Body vs Rack?

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RKenney

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2008
Messages
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City & State/Province
Maury Co.
I know quality deer management has alot to do with letting your
bucks reach their potential, but I have a hard time not killing a buck with a good set of "horns" (ha). I killed my best buck of
life this year (160" gross-green), but he was aged by many at
2.5 and by some (after they saw the pic) at 3.5.

I was thrill and very proud to have killed this buck, but a
little bit of damper was put on it when I realized that I had
killed a juvenile buck.

BSK has said that teeth aging is not an exact science, but I
often wonder what this deer would have been at 5.5 or 6.5.

And yes, he was a Maury Co. Tennessee deer.
 
I wouldnt call 3.5 a juvenile, that is a mature shooter buck under QDM guidelines. The only management philosophy where that wouldnt be a shooter would be in TDM(Trophy Deer Management) which is a far cry from QDM. Dont beat yourself up about it all, you killed one heck of a buck that meets QDM criteria and for that you need to be proud and Im sure you are.
 
I still find it hard to believe that beast was only 3.5,and I'm not basing that on the size of his horns,(antlers for Alan P)that thing had a huge body and abnormal tooth wear..who's to say he wasn't 4.5? Would love to see a good side view pic of him alive around Oct. or Nov.
 
Teeth are not aged by wear until they reach 3.5, not much guessing up to that point.
 
RKenney,

As Steven Stone said, in most QDM programs, a 3 1/2 year-old buck is a shooter. You shot the right buck.

In KY, I regularly see 2 1/2 year-old bucks that top 150 gross. One of my clients took his son bowhunting opening weekend of bow season in KY last year and in one weekend they both shot 2 1/2 year-old bucks that grossed 150+.
 
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This TN buck was only 3 1/2 (huge body too):

1995Bryan1b.jpg
 
Every time I see that pic BSK, I think 2 things....

1. Great buck!


2. I wish I could reach through this screen and bend the bill of that hat a little for you. :laugh:
 
W.Seay said:
I am a qdm member, but if I see a 160 class 2 1/2 year old TN buck I will be definitely pulling the trigger!
Click to expand...

As much as I try to hold off for 3 1/2+ year-old bucks, I'll be the first to admit I would probably pull the trigger on a top-end 2 1/2. Just being honest.

Here's a prime example. I think I would probably pull the trigger on this guy:

buck0826e.jpg


buck0826g.jpg
 
strutandrut said:
Every time I see that pic BSK, I think 2 things....

1. Great buck!


2. I wish I could reach through this screen and bend the bill of that hat a little for you. :laugh:
Click to expand...

Luckily, with the last hat I got (a TNdeer hat), someone--probably doublelung--had pre-curled the brim for me!
 
BSK said:
strutandrut said:
Every time I see that pic BSK, I think 2 things....

1. Great buck!


2. I wish I could reach through this screen and bend the bill of that hat a little for you. :laugh:
Click to expand...

Luckily, with the last hat I got (a TNdeer hat), someone--probably doublelung--had pre-curled the brim for me!
Click to expand...
LOL!... good. :laugh:
 
BSK, I hope to goodness you or your clan doesn't see that buck this year... I wanna see what he turns into at 3 1/2 in your pics next year!!!!

That has to be the best 2 1/2 yr old TN buck I've ever seen. If he makes it, I would almost bet he'd be in the mid 140's-150 at 3 1/2.
 
megalomaniac said:
BSK, I hope to goodness you or your clan doesn't see that buck this year... I wanna see what he turns into at 3 1/2 in your pics next year!!!!

That has to be the best 2 1/2 yr old TN buck I've ever seen. If he makes it, I would almost bet he'd be in the mid 140's-150 at 3 1/2.
Click to expand...

Yeah, he will be a whopper at 3 1/2. He's the best 2 1/2 year-old buck I've ever photographed on my place. He will certainly be at least a typical 11-pointer as a 3 1/2 year-old.
 
I think you write this every time you see it too...both of you keep it up I enjoy the familiarity! RKenney, I'd place him at 3.5 and even if he was 1.5 id place him on the ground...not passing a 160. End of discussion.

strutandrut said:
Every time I see that pic BSK, I think 2 things....

1. Great buck!


2. I wish I could reach through this screen and bend the bill of that hat a little for you. :laugh:
Click to expand...
 
I agree,horn (antler) size comes first,not sure how impressed i would be with a 51/2 year old 100 inch deer.Im sure age is a prize but,hopefully with age will come beauty.(big horns)JMO
 
I'm a "both" person. I would have a hard time turning down a 120" 2 1/2 year-old buck, but I would shoot a 4 1/2 year-old fork-horn in a heartbeat. Horns don't make them smart, age does. I get a big thrill out of out-smarting a mature buck.
 
Football Hunter said:
That sounds like a VERY good reason not to have statewide regs on buck size or age to me BSK
Click to expand...

And that's why I don't support age or antler-based restrictions on a county or region-wide basis (unless absolutely necessay, such as the state of PA). I prefer to let hunters make that choice for themselves. I prefer a 2 buck limit statewide. That provides freedom of choice for hunters but prevents a few hunters from slaughtering a bunch of young bucks. Basically, a compromise.
 
Agree on 2 bucks as well,people are always going to cheat and kill extras,but at least they will have to start cheating earlier,more likely to get caught.Plus I know people who will fill that last buck tag on a spike because they feel like they dont want to eat TAG SOUP.I have not killed a TN deer in the last 2 seasons,mostly by choice,and some by not really having a great place to hunt in TN.I dont see many bucks that even tempt me.Maybe that will change,Were trying to make our place better,but it is slow.
 
I'll be the first to admit I hate tag soup when it comes to bucks. Now I'll not shoot a yearling buck to keep from going buckless, but I certainly have shot 2 1/2 year-old bucks I would normally pass with ease to keep from going buckless (our property buck harvest rule is simply "no yearling bucks"). I put too much blood, sweat and tears (not to mention money) into my place every year to not take an older buck, even if it isn't a really good older buck. Just a personality flaw on my part I guess...
 
BSK said:
I'll be the first to admit I hate tag soup when it comes to bucks. Now I'll not shoot a yearling buck to keep from going buckless, but I certainly have shot 2 1/2 year-old bucks I would normally pass with ease to keep from going buckless (our property buck harvest rule is simply "no yearling bucks"). I put too much blood, sweat and tears (not to mention money) into my place every year to not take an older buck, even if it isn't a really good older buck. Just a personality flaw on my part I guess...
Click to expand...

I know that feeling. I've hunted and hunted and hunted to end up taking a lesser buck than I normally would, but I am always dang happy with what I shoot, because I usually have to work my hind end off.
 
I can't bring myself to do it. I can't shoot a buck that I KNOW is less than 3 1/2 yrs old no mater how hard I work for it. Not with the slaughter of young bucks that goes on around me. And what kills me is I know it will just keep on without any mandated changes. I think the biggest problem is the hunter density combined with their willingness to shoot 1.5 and 2.5 year old bucks around here.
 
I NEVER thought I would see the day that TN hunters are complaining about other hunters shooting 2 1/2 year-old bucks. How things change...
 
BSK said:
I NEVER thought I would see the day that TN hunters are complaining about other hunters shooting 2 1/2 year-old bucks. How things change...
Click to expand...
That's the mentality that's sweeping the nation,we can blame hunting shows,the pro's, whatever..take your pick..as time goes on and more and more people pick up that kind of thinking before long you'll hear "man if he'd only passed on that 4.5 yr old like I did we'd have bigger bucks around here" :)
 

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