BSK, Another question

yamaha200 · Nov 14, 2012

I have been hunting some private land for over 12 yrs. It is up on Douglas lake, on the Jefferson/Cocke co. line, about 8 miles from Newport. In all those yrs, the biggest buck we have seen is a basket rack 6 pt. Why do you think this is. It is way back off the main road, and behind 3 locked gates to get back to it. I don't think poaching is the problem. We have let bucks walk many times, just to see what might happen in size. There is a good density of deer there also. What are your thoughts on this ?

Hill Country Hunter · Nov 14, 2012

The 3 buck limit, of course. Nothing else could explain it!

htnseymour · Nov 14, 2012

yamaha, I hunt not far from you on douglas in the same sort of situation with gates and even two people that live at the gate and one that oversees the property. we didn't think we had any poachers until i got one on camera. They are coming in from the lake, tying up the boat and walking in. Next boat I see tied up will mysteriously float down the lake.

BSK · Nov 14, 2012

First, I wouldn't look at antlers, I would look at buck age (body conformation) from trail-camera pictures or personal observations. In some poorer habitat areas, even older bucks can grow fairly small racks. But if no older bucks are being seen over a considerable period of time, something is killing bucks, and that usually means humans.

yamaha200 · Nov 14, 2012

Thanks BSK, I understand what your saying I think. Even older, mature deer in poor habitat will grow smaller racks. What are you calling poor habitat. Help me understand. There is no, farm crops, just fields, and hardwoods. Deer always seem to be healthy, and plentiful there. I am not saying there is no poaching going on, I have not seen any, but acess from the lake is very limited there, with what not being high rock bluffs, is where houses are, where people live, they would be seen coming in. I would just think in 12 yrs, we would had seen a nice rack buck.

BSK · Nov 14, 2012

In parts of East TN, even 3 1/2 year-old bucks only average betwen 6 and 7 points and have a 12" outside spread. Many hunters in Middle TN might mistake that kind of rack for a yearling.