr olds look like on my place. But then again if he's an exceptional 1yr old he could have a larger body & antler mass vs the norm. I can see a lil "each way" so then I'm inclined to go with the younger decision.

Either way I'm EXCITED to see this lil "stud to be" & hope to see more of him over the next couple of years.

What say the court?

Sorry for the multi thread, can't get my iPad to jive with multi pics on one post. :confused2:

REALLY excited to see what this angle will look like in a couple more years! :party0007:

Could come down to a ...
 

16 year old archer sitting on an neighboring property.

It's very doubtful that he's only a year old and that's his first rack. I'd say he's 2 1/2 and has good possibilities to double that next year IF there is good nutrition and genetics in the area.

Val TN has no late archery season. We are done until archery next Sept. My property (625acs) is surrounded by appx 3500+ acres of equally managed land + 4500ft from me is a 12k acre Federal Wldlf Refuge that's strictly controlled. So I feel completely confident that any bucks around now will be here in the fall unless they fall prey via an accident, injury, the rare poacher etc...

Topgun, I'm inclined to agree with you. I just can't believe that his first rack is a 12, as nice as that would make it. Genetics wise, 150-160class is the avg of our "prime trophies" if given the proper time to age but my area likewise kicks out some non-typ "freakazoids" (170-200+) with enough regularity that they are always a possibility. In '99 a good buddy killed a 183" 10pt on his uncles 1k acre property that borders mine. In '07 a 205" 21pt was taken on my place (I bought it in '10) so yes the genes are here. Food wise, it's the largest remaining "natural/protected" hardwood river bottoms in the lower MS River valley + the bottoms are bordered by extensive agriculture (beans, corn & cotton mostly) so there is ALOT of groceries for them except in the dead of winter! That's why I suspect this guy came in from a surrounding area. My cornplots are left until after spring & I have a dozen oat plots in the bottoms that are left until the river floods them which usually begins off & on around now thru mid-late spring.

Some of our bucks are very wide & tall framed. Those bucks typically grow 220-250#s by 3-4yrs old (live weights). Yet some bucks are like I suspect this one will become, "tighter" with a lot of mass & a propensity to grow a lot of stickers/kickers etc & may or may not grow a large body (over 200#).

Sure hope he knocked up a few of my slickheads if he visited, unnoticed, earlier in the season! :happy0001:

i want to see this guy at 4 1/2.

Definitely a 2.5 year old.. Has a bright future ahead of him

He's a good 2.5 year old. He should be a good one in about 2 years. Only time will tell! I've seen 2.5 year old bucks that should have put on a lot of inches put on very few at 3.5 and I've seen other 2.5 year olds put on 30 inches in one year. Hopefully he is the latter!

I would say a 2 1/2. Gonna be a wall hanger in a couple of years.