Now This is a Fat Buck
07-18-2015, 11:04 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
Rutted up. See how much shorter and wider that muzzle is on that deer Barnes? That's a mature whitetail buck. Head all blocked out, stance like a pitbull. sway backed. That buck was easily 5.5 maybe 6.5
07-18-2015, 11:09 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Audubon & Red Rock, Penna.
Posts: 4,472
He would make a nice shoulder mount. His body almost makes his rack look small. 
We have a stand here. It's a small opening in an overgrown clear cut. I think it's an area that deer would usually skirt around and not expose themselves. But, it's a nice staging area in the rut.
We have a stand here. It's a small opening in an overgrown clear cut. I think it's an area that deer would usually skirt around and not expose themselves. But, it's a nice staging area in the rut.
07-18-2015, 04:03 PM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
07-18-2015, 04:22 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
Yeah he has a few big bodied deer at his place. Especially for Pa deer. They normally run a good bit smaller than that. At least the hundreds I've seen in Pa did anyway. Maybe some of the ones up in the Poke were around that size or a little smaller but the eastern central part of the state had around the same body size of Tennessee deer. But of course with every population of animals you will have a few mutants!
07-18-2015, 05:43 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Audubon & Red Rock, Penna.
Posts: 4,472
Couple of things with PA
1.). Since 2002, we,ve had antler restrictions. So, our deer are older now.
2.). We are on property where we only shoot maybe 5% of our deer. So, we've always had old deer.
PA was always famous for 1.5 year old bucks. Also, we had herd reduction, so no over-crowded ranges anymore.
1.). Since 2002, we,ve had antler restrictions. So, our deer are older now.
2.). We are on property where we only shoot maybe 5% of our deer. So, we've always had old deer.
PA was always famous for 1.5 year old bucks. Also, we had herd reduction, so no over-crowded ranges anymore.
07-18-2015, 06:34 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
Yeah I know. I used to live in Pa. I know all about the "If it's brown it's down" mentality. And those antler restrictions really don't help deer get older. Not the 3 on one side one anyway. A LOT of 2.5 year old bucks sport those. 4 on one side is a little better but not much. Being able to field judge age of a deer by the body and face and the way it carries itself is the best way to regulate and allow bucks to mature. I've seen bucks sporting 6 points for a first rack many times.
07-18-2015, 06:58 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: WI
Posts: 1,089
Thats a nice big monster! We had a monster in my neck of the woods, we thought we found him hit on the road one spring. Well he was alive and doing a good job of hiding from all of us, as a kid shot him just past my driveway. He was aged at 7.5 years old, we called him Bullwinkle. He never showed up at my food plot when he got older. Maybe the Fridge is still roaming in your woods.
07-18-2015, 07:12 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Audubon & Red Rock, Penna.
Posts: 4,472
We're on a jointly-owned property that's mostly non-hunters. So, about 3000 acres and 20 hunters. Surrounding the property is about 100,000 acres of combined state game land and state park. A couple 2000 acre private tracts in between.
Pretty much, we've always had old deer. We're very blessed. A lot of PA is, what the locals say, shot out.
Pretty much, we've always had old deer. We're very blessed. A lot of PA is, what the locals say, shot out.