Can't hunt but I love the anticipation of this time of year to see if any of the regulars are still around and what they're going to be sporting for head gear. Right now they're still just nubs but every now & then I get to see an old bruiser who seems to be ahead of the pack. Still early but I think I know this buck from previous years. If it's the one I think then I'm pretty sure he's a 5yr old this year.
Favorite time of year
- Thread starter Ski
- Start date
Gonna be a nice en
@fulldraw
Well-Known Member
He's well ahead of any I have.
BSK
Well-Known Member
There is some evidence (from penned deer) that those bucks who start the earliest often have the largest antlers by the time they are finished growing.
Same here.
I assume he is a TN buck, is that correct?
This one is Ohio. All other bucks using the property are just now popping nubs. Way early for one to have this much growth already. I've not checked my cams here in TN yet.
Interesting. I haven't seen it happen often enough to draw any conclusions but the few I've seen did indeed grow huge racks.
CrossVolle
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I had one last year i was convinced was going to be a booner in Ohio because he was so far ahead of everyone else. He ended up being really massy and tight but not a lot of tine. He had a bad attitude and i believe he was busting up a few of the higher quality bucks. I bet we had 6 different bucks just busted all up. I had a chance to smoke him and did not. Sometimes i am a terrible hunter. He was a prime candidate to get outta there. Was just too indecisive. 2:30 pm and had been seeing deer all day long. Was a mistake i will not make again. He gives me a shot he is stuck.
Can't wait to get my cams out up there next month and see who all is still around.
That's exactly the type buck I think this one is. The brow spacing and shape seem consistent with the velvet buck this year. If it's him he was a 4yr old last year. Thick tight 8pt. Time will tell soon enough I guess. Heck he might not even stay through the fall.
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
That would make sense since they likely have more time going into growing their antlers.
CrossVolle
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I cannot get my hosting site to work right now to post a video of him. He has more mass but not as wide and tiney as that one. Every video I have of him and the only encounter in the stand he is peacocking around like a turd. I'll try to post if I can get it to work. I cant figure out if he was 4 or 5 last year but he is a load.
Its definitely not my favorite time of yr for any related to hunting, but i enjoy this time of yr because we sre fixing to be off for the next 2.5 months. I had a buck like yours 2 years ago they got incredible early growth. I had convinced myself he would be a monster. Unfortunately he just must have shed early because he ended up as a wide 3.5 yr old 8 pt . Its hard to tell much but its fun to see. My cams go out 7/4
BSK
Well-Known Member
This is correct. However, a few bucks were found to start early and end early, and not necessarily ending up as larger. But others that started early ended up simply having more days of growing time, hence larger antlers.
BSK
Well-Known Member
I will put out a couple of cameras in mid-summer just to check on how the deer are using the food plots. However, my entire "fleet" of cameras won't go out until 8/1. I choose that date because most antler growth is almost complete at that time. At least enough to clearly identify unique bucks by their antler configuration. For me - using cameras to inventory the buck population - nothing is more frustrating than having a buck on camera mid-July with partially formed antlers and then trying to figure out if he is the same buck as one I get in mid-August with fully formed antlers.
