Hey BSK

[Solo Hunter]

How come when some bucks reach say 4 1/2 they don't grow much? I've seen this happen even with 2 bucks that run together at 3 1/2 then at 4 1/2. One of them will continue to blow up while the other one won't put on any size or may even be smaller then the year before. I've seen this happen this year on 3 different farms many miles apart. It just gets me how one deer jumps in size and the other doesn't. These ain't small bucks either. All of these bucks were 3 1/2 last year and being anywhere in size from 125"-140".

 

[BSK]

What you describe is MUCH more common than hunters think, especially in habitat that is not top-end. I don't know why a given percentage of bucks don't put on much growth from 4 1/2 to 5 1/2, but it's a significant percentage, especially in the Southeast. In fact, in the Southeast, I often find bucks will peak in gross score at 4--because of tine length--but then lose tine length as they get older. These bucks often continue to increase in mass with age, but they are still losing gross inches with age due to less tine length.

For some reason, and I believe it is habitat quality related, I don't see this trend as much in the North or Midwest.

 

[Solo Hunter]

I see that also in tine length. It just got me why one deer on the same farm seemed to grow while the other one didn't. You get all excited waiting "one more year" and then it's no different then the last.

Thanks

 

[BSK]

Again, just one of those individual deer sort of things. Yes, ON AVERAGE, bucks gain a couple of percentage points on gross score from 4 to 5 and even 6. But when it comes to individual deer, I see a fair number of them that peak at 4.

 

[Hunter 257W]

Look at Don Knotts then look at Arnold Schwarzenneger. Both are of the same species yet they didn't reach the same mature size. Why should deer be any different than us humans??

 

[BSK]

Well said Hunter 257W.

 

[Solo Hunter]

Look at Don Knotts then look at Arnold Schwarzenneger. Both are of the same species yet they didn't reach the same mature size. Why should deer be any different than us humans??

lol I guess your right!

 

[Sniper]

bucks often continue to increase in mass with age, but they are still losing gross inches with age due to less tine length.

That's what she said, haha.