Large Bodied Deer

[348Winchester]

This may be strange but I am often more impressed when deer are more large of body than large of antler. My biggest deer ever weighed 225 pounds dressed. I never dreamed a deer of that size could roam the plateau! He was a very magnificent specimen. His chest was broad and deep. His shoulders were as large as his hams. His neck girth was nearly as big as my waist and I'm not a small man. He was pot-bellied as well. Everything about him was thick and sturdy.

A year later, I killed another buck that was 9 ft long from the tip of his nose to the base of his tail! He dressed 175 pounds and possessed all the characteristics of a hearty monarch of the forest.

Way back in 1997, another buck I took dressed 172 pounds. He, too, could be described as a prince of a deer. All three of these bucks were taken within the same area. To me, these bucks, are the epitome of strenght.

 

[Mike Belt]

My heaviest buck to date also field dressed 225. That put him at 275 on the hoof. That was a while back when there were only Baker stands on the market. I remember that hunt like it was yesterday. Benton County Tn. I was set up in the timber about 400 yards off the corner of a narrow pasture the deer often crossed. I was hunting the base of a ridge where a drainage fed through. The side of the drainage I was on was a straight up and down washed out side with a well used trail between it and the actual drainage. The evening before I killed him I was 30+ feet up when I thought I heard movement up top. I turned to look and whatever it was saw a slight movement and turned back. The next morning it was cold, windy, and sleeting and I was back in the same tree. My buck came over the top and headed down the trail stopping several times to survey the area. As he went behind a tree I tried to stand and turn. I got half way up in a crouched position and had to freeze. After a couple of minutes in that crouched position my legs started shaking so bad I was afraid I was going to shake my stand off the tree. He inched forward and would stop. I'd shake some more. This went on for 15-20 minutes before he made his way in front of me. At the shot he ran but didn't make it over 40 yards. I had to single handedly drag him the rest of the way out through downed timber and across 3 ditches. I thought I was going to die. He filled the back of the truck from front to back. Since then I haven't seen but 4 more bucks in Tn that equaled him in size.

 

[mathews338]

I agree. Around here in jackson co mature bucks probably only avg 150 dressed. Every now and then I here of or see a buck go 180 dressed but they are few and far between. I have killed several bucks just 1 hour north in KY that were much bigger, 1 was 195 dressed and a couple more 180's. my girl killed a monster last Juvy on opening day.

[/url][/img]
Not much on top but he was one to be proud of. She wasn't big enough to help much and I like to have never got it on the 4 wheeler. His neck was as big as a 5 gallon bucket.

 

[CALLAHAN]

that is a whopper

 

[WORM82]

I also have to know the dressed weight of the deer I kill. I weigh all my turkeys to hoping they are heavy.

 

[Tennessee Lead]

I also have to know the dressed weight of the deer I kill. I weigh all my turkeys to hoping they are heavy.

X2! I weigh everything I kill. They ain't a check station here in this county that has a scale so I bought one. I had much rather kill a big bodied deer than a big racked deer.

 

[Nealmeally]

I shot a buck last season that dressed 167 pounds. His rack was around 120" +/-... He came by me real close and I was in a shorter ladder stand, and he looked huge, which he was.. I usually look at head gear first to try and see which deer it is. But I couldn't quit looking at his huge body.. Anyways I shot him cause of the big body really quick.. I had a lot of trouble dragging him bout 75 yards to a logging road. Guts had to go bout 15 yards into the drag, didn't help much though.. That's a lot of dead weight to drag up a small incline.

 

[Columbia Scott]

302 here. A Middle Tennessee 9 point. Not a great rack, but the taxidermist had to order a form with a 20.5 inch neck.

 

[barkscaler]

Killed a ten last november that went 180lbs. dressed.He looked like a bull.Have killed three more between 160 and 170 dressed.Funny how a big bodied buck looks way different from all of the other deer.

 

[MUP]

Oh yea, not to mention they fill the freezer a little quicker to boot! ;)

 

[7mminatree]

Here in upper EastTn. Back in the late 60's and early 70's during the Tennessee deer restoration project we had deer brought in from Wisconsin and I think Texas also but no real sure. Anyway those northern did well here in the highlands being a very hardy subspecies. You always know when kill one because their bodies look like an NFL linebacker. They also seem to have shorter ears than the native Tn.

 

[BSK]

In my area, the biggest bodied bucks generally only go 220 live weight, which puts them at around 180 dressed. But I've seen mature bucks in a nearby high-fence that have gone 250-260 live weight.

Biggest bucks (body weight) I've seen in the Southeast came from along the MS River in MS. I've seen some sure enough documented bucks over 300 pounds live weight.

 

[in the dog house]

My largest live weight buck here in west TN was 215. I have seen a couple that I know where larger though.

 

[firedog]

I killed a 8 pointer back in 1993 in White Co. TN that field dressed 223lbs. That's the biggest deer I have taken for sure.

 

[plinker22]

I killed a very big bodied (antlerless*) buck in Ohio several years ago. Wish I knew his exact weight.




*both antlers were broken off... one clean at the hair line, the other about 1 1/2" from skull

 

[Winchester]

176 dressed is the largest I have killed in TN. 210 dressed in KY, and 2 at 220 and 230 dressed in ILL.

BSK is that the "droptine" property your talking about?

 

[BSK]

Correct Winchester.

 

[Hunter 257W]

In my area, the biggest bodied bucks generally only go 220 live weight, which puts them at around 180 dressed. But I've seen mature bucks in a nearby high-fence that have gone 250-260 live weight.

Biggest bucks (body weight) I've seen in the Southeast came from along the MS River in MS. I've seen some sure enough documented bucks over 300 pounds live weight.

Dang, that makes my back hurt to think about a buck that big. :) I shot a 190lb live weight buck a couple years ago and he was about all I want to drag very far.

 

[BSK]

Hunter 257W,

Because--for biological data reasons--we live weigh all our killed deer, including old bucks, we end up getting big bucks out of our hollers with winches and a lot of extra cable!

Both of these old pigs (the deer, not me!) stretched the scales a bit, and were a bear to get out. Check out the necks on these old brutes:

 

[Tennessee Lead]

Wow! What did those weigh Brian? If you can remember.

 

[Tennessee Lead]

It amazes me that I could drive an hour west or an hour north of here and the deer are completely different. 150 dressed is an average big buck here.

 

[Winchester]

Correct Winchester.

I just spent some time helping some guys with a piece of property just maybe a mile from that tract a couple weeks ago! Great looking area with just the right mix of habitat!

 

[Shed Hunter]

Hunter 257W,

Because--for biological data reasons--we live weigh all our killed deer, including old bucks, we end up getting big bucks out of our hollers with winches and a lot of extra cable!

Both of these old pigs (the deer, not me!) stretched the scales a bit, and were a bear to get out. Check out the necks on these old brutes:

I can imagine you having to use a winch.. The terrain of your area is tough! The buck you killed last year was a pig too.

We never have weighed any deer we have killed, but I can only think of one that exceeded 200lbs. (That is out of the only two 6.5+ bucks killed).

 

[Ladys man]

BSK what did the 2nd pic buck weight,score and age just curious cuz that is a trophy for sure

 

[BSK]

Correct Winchester.

I just spent some time helping some guys with a piece of property just maybe a mile from that tract a couple weeks ago! Great looking area with just the right mix of habitat!

I'm running their photo census right now. Yowza!!! :o

 

[BSK]

Wow! What did those way Brian? If you can remember.

Both were right at 220 live weight. I think our biggest yet has been right at 225 live.

 

[BSK]

BSK what did the 2nd pic buck weight,score and age just curious cuz that is a trophy for sure

Second buck was 4 1/2, live weighed right at 220, and as a 13 point grossed 156 and change.

Here's a better look at his rack, which shows his double brows on one side, triple brows on the other, and the 3-inch kicker off the back of his beam:

 

[Nealmeally]

Awesome buck BSK!

 

[Urban_Hunter]

I love the heavy weights too, but those 85pounders sure do drag easy, tender too! :wink:

 

[348Winchester]

Those big bodied bruisers may be hard to drag but they are worth every bit of the effort! I hunt in Scott/Morgan counties and the terrain is rugged, very rugged. The 225 lb buck was killed early in the morning. It took me six hours to get him out within 1/8 mile from my truck. I was exhausted. I went home, ate some soup, and got the old lady and my little girl. With their help we got him the rest of the way out. Every muscle in my body was sore for days after that.

The 175 lb buck was killed on the bottom tier of a three terraced strip mine. The drag was 75% uphill. It took me 4 1/2 hours to get him out. After about three hours, I laid down beside him and took a 45 minute power nap; then drug for another 1 1/2 hours.

The 1997 buck was a little easier as I was only 27 years old and had another man to help but it was still a long drag.

I take pride in the fact that God gave me the physical strength and stamina to hunt such magnificent creatures.