How often do you get "big" deer on camera?

[Boll Weevil]

Every year.

 

[Ski]

I've had 2, and in reality it was the same deer in back to back years.

He busts 140 both years. Great deer!!!

 

[Jcalder]

He busts 140 both years. Great deer!!!

Think he ended up around 155. Neighbor killed him. The first year on camera he was maybe a 110" 2.5 year old 10 point. He just exploded after. I've had numerous "big" deer, 120+, but he's by far the biggest. As a 10….

 

[Shed Hunter]

I've had a lot of 140" deer on camera, but I run a lot of cameras in a lot of areas. Even with as many deer over 140" I've encounter, I still wouldn't say a 140" deer is common across TN. Some areas will hold several each year, but some areas will be lucky to see one in 10 years

 

[DeerCamp]

Hold a 140" 8 pt and your jaw will drop, these 160"+ racks with dozens of points are nice too but give me a clean 8-10 pt rack that hits 140"+.

I've got one... 143" 4x5.

It dwarfs my 130" deer

 

[Ski]

I've got one... 143" 4x5.

It dwarfs my 130" deer

How many points was the 130?

 

[DeerCamp]

How many points was the 130?

8. It was my previous profile pic.

Ended up 130 1/8. Just barely! Girth pushed it over.

 

[DeerCamp]

Here they are next to each other. From left to right. 130, 143, 156.

 

[Ski]

8. It was my previous profile pic.

Ended up 130 1/8. Just barely! Girth pushed it over.

Big body too!

 

[Ski]

Here they are next to each other. From left to right. 130, 143, 156.

Great lineup! The 8 looks to be the bigger neck? Was he bigger bodied?

 

[DeerCamp]

Great lineup! The 8 looks to be the bigger neck? Was he bigger bodied?

The 8 was the biggest body. Live weight 208. Didn't weigh the Oklahoma deer. Mature, but not huge.

First 2 came from Madison cty.

 

[philsanchez76]

On public Seems like I'll get one that big about once every other year. Not usually every year. Pics have gotten worse over the years cuz I've had to hang cameras higher and higher so folks don't mess with em

 

[Carlos]

Same here. I'll hang a couple cameras and get pics of the biggest buck around. Then, myself or nobody ever sees them during hunting season.
In 2017 I had pics of one so big people thought it was a joke.
I hunted that one for 2 seasons, never laid eyes on him. Everytime I'd hang a camera though, I'd get a few pics of him.
(I passed on several nice bucks waiting on him too.)

 

[Andy S.]

SW TN here. 140"........ get at least one on camera most years, some years do a little better. Seeing said buck in daylight and having a chance at it is another story. I typically run 10 cameras on 2-3 properties in the fall. With that said, if you would have bumped it up to 150", my answer would have been "rarely ever".

 

[Rockhound]

Every year up until last year, and honestly it's killed my motivation to hunt.

 

[deerhunter10]

Every year. Run a lot of cameras, have lots of acres. Usually have multiple, because of multiple properties. 2 to 3 a year. We have killed several but they are tough I would say we average 130's. We need a poll on the biggest on camera that would be fun. As said above a 140 inch 8 is an absolute giant.

 

[Tn Joe]

140" 8pt

 

[Tweeter]

Depends on what you call "big deer" if I put it on the hit list I classify it as a "big deer"

 

[jmf]

Hold a 140" 8 pt and your jaw will drop, these 160"+ racks with dozens of points are nice too but give me a clean 8-10 pt rack that hits 140"+.

This is true. I've got 2 almost 3 main frame 8s that hit the 139s and they are studs. I'd rather kill a 140" 8 than 150s ten or twelve.

 

[megalomaniac]

Normally a 140 every year
150 every 3rd year
160 every 5 years
170 every 10 years
180 every 25 years.

But that's on multiple farms and right at 2000 acres. And those are bucks photographed at some point from July to January. Several are never on the properties during actual hunting season, so actually not harvestable.

But of course, these are very well managed properties with an average of 3 to 4 bucks killed annually on 2000 acres. But still with insane hunting pressure from the neighbors with an estimated 50 bucks that we photograph killed by them.

This year we've taken 2 bucks. A 4.5yo and a 5.5yo. Average score 85in. Average antler points 5.5. But we've passed up a couple 3.5yos in the 130s... next season is hanging thise bucks surviving the neighbors