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<blockquote data-quote="TheLBLman" data-source="post: 5524992" data-attributes="member: 1409"><p>I believe he was 4 1/2.</p><p>Killing him contributed to my thereafter trying to personally "target" only known bucks 5 1/2 or older. </p><p></p><p>I'm ok with my personally killing a 4 1/2, just not specifically hunting for one I don't believe is fully mature at 5 1/2 or older.</p><p></p><p>Often, an unknown buck will appear, and an age decision needs to be quickly made. This is where most hunters are most likely to shoot a top-end younger buck which many would give a pass if that young age were known in advance.</p><p></p><p>The best way for me to minimize this type mistake has been to spend most my hunting in specific pursuit of a known 5 1/2, getting good at quickly aging live bucks, and planning on a "mistake" still being 4 1/2 or older. And the best way to get to know many the bucks using an area are via trail cam pics, year round.</p><p></p><p>In times long past, I have killed 2 young bucks that likely had the best anlter genetics (& high scoring potential) of all. One was a mainframe 8-pt yearling that scored over 100, the other was a mainframe 8-pt 2 1/2 that made P&Y.</p><p></p><p>At one time, my criteria for buck selection was simply any buck with 8 or more points, and with a "nice" rack. That led to horrible high grading, leaving only the below average antlered bucks to live to 3 1/2 & older. Since many my hunting buddies subscribed to the same antler restrictions, we actually just greatly reduced our chances for a high-scoring mature buck.</p><p></p><p>One of my close friends killed a TN buck that gross scored @ 168, aged at 3 1/2, during this era of our hunting. Another killed a 2 1/2 that scored 146.</p><p></p><p>About the only way to significantly reduce antler high grading of younger bucks is with less buck hunting, along with more hunters deciding to base their harvest decisions more on age than antlers.</p><p></p><p>After restrictions typically only make hunter high grading worse.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TheLBLman, post: 5524992, member: 1409"] I believe he was 4 1/2. Killing him contributed to my thereafter trying to personally "target" only known bucks 5 1/2 or older. I'm ok with my personally killing a 4 1/2, just not specifically hunting for one I don't believe is fully mature at 5 1/2 or older. Often, an unknown buck will appear, and an age decision needs to be quickly made. This is where most hunters are most likely to shoot a top-end younger buck which many would give a pass if that young age were known in advance. The best way for me to minimize this type mistake has been to spend most my hunting in specific pursuit of a known 5 1/2, getting good at quickly aging live bucks, and planning on a "mistake" still being 4 1/2 or older. And the best way to get to know many the bucks using an area are via trail cam pics, year round. In times long past, I have killed 2 young bucks that likely had the best anlter genetics (& high scoring potential) of all. One was a mainframe 8-pt yearling that scored over 100, the other was a mainframe 8-pt 2 1/2 that made P&Y. At one time, my criteria for buck selection was simply any buck with 8 or more points, and with a "nice" rack. That led to horrible high grading, leaving only the below average antlered bucks to live to 3 1/2 & older. Since many my hunting buddies subscribed to the same antler restrictions, we actually just greatly reduced our chances for a high-scoring mature buck. One of my close friends killed a TN buck that gross scored @ 168, aged at 3 1/2, during this era of our hunting. Another killed a 2 1/2 that scored 146. About the only way to significantly reduce antler high grading of younger bucks is with less buck hunting, along with more hunters deciding to base their harvest decisions more on age than antlers. After restrictions typically only make hunter high grading worse. [/QUOTE]
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