That's astonishing to me. I can't be an hour away and I've not seen a 130" deer in person or on camera in the 8yrs I've been hunting here. I've killed several 4yr & 5yr old deer but the biggest ones barely surpass 120".
I've got a very productive property right in the big buck belt of southern Ohio and I don't see a lot of 130" 3yr olds, although I do see them in the 140's-150's on occasion. But never have I seen a 130" 2yr old. Now by the time they hit 4 & 5 years old they could be anything from 130" to well over 200", most in the 150's-170's. There's at least one 200 incher taken every season in that county, and a large handful of booners. But I've never had a 2.5yr old as big as big as the one BSK posted the other day.
I just don't get it. It would seem if bucks can get that big at such young age here in TN then why aren't we seeing the giants in numbers seen in the midwest? And how can I hunt an hour away from where you're at and see a completely different scale of animal? I don't doubt what you see. I see those bucks you mention whenever I go by the processor in Wartrace. There'll be a bunch of bucks like what I see, but there are always a few big ones that look like they must have come from Kansas. Same age class. Same species. But completely different animals.
yes, it is crazy how there are absolute 'pockets' 20-30sq miles that will have superior genetics for larger scoring antlers. Now don't get me wrong... I'm not saying my place is amazing. BUT, on average, my place will average bucks with about 7-10 more inches of antler per age class than surrounding areas. And there are other pockets in TN that will average 15-20 inches more per age class than surrounding areas.
And I'm not saying my 2.5yo's are averaging 130in, nor am i saying my 3.5y/o are in the 140's have the potential to produce the giants at maturity. I just have a larger sample size than most due to a higher deer density per square mile than most TN properties due to aggressive habitat management. So I get a much larger sample size per age class, so I'm going to see more of the bucks in the top 5% of the gene pool... that tiny 5% are the ones that will become 160 in deer at maturity. But unfortunately, the top 5% of the gene pool is nearly universally removed at 2.5 and 3.5 years of age when they score 120 (2.5y/o) to 140 (3.5yo) and never get a chance to grow up to express their genetic potential.
In the past 10 years, we have only had 2 bucks at the top end of the gene pool survive our neighbors to reach maturity. ONLY TWO!!!!! The hunting pressure around me is just that intense, combined with the number of hunters per property. It is not unusual for there to be 12 to 15 neighbors on stand all around me on any given rifle weekend.
But the odd thing is... none of the neighbors will shoot the 4.5 yo and 5.5 yo 100 in deer. Don't want to 'waste' a tag. So the bottom end of the gene pool either dies from old age, or I kill them for sausage. Neighbors would much rather shoot two 150lb 120in 2.5yo than two 200lb 100 in 5.5 y/os