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Old Faithful

Well I live and hunt in the middle GA area. It all depends on age. Mature bucks usually go atleast 180-200 pounds, but its not uncommon at all to have one go 250+. I know in Florida they dont get too big at all. But a mature buck should be around 180-200 most of the time. What did the data say?

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Handles

Our registration station in Wisconsin weighs every buck and doe that comes in, and has for years. It is common knowledge that bucks in the north are generally larger than those in the south. That said, it is RARE that we get a field dressed buck over 210, that would put it at about 250 live weight BEFORE the rut (add about 30 lbs for the guts, 20 lbs weight lost during the rut). The largest buck I've ever seen weighed in at 256 field dressed. The average field dressed weight of a buck is about 160 with does at around 120.
Of all of the tv shows I've seen of AL,FL,TX,GA, bucks they all look pretty darn small compaired to our deer, and I laugh everytime some texas hunter says his buck will go 250 or more.
Therefore your average 180 pound buck live in GA would be about 130 field dressed, or your 130 lb buck field dressed would go about 170/180 on the hoof.

trophyhuntr

ive killed 2 in Ga. over 220 lbs, but they are not common

timbercruiser

I've killed 3 in about 38 years of hunting in south central Alabama that weighed over 220. They are not that common when you put the scales to them.

stubblejumper

In alberta amd saskatchewan 300lb live weights are not uncommon.

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rockytop

You didn't ask about tennessee but I'll put my 2cents in, I killed a 230 pounder last year, my biggest ever weight wise. Rack wasn't much.

Handles

All of these 220's and 230's are those the weights after field dressing or before? On a certified meat scale, or one of those spring-style scales (which are typically less accurate as the weight goes up, ie a weight of 130 may be only off by 5-8 lbs, but one of 200 could be off by closer to 15)? Or is that just an estimate that people came up with?
I know that there are bucks that weigh over 300 field dressed shot every year all over the country, but more commonly they are in that 160-180 field dressed weight therefore about 210-220 on the hoof, a whitetail above 200 field dressed is a good sized buck, regardless of where you are.
Again after seeing for over 20 years the weights of field dressed bucks/doe on a certified scale I have found that most people's estimates of how big a buck is are usually off by a minumum of 30lbs.

I am not saying that there aren't bigger bucks out there! I know that there are, but you don't need to report your story.