Wow
New state record?
- Thread starter Tnshooter15
- Start date
East TN Bowhunter
Well-Known Member
How can one see county records?
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
I guess by searching the TN Deer Registry by county....to see highest scoring buck for each county....but as mentioned, many bucks are not ever scored or registered.....but many are and its an interesting record to search....you can search data by multiple categories....name, county, weapon, etc.
Almost said those exact words yesterdaySonny's buck is from China. You can see it in his eyes
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Just a testament to what can happen when hunters aren't so quick to kill their best 3 1/2-yr-old bucks. IMO, there is far less hunters' antler high-grading in East TN than in West & Middle TN. This less high-grading may be the #1 reason so relatively more very top-end bucks have come from the eastern half of Tennessee over the decades.
We would have a lot more bucks like this if more hunters had more trigger restraint on the best young bucks. What I'm seeing, statewide, is it's mainly those bucks with BELOW average antlers surviving to 4 1/2 & older.
As to this buck, which is potentially a new TN state record typical, I'm personally more interested in his age than his score.
All that said, this particular buck should be considered "World Class" regardless which state he was taken.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Remains amazing to me that Sonny Foster's 1959 TN Typical currently still stands as our #1 Typical.
Equally amazing that so many higher scoring bucks have been killed in the past few years just a few miles to the north across the KY state line. I know soil is part of this issue, but I suspect hunters' collective statewide antler high-grading is simply much, much less in Kentucky than in TN. This is due to the average hunter's mentality about deer hunting, coupled with KY's relatively short gun season(s), and 1-buck limit.
And, no, I do not want a 1-buck limit in TN. Two (2) seems to be a great compromise between those wanting more quality, and those wanting more quantity. If you need more venison as food than 2 bucks a year, there are plenty of near unlimited opportunities to shoot does.
Also keep in mind, both this "new" potential TN record, as well as the current #1 TN Typical, were both taken in an area essentially void of agricultural crops. And seems to be better soils in West TN than in East TN. So what gives? IMO, it all comes back to hunters' antler high-grading, i.e. killing off the very best antlered bucks when they are 2 1/2 & 3 1/2, leaving only the below average to survive to 4 1/2 & older. There just seems to be relatively less of this in East TN than in West (due to a huge variety of factors).
Equally amazing that so many higher scoring bucks have been killed in the past few years just a few miles to the north across the KY state line. I know soil is part of this issue, but I suspect hunters' collective statewide antler high-grading is simply much, much less in Kentucky than in TN. This is due to the average hunter's mentality about deer hunting, coupled with KY's relatively short gun season(s), and 1-buck limit.
And, no, I do not want a 1-buck limit in TN. Two (2) seems to be a great compromise between those wanting more quality, and those wanting more quantity. If you need more venison as food than 2 bucks a year, there are plenty of near unlimited opportunities to shoot does.
Also keep in mind, both this "new" potential TN record, as well as the current #1 TN Typical, were both taken in an area essentially void of agricultural crops. And seems to be better soils in West TN than in East TN. So what gives? IMO, it all comes back to hunters' antler high-grading, i.e. killing off the very best antlered bucks when they are 2 1/2 & 3 1/2, leaving only the below average to survive to 4 1/2 & older. There just seems to be relatively less of this in East TN than in West (due to a huge variety of factors).
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mayberryrick
Well-Known Member
Well share that picture and score with your friends on here!!!
Browning338
Member
This deer lived on a 750 acre farm and left the property and got shot on public in Morgan county. He had plenty of food to reach that potential. 9 1/2 years.
Browning338
Member
This deer lived on a 750 acre farm next to the public property. Owner was hunting it hard this year and it left. Normal joe shot it. Estimated at 9 1/2.
Levee Jumper
Well-Known Member
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Given the limited amount of public ground in Morgan County coinciding with adjacent 750 acre farms, I assume said owner will appreciate the advertisement.
mayberryrick
Well-Known Member
Agreed…
Fill me in on why you guys are oohing and aahing over those pictures. There is nothing in them to show size. That head could be the size of a baby kitten??
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Are you saying this potential new TN record typical was believed to be 9 1/2 yrs old?
If so, that would greatly debunk some of BSK's theories about older buck ages in TN
Extremely unlikely that buck lived most his life just on a 750 acre farm in TN.
Most are going to "live" on thousands rather than hundreds of acres.
This is why the wildlife is considered public property, not private property.
None of us own the wildlife when it's free-roaming.
In the absence of other data, I would have guessed this buck to be 6 1/2 yrs old.
Outdoor Enthusiast
Well-Known Member
I think you are correct about this. Except I would say it's 2.5 yr old bucks. My experience has been that most folks in my area of middle TN will kill a small buck "for the meat" rather than a doe. Oftentimes shooting the young buck with the highest potential.
I think this happens because of two reasons:
1. The bucks body is small which gives the illusion of a "good rack". This happens a lot with bucks in the range of 85-90".
2. These are the easiest bucks to kill. They are less wary and much more likely to chase a doe in the wide open.
How was age estimate determined?
Speaking of age wasn't the current world record typical just 3.5 years old ? Could you imagine what it may have scored living a couple more years. But with that said it was killed on a deer drive so how can one judge a buck in a mere few seconds ? ...No way unless you knew beforehand .
Sounds like somebody is butt hurt and mad that someone shot "their" wild deer.
To really summarize your amazing post we can agree (hopefully) that age and genetics play more a role than food . With that said though giving the fact a deer does have enough food to sustain it's normal diet .
I'm not doubting this deer being 9.5 years old but if I was a betting man I'd bet it wasn't. From all that I've read bucks tends to go downhill after ages 7.5 or maybe a little earlier. All that I've gathered that most outfitters recommend top years for a buck's potential is at least 4.5 but hopefully wait until 5.5 no more than 6 5 . If indeed this buck is 9.5 years old could you imagine what he was at his peak !!Are you saying this potential new TN record typical was believed to be 9 1/2 yrs old?
If so, that would greatly debunk some of BSK's theories about older buck ages in TN
Extremely unlikely that buck lived most his life just on a 750 acre farm in TN.
Most are going to "live" on thousands rather than hundreds of acres.
This is why the wildlife is considered public property, not private property.
None of us own the wildlife when it's free-roaming.
In the absence of other data, I would have guessed this buck to be 6 1/2 yrs old.
