I just wondered if people from around the country could give me a no BS idea of how big a 3 year old whitetail buck is in their area. How heavy and what PY/BC score is typical?

Here in western Montana, our 3 year olds weigh about 170-200 lbs. on the hoof, and net score about 105-120 B&C. In northeastern Montana, they might go 180-220 lbs. and score 110-125. I think the main difference is the eastern deer have more cultivated crops to choose from.

Between my brother, my mother, and myself, we've killed 6 bucks in the last five years that were all exactly 3 years old, so we've got a pretty good sample of that age class. Yet, we've never taken one more than 3 years old.

3-1/2 in my area

130 - 160 dressed average (early season)

100 to 130"

Sounds right to me.

That sounds about the right range for antler development, our 3 year olds would probably be on the lighter side of your range. Maybe 150 lbs. or so!
Nutrition and weather conditions down here play a big part in weight and antler development! Deer across the highway from me, deer could be quite a bit different one way or the other!

Well for our mulies a 3 year old dressed weighs between 175 and 200 and scores maybe 100"! little 3 points...

Dirt2,

You want to know how to shoot bigger and older deer? Let them grow up and only shoot big ones. Let the little ones walk.

According to biologists the hansen buck was 3-1/2 years old.

A 3 1/2 around my area is going to go 175-200 dressed, and be pretty darn big. Probably score 120-140's.

In my area of Central MO, they will weigh in range of 140 to 180 lbs. field dress. Antler-wise somewhere between 110 and 150 will include most them. There are always a few exceptions either lower or higher.

the gene pool in illinois is such that you can have very large deer by the time they reach 3 yrs old; my 16 pt buck ws 3 1/2 scored 222 non-typical and wighed ovr 240 pnds field dressed, although this is not the norm, a good 3 yr old will weigh about 180 #'s dressed and score around 130 or better