It may be little

[akachuck]

But I want a age on this guy just from the rack. Don't hate in me, this was my first deer and I'm very proud

 

[BSK]

You can't age a deer by it's antlers.

 

[akachuck]

Oh. Thanks

 

[Jcalder]

As Roger Raglin would say, that's as old as he'll ever get

 

[Tenntrapper]

Did you have to wipe the milk off its mouth?....

 

[akachuck]

Did you have to wipe the milk off its mouth?....

Damnit I said don't hate on me

 

[BSK]

But I want a age on this guy just from the rack. Don't hate in me, this was my first deer and I'm very proud

The basal mass would suggest either a very large yearling or a small to average (depending upon the area) 2 1/2.

But don't be worried about it. The VAST majority of the "trophy hunters" on this site cut their deer hunting teeth killing a boatload of young bucks. I know I did. The below picture is my hunting camp opening weekend of gun season circa 1991.

 

[akachuck]

Wow. Seems like quality management to me. Unlike mine, mine was my first deer. Remember it like it was 3 hours ago

 

[mike243]

To me there is a good size difference between a 2,5 and a 3,5 when you have several layed out frame wise, I cant tell by head size, your first was bigger than my first and I have shot several after it with less lol, may shoot 1 or 3 smaller this year

 

[akachuck]

To me there is a good size difference between a 2,5 and a 3,5 when you have several layed out frame wise, I cant tell by head size, your first was bigger than my first and I have shot several after it with less lol, may shoot 1 or 3 smaller this year

Whatever feeds the family, shot a 3 last year lol. Not my proudest moment but hey, it had antlers and it was 45 yards away how was I supposed to know.

 

[redblood]

The basal mass would suggest either a very large yearling or a small to average (depending upon the area) 2 1/2.

But don't be worried about it. The VAST majority of the "trophy hunters" on this site cut their deer hunting teeth killing a boatload of young bucks. I know I did. The below picture is my hunting camp opening weekend of gun season circa 1991.

I can pass 4.5 yr 130" deer with the best of of em, but i can assure you i have cut down a many 1.5 and 2.5 yr old deer. As a kid during the 11 buck a yr limit, i shot almost any legal deer i saw. I passed 1 horn spike one time with a muzzleloader and all my friends thought i was crazy!

 

[mike243]

I have shot more than 1 for a doe, they all eat good any way. very rare I don't have a buck tag as I eat 1 or 2 a year , hate taking yearlings but it happens shooting fast moving deer or long distance. I don't proclaim to be a trophy hunter just a good shot lol. every thing got a pass last year .

 

[tnanh]

I think it is a cool looking skull mount. Nice
Deer for your first one. And no, he had to wipe the milk from his mouth. Also, dont worry about what other people say about what you shoot. Shoot what makes you happy and have fun. Having fun is why we hunt.

 

[Grainger]

this was my first deer and I'm very proud

As you should be. Nice looking mount.

 

[oldmanelrod]

But I want a age on this guy just from the rack. Don't hate in me, this was my first deer and I'm very proud

Your deer has character and is one to be pleased with. Nice deer.

 

[tree_ghost]

The basal mass would suggest either a very large yearling or a small to average (depending upon the area) 2 1/2.

But don't be worried about it. The VAST majority of the "trophy hunters" on this site cut their deer hunting teeth killing a boatload of young bucks. I know I did. The below picture is my hunting camp opening weekend of gun season circa 1991.

That's right BSK! I killed probably 60 spikes to basket rack 6 points and 120 or so does before I ever shot a trophy. And let me tell you I wouldn't go back in time and change one single hunt if I could. Those were some of the best times of my life! My first one ever was a spike buck I killed in Ocoee WMA in Monticello Ga at 12 years old. Shot him at 15 yards with a 30-30. I was shaking so bad I couldn't hardly climb down the tree. I found blood and commenced to tracking…80 yards later I laid eyes on him and I let out a yell that you could have heard two counties over!!! The boys on the rest of the WMA probably thought I'd just killed the new state record lol. But heck to me it was!

Go have fun hunting in the woods Eli. Enjoy the process of evolving as a hunter as you see fit. Don't hold yourself to other hunters standards. And don't put so much pressure on yourself over a "trophy" that you end up loosing the love of the sport.

 

[BSK]

Go have fun hunting in the woods Eli. Enjoy the process of evolving as a hunter as you see fit. Don't hold yourself to other hunters standards. And don't put so much pressure on yourself over a "trophy" that you end up loosing the love of the sport.

This, this, this, a hundred times over!

Hunting is a personal endeavor. Learn, grow, adapt. Don't compare yourself to others.

 

[akachuck]

Go have fun hunting in the woods Eli. Enjoy the process of evolving as a hunter as you see fit. Don't hold yourself to other hunters standards. And don't put so much pressure on yourself over a "trophy" that you end up loosing the love of the sport.

It's definitely has its ups and downs but that's apart of it. I hunt to feed my family, sure there's a little competition in who can kill the biggest but that's just my family. And seeing how many trophy hunters are in here breaks my heart. Yea they might eat them and what not but they do it for the antlers. To me it just ain't right

 

[DoubleRidge]

That's right BSK! I killed probably 60 spikes to basket rack 6 points and 120 or so does before I ever shot a trophy. And let me tell you I wouldn't go back in time and change one single hunt if I could. Those were some of the best times of my life! My first one ever was a spike buck I killed in Ocoee WMA in Monticello Ga at 12 years old. Shot him at 15 yards with a 30-30. I was shaking so bad I couldn't hardly climb down the tree. I found blood and commenced to tracking…80 yards later I laid eyes on him and I let out a yell that you could have heard two counties over!!! The boys on the rest of the WMA probably thought I'd just killed the new state record lol. But heck to me it was!

Go have fun hunting in the woods Eli. Enjoy the process of evolving as a hunter as you see fit. Don't hold yourself to other hunters standards. And don't put so much pressure on yourself over a "trophy" that you end up loosing the love of the sport.

Great post

 

[DoubleRidge]

This, this, this, a hundred times over!

Hunting is a personal endeavor. Learn, grow, adapt. Don't compare yourself to others.

Well said....so true

 

[BSK]

And seeing how many trophy hunters are in here breaks my heart. Yea they might eat them and what not but they do it for the antlers. To me it just ain't right

I guess it's all in how you define "trophy hunter." There's a bunch of hunters on this site that have been at this game for a lot of years, and many have literally killed more deer than they can count. Eventually, just killing another deer no longer holds the same excitement. One way to keep that excitement is to go after the toughest deer to kill - an old wary buck that has evaded human predators dozens if not hundreds of times. Outwitting one of these animals is a major accomplishment, especially if you can do it consistently. And old bucks often have the biggest antlers - an added bonus.

 

[ImThere]

I'm super glad there was a deer pic when I opened this thread! You can never tell with youngsters these days

 

[akachuck]

I guess it's all in how you define "trophy hunter." There's a bunch of hunters on this site that have been at this game for a lot of years, and many have literally killed more deer than they can count. Eventually, just killing another deer no longer holds the same excitement. One way to keep that excitement is to go after the toughest deer to kill - an old wary buck that has evaded human predators dozens if not hundreds of times. Outwitting one of these animals is a major accomplishment, especially if you can do it consistently. And old bucks often have the biggest antlers - an added bonus.

Yes sir! Dad always tells me the day I stop feeling that rush when I shoot a deer and find it should be the day that I stop hunting. I haven't had any experience with older deer and hard to kill deer. But still I love that rush.

 

[mike243]

I tried to wait on a trophy buck for about 5 years, didn't shoot doe's trying to help get the numbers up and use them for bait, after not shooting no deer for so long I decided to start shooting what ever was given, been way happier in my deer hunting ever since. I don't begrudge any type of hunting as that's up to each person. At the time I stopped trying to be something I couldn't be due to the area and deer #'s, I stopped all the hunting magazines , had more $ and deer to eat ever since lol

 

[akachuck]

^^^And that's the thing with me. I don't have that patience like some people to wait for a deer to get big. I look at it like the deer is more than likely to get shot by another hunter or die another way. During COVID when the meat got low in stores we ended up eating all of our deer in the freezer. Ive been happy with every one of my harvests. Even though they ain't big or have antlers it still feeds the family as to the end of the day, and that's what matters most to me.

 

[philsanchez76]

That rack looks almost exactly like the first buck i shot too!! And I was 37 years old when that happened. So you're way ahead of me! I'm a meat hunter too. That's the reason I stopped hunting private land leases. All the guys only wanted to trophy hunt and it was not fun for me at all. I'm all public now and can and do shoot whatever is legal. Keep up the good work sir. Hope you get that first bow buck this year.

 

[Dirtcop]

But I want a age on this guy just from the rack. Don't hate in me, this was my first deer and I'm very proud

everyones definition of trophy is different. congrats on your first one. When i started out, there was a doe that had twins. she would come into the woods looking up to see if we were hunting. named her "w.c. hornblower". tried to get her but she was way to slick for me. that would have been my trophy.
another time i shot a spike with my muzzleloader that i had called up. he thought he was the baddest boy in the woods.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Enjoy the process, Eli. Find your own way and do whatever makes you happy. Everyone takes different paths.

My first buck was a button buck. I laid down plenty of deer before finally getting a good buck. Just take it all in and enjoy it.

 

[BSK]

^^^And that's the thing with me. I don't have that patience like some people to wait for a deer to get big. I look at it like the deer is more than likely to get shot by another hunter or die another way. During COVID when the meat got low in stores we ended up eating all of our deer in the freezer. Ive been happy with every one of my harvests. Even though they ain't big or have antlers it still feeds the family as to the end of the day, and that's what matters most to me.

Well said and I couldn't agree more. Hunt the way that makes you happy. Kill what is legal and makes you happy. Perhaps someday you will notice killing another deer doesn't produce the same excitement. Then you can alter what you are after. Or perhaps killing a deer never loses it's excitement. It's definitely an individual thing. Everybody hunts for a slightly different reason. Some for the challenge; some for the excitement; some simply to fill the freezer. And that's OK.

 

[Hookem]

But I want a age on this guy just from the rack. Don't hate in me, this was my first deer and I'm very proud

Age doesn't matter. Loving the outdoors, sharing with friends and enjoying the venison does. All that being said he is probably a 2 year old.