I killed this mature scrub buck this morning. He is the 4th 6 or 7 pter that was 3.5 yrs old or older since muzzleloader opened. He was fully mature so I shot him.
My first bow buck this year was a mature 3 pt with one side broke off, woulda been a big 6 most likely with a lot of mass. I thought he was 2 or 3 when I shot him but he turned out a lot older. Ill always shoot the older buck if I can, cause I may never see him again.
I wouldn't consider a 3 1/2 year-old buck to be "fully mature," but I would have shot that buck in a heartbeat. I'll shoot any buck that is 3 1/2+, regardless of antler size.