NOT worst pull ever

[BSK]

And he's no older than 3.

 

[Ski]

That's a stud! I'd guess 4yrs but if he is actually 3 he's going to be a STUNNER next season!

 

[BSK]

That's a stud! I'd guess 4yrs but if he is actually 3 he's going to be a STUNNER next season!

He looks thicker through the shoulder in that video because he's close to the camera. I have other videos of him on the far side of the road, and he's definitely a 3.

 

[BSK]

That size rack wouldn't be unprecedented for a 3 1/2 in my area. I'm adjacent to some HUGE bottomlands in soybeans and corn. First two pictures are of a 3 1/2 from a couple years ago. He scored right at 140. Third picture is a 3 1/2 I'm positive broke the 150 mark.

 

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

Nice

 

[Ski]

That size rack wouldn't be unprecedented for a 3 1/2 in my area.

Pfft 5yr olds in my area don't get racks like that.

 

[XCR-2]

Never knew they came through the woods with a birth certificate hanging on their neck. Blast that sob!

 

[backyardtndeer]

Heck of a deer. I do think he is older than you suggest though.

 

[BSK]

Pfft 5yr olds in my area don't get racks like that.

As I've said many times, the range of scores for a single age-class on a single property will easily exceed 100 gross inches top to bottom. For every 3 1/2 like the ones pictured above, I'm going to have a 3 1/2 like the one pictured below. Except for his lame attempt at browtines, he's basically a forkhorn. He was a forkhorn at 2 1/2 as well, only smaller.

 

[BSK]

Heck of a deer. I do think he is older than you suggest though.

I hope I have a chance to find out (that he sticks around long enough for me to see him in full rut-form).

 

[backyardtndeer]

I hope I have a chance to find out (that he sticks around long enough for me to see him in full rut-form).

Good luck with him.

 

[Ski]

As I've said many times, the range of scores for a single age-class on a single property will easily exceed 100 gross inches top to bottom. For every 3 1/2 like the ones pictured above, I'm going to have a 3 1/2 like the one pictured below. Except for his lame attempt at browtines, he's basically a forkhorn. He was a forkhorn at 2 1/2 as well, only smaller.

Now that looks more like what I usually have to hunt lol! Most of the 3yr olds around here are good to bust 100". I can count on one hand all the bucks I've seen at any age that bust 120".

The rack frame shape on that deer is common here in TN it seems. About half of the bucks I see have that general shape. On my place up north I've never seen one like that.

 

[BSK]

Now that looks more like what I usually have to hunt lol! Most of the 3yr olds around here are good to bust 100". I can count on one hand all the bucks I've seen at any age that bust 120".

The rack frame shape on that deer is common here in TN it seems. About half of the bucks I see have that general shape. On my place up north I've never seen one like that.

The average 3 1/2 on my place, and most of my clients' properties in the area, grosses 105. But we'll see them from 40 to 150+.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

That's a great deer! I'm sure he's enjoying all that new forage you've provided. Interested if this is close to the outskirts (above the ag fields) or more towards the center of the property or lake side?

 

[FredRog72]

Very nice! Love the mass he's put on.

 

[BSK]

That's a great deer! I'm sure he's enjoying all that new forage you've provided. Interested if this is close to the outskirts (above the ag fields) or more towards the center of the property or lake side?

It's a big bachelor group of 6 different older bucks. They are coming up from the bottoms and bedding in the closest thick cover I have to the bottoms. Got them on cam 4 times in 5 days.

 

[DoubleRidge]

That is a beutiful buck! Very nice!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

It's a big bachelor group of 6 different older bucks. They are coming up from the bottoms and bedding in the closest thick cover I have to the bottoms. Got them on cam 4 times in 5 days.

That was my suspicion. Nonetheless, I hope at least 2, maybe 3 stick around this fall. That's awesome!

 

[megalomaniac]

Looks like it's time to buy a crossbow and hunt last weekend of August!!!

 

[Ski]

The average 3 1/2 on my place, and most of my clients' properties in the area, grosses 105. But we'll see them from 40 to 150+.

Dang that's a huge variance! Around here I'd guess 70"-100". I'm sure there are outliers but the bulk of them fall in that range. They really aren't terribly bigger than the 2yr olds. At 4 they are 110"-120". They don't seem to grow much more than that regardless of age. I've killed one 5yr old that I'd swear was smaller than he was at 4.

On the positive side the bodies are tiny so proportionately the low scoring racks still look impressive. I lived in southern NM for 11yrs and these local deer remind me A LOT of the coues deer out there. About the same size in every way. I see some other pictures of deer from other areas of TN and it makes me scratch my head. If you stuck a 150" rack on one of these local bucks it would look like an elk.

 

[BSK]

Looks like it's time to buy a crossbow and hunt last weekend of August!!!

Noooooo! Not the velvet hunt!

 

[Ski]

Noooooo! Not the velvet hunt!

You're just afraid of bows

 

[BSK]

You're just afraid of bows

I'm not afraid of them. I just SUCK at using them!

I am probably the world's worst shot with a bow.

 

[Mr.Bro]

Looks good friend.
Going to let mine soak a couple more weeks.

 

[Andy S.]

Great buck, hope you or a member gets him so we can see his teeth. I agree with others, that video suggests 4.5 IMO. For summer time aging, I assess body/chest/brisket and "add a year". Best of luck this season if he sticks around.

 

[BSK]

Considering I lucked into the bachelor groups' travel pattern, the camera had been out only 5 days and I had 49 videos, most like the one below:

 

[Ski]

Considering I lucked into the bachelor groups' travel pattern, the camera had been out only 5 days and I had 49 videos, most like the one below:

Yep, I'm jealous. I can't look anymore

 

[Shed Hunter]

That size rack wouldn't be unprecedented for a 3 1/2 in my area. I'm adjacent to some HUGE bottomlands in soybeans and corn. First two pictures are of a 3 1/2 from a couple years ago. He scored right at 140. Third picture is a 3 1/2 I'm positive broke the 150 mark.

It's amazing how big 3.5 year olds can get in TN.

 

[BSK]

It's amazing how big 3.5 year olds can get in TN.

Problem is - and I'm absolutely guilty of this - those top-end 3 1/2s usually get shot, hence we don't get to see what they will become at maturity.

Even if the discussed buck is only 3 1/2, I'm shooting him at first opportunity, guaranteed.

 

[Ski]

Problem is - and I'm absolutely guilty of this - those top-end 3 1/2s usually get shot, hence we don't get to see what they will become at maturity.

Even if the discussed buck is only 3 1/2, I'm shooting him at first opportunity, guaranteed.

Buck hunting is always a roll of the dice. It's a game show. Do you take your winnings now or do you carry it through to the next round in hopes of compounding it, but at the risk of losing it all?