While I realize that mature and "big" usually go hand in hand,they are not equal to me. A 2 1/2 year old 140 is much more impressive to me than a 100" 5 year old, I guess IM in the minority.

I'm in the minority with you Football Hunter. I'll take "BIG BUCK" over small but "Mature Buck" any day.

One day, as I mature in my deer hunting, I might be more of a "Mature Buck" hunter vs Antler size, but for now, give me the monster horns on an idiot 2 1/2" year old... that will make me fully content!

I guess I'm an anomoly. I pass older bucks with small racks and younger bucks with larger racks waiting on a mature buck with a large rack. That combination is tricky.

Not to sidetrack this thread but I have to wonder sometimes that for all those passing up "younger" deer with racks having great potential.....just how many of them do you meet again when their racks have reached their potential? For me that percentage is very low and I catch myself wondering if it was worth it...even without setting my expectations too high on rack sizes for this area.

I have to ask the question, "How many times does someone look at a mounted deer and ask his age before asking what he scored?

How is MATURE BUCK politically correct? It is what it is.

I have to ask the question, "How many times does someone look at a mounted deer and ask his age before asking what he scored?

How many hunt clubs give out free memberships for the "oldest buck"......?

I guess that I am on the fence about this. if I see a mature buck and can tell that he is very old and a legal kill where I am hunting, then most times I will take him out and be proud of it. But if two bucks walk out and one has a considerably larger rack than the other, i will not take the time to age them and then choose. I'll age the one that's on the ground when I shoot....!!

I really like the look of a mature buck. he does seem to look more "seasoned" with the "blocked" head and gray hair on his face and head.......The rack is usually heavier and has more character than a younger buck as well....a very attractive mount as well....

but I have to wonder sometimes that for all those passing up "younger" deer with racks having great potential.....just how many of them do you meet again when their racks have reached their potential?

No one has said anything about the last ?,if limits dont matter.why have em?

Limits are important when the resource is limited. Once the resource is no longer limited, limits are basically meaningless. Several high-density deer herd states either have had or still have virtually no limit on the number of a deer a hunter can kill. These areas haven't run out of deer yet.

Mike, I honestly have no problem with passing up "younger" bucks with great potential in the hopes of killing that buck another year down the road. It's just my own set of personal goals that I follow for hunting. From what I've seen you post on this site, you seem to have similar goals?

Now the percentage is fairly low, but I've killed 2 bucks in TN that I passed as 3 year olds, and later killed them both as a 4 and 5 year old. I also passed a buck in Illinois in 2008 that was a 140" 2 year old (first one I've seen) because I knew what he could become. I shot that buck last year (not knowing it was him until later), and he grew into a 170" buck. Unfortunately I shot and lost him during archery season, and my neighbor ended up killing him during gun season.

But in reality, it gets back to expectations and what your own personal goals are as a hunter.

FH, as for your other question about limits, I don't know why we have them. J/K

How many of these "no limit" states,are "big buck"states?

None. But their lack of "big buck state" status has nothing to do with buck age structure or limits. You could implement a 1 buck limit in South Carolina and Alabama for the next 100 years and they would never become big buck states. They are not big buck states because the habitat won't produce that many big-antlered bucks. In fact, I've seen properties in these states with the best buck age structure of anywhere in the nation outside of TX. Yet even these properties with incredible buck age structures produce few if any truly big bucks.

Habitat produces big bucks, not bag limits. The 1 buck bag limit states are also the big agricultural states. Great habitat produces big bucks, not 1 buck bag limits.

This makes good sense....but some people just don't want to believe it.

People only believe what they WANT to believe. People also want to blame others when they are not successful. If TN's lack of "big buck state" status is out of anyone's control (which it is, due to habitat limitations) then there is no one to blame. People won't accept that.

People only believe what they WANT to believe. People also want to blame others when they are not successful. If TN's lack of "big buck state" status is out of anyone's control (which it is, due to habitat limitations) then there is no one to blame. People won't accept that.

but it seems that you guys are talking about booner bucks and i don't see many guys on this site talking about anything except mature bucks. most realize that TN can't produce booners like other states do.

Habitat produces big bucks, not bag limits. The 1 buck bag limit states are also the big agricultural states. Great habitat produces big bucks, not 1 buck bag limits.

DING DING we have a winner!!! Thats it in a nutshell and the most spot on post on this forum! Nuff said!