This deer is older than 3 1/2. Look at the brisket. 3 ways to tell age by looking at a buck is the relative size of the brisket, the sagging of the backbone, and the sagging of the belly. He'll develop a protruding brisket about the 4 year mark with the sagging backbone and belly following at year 5. I'd say 4 1/2 years.
To shoot or not to shoot?
- Thread starter Aquajunky02
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FrankenMauser
New member
I hunt for meat.
The younger the better.
But if the first thing to cross my path is an big, old, tough buck/bull... Well, he's going to be put out of his arthritic misery.
The younger the better.
But if the first thing to cross my path is an big, old, tough buck/bull... Well, he's going to be put out of his arthritic misery.
Saltydog235
New member
Unless he's got an active scrape line right at or near that spot, subscribe to the 3 day routine. Every three days they make a loop or revisit spots like that unless the rut is on. Then it is a toss up, he could be 5 miles away or 100yds away. Try to get a pattern on him, they are creatures of habit but a big buck will change his habits if he feels any pressure. You'll have to pay attention to noise, scent, wind, and every other factor going into it.
Younger bucks you can set your watch to in many cases. I got a small 6 that frequents one of my feeders, he comes out within 5 minutes of 5:15 every day.
"...Where I am from..." That's the key. Up here, 130 lbs. is one to throw back. The size of the antlers is mostly about how well he's been eating.
However, 10 points is 10 points. If the rack is more important to you than his meat, shoot him.
Anyway, read this. Indicates that fellow is over 5.5 years.
http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p2206.pdf
However, 10 points is 10 points. If the rack is more important to you than his meat, shoot him.
Anyway, read this. Indicates that fellow is over 5.5 years.
http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p2206.pdf
If you're hunting that buck's core area...I would refrain from shooting any of his does --- since they might be carrying his genes. If you want to manage his area...let him walk, so he can spread his genes and shoot an inferior buck with no brow tines. If you don't think he is going to last the hunting season...by all means --- try to bag that wall hanger!!!
I'm no record scorer...but he looks like he might qualify for the Pope & Young record book. I would not feel guilty in trying to bag that big bruiser.
What part of the US or Canada is he in?
For a northeastern U.S. buck...he looks around the 160#+ {field dressed} and 3 1/2 years old.
Good luck,
Erno
I'm no record scorer...but he looks like he might qualify for the Pope & Young record book. I would not feel guilty in trying to bag that big bruiser.
What part of the US or Canada is he in?
For a northeastern U.S. buck...he looks around the 160#+ {field dressed} and 3 1/2 years old.
Good luck,
Erno
Some of you need to start counting on your fingers and or toes if needed as that is a five point buck. Up here in Washington where I hunt that buck would be six to seven years old. Plenty of meat there so I would get it before it died of old age the next winter or someone else got it. The mount would look nice and not look like someone was trying to compensate for something..... after all you don't eat antlers.
Read your states hunting regulations. Here in Washington antler points are counted on one side. A legal animal is determined by points on one side only. with the side with the most points being the determining side.
Read your states hunting regulations. Here in Washington antler points are counted on one side. A legal animal is determined by points on one side only. with the side with the most points being the determining side.
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Saltydog235
New member
Whitetails are counted by the total number of points on their antlers. A tine is considered a point if you can hang a ring on it.
That's a "by local custom" thing ..... When I was a kid, we only counted one side .....now it's kind of morphed into counting both sides with a "by" or "x" between the numbers ..... a deer, whitetail or muley, with 4 points on one side, and 5 on the other would be a "4x5" spoken as "4 by 5" .... spikes are still spikes, and 2x2's are still forkhorns .....
In Texas the powers that be consider a point to be 1" and 7/8th of an inch is not. We have rules concerning shooting deer with unbranched antlers, and the 1/8" difference is what we are supposed to judge from shooting distances. In my area we have a minimun 13" inside radius of the antlers to be legal if they have forks....try to judge that from a couple hundred yards away.
FrankenMauser
New member
The places where I have lived that had stupid restrictions like that, or poor genetics that produced a lot of 'low grade' animals were also places that had the highest rates of wanton waste of wildlife. Or, as my friends, family, and some other locals say, "Badger-holed" animals.
Ignorant hunters shoot anything they see, and THEN try to determine if it's legal.
Sometimes other hunters accidentally shoot animals that were borderline, but turn out to not meet the requirements.
Often, both types try to hide the evidence, since units like that usually have Game Wardens issuing tickets for the first offense, rather than warnings (because of the high rate of wanton waste). And nobody wants a wildlife offense on their record...
So, a day, or three, or fifteen later, some other hunter comes across a deer butt sticking out of a badger hole or coyote den.
Very effective rules, Fish and Game. Well played....
Gotta agree with Frankenmauser, poor genetics do lead to some strange antics by local hunters. I watch "basket bucks" regularly in the woods around here. They might have 8 points...but about a 9" spread, and will never get any bigger. Our Parks and Recreation dept. thumps themselves on the chest for their good job of managing wildlife, but they insist we leave the genetically deficient deer to roam and breed, while only shooting the bigger bucks, or ones with unbranched antlers.
Sort of how the the feds run the gov't anymore. They know the best ways to tell us how we are to do everything, and it seems we can't really do anything about it.
Sort of how the the feds run the gov't anymore. They know the best ways to tell us how we are to do everything, and it seems we can't really do anything about it.