question on buck size

[iowavf]

Couple of the other threads it was mentioned 200" deer and other big deer, just wondering how many have scene a 180" or 200" buck in the wild? I know a lot of people here in Iowa who have never scene a 150" buck and some who claim they have aren't very good at judging the size and seem to add several inches to make their sighting sound a little better. I myself can say I've only scene 4 bucks that I would call 200" deer on the hoof. I've looked and nice bucks people have killed and they're calling them high 160's mid 170" deer that would have to stretch the tape to make 150".

 

[Mike Belt]

A lot of people misjudge antler size... me included half the time. I have seen several bucks I'd say were a legitimate 165" and a couple that were pushing 200". Consider that's out of hunting almost 45 years in which 40 of those were hard core, every chance I got. That doesn't make for a very high percentage of huge buck sightings but these were all in Tn and Ms on average hunting ground.

 

[chris1976]

I have been obsessed with deer my whole life. Ben hunting 35 years. I have hunted Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and most of my hunting in Tennessee is in two of the top counties in Tennessee for large antlers. I have killed deer in the 160s but have never ever seen a 180" buck, much less a 200" There just ain't many that size no matter public or private.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mr.Bro]

I've seen a 187 and a 175 alive that I know for fact. Dead and measured.
Arrowed one im sure was 180 typical. Pics weeks later showed a high hit above the shoulder.
Saw a non typical I pretty sure it was over 200. Actually saw him twice.

 

[muddyboots]

140 is big as I have ever seen alive. 190 dead.

 

[jard]

Back home in Western KY on a friends farm, we consistently saw and even killed a few mature 8 and 10 pts that measured in the 140". However, the grey ghost as we affectionately nicknamed him, was a huge perfectly symmetrical 14 pt. WE only saw him twice alive on foot. Im bad at score judging, but that deer had to be in the 180's, have no idea if it hit 200. Largest deer that I have ever seen.

 

[cbhunter]

I've done a lot of hunting (for my age at least) and when I was younger, I drive around back roads filming them. I may have seen 4-5 deer in my life that would go over 160. Pretty certain I have never laid eyes on anything close to 180. In fact, the bigger I have ever had on cam probably wouldn't break 145

I have been fortunate enough to kill most all of the biggest bucks I have seen while hunting. I don't want to jinx myself but I don't have many memories of big buck getting away


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gobblesandgrunts]

I've never seen a deer over 140 and that is guessing. I shot one in Kansas I would guess was 140, looked like he had a rocking chair setting on top of his head in the moment but I believe he would have scored 140's after the fact. I never found that deer and I think about him ever day of my life lol largest I have shot and recovered is a 120-130 8 point this year. Haven't been able to score him yet just estimate and going off other deer I have shot. I have two family farms I can hunt local, but there just ain't big deer in the county's I hunt. I would give almost anything to have land that I can hunt, family farm or whatever, that have and hold mature deer. People truly don't realize how lucky they are to have a family farm or lease or land etc where they see deer every sit on a hunt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MUP]

I've only seen 3 bucks that were pushing 140, and two of them are on my wall. One that was approaching 130, didn't get the shot. And one that was close to 150, the largest I've ever seen while hunting, and it's on my wall now as well. Few and far between are old, big racked bucks where I hunt, and I've been at it a good while. That said, I did see a 171" 13 pt that was killed within 5 mi, as the crow flies, from my place. I would not doubt that there could be a 180 out there somewhere not too far away, but it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack just to get a glimpse of something that rare around here.

 

[megalomaniac]

I've seen 2 deer over 180in in 35 years hunting. Killed them both. Seen another that would scare 170, and one that was 165 or so. Had one on trail camera that scored 184, but never saw him hunting. Have seen about 6 or 7 and killed a couple over 150in.

Anything over 150 is rare in free range hunting for sure, at least where I've spent time in the woods

Sent from my SCH-R970X using Tapatalk

 

[Lincoln Co Archer]

The highest scoring deer I have ever seen alive has been in the 160 range. The most impressive deer I have ever seen was a 6pt that I am scared to say was probably a 140. Sadly I was not able to put my hands on neither of them.

 

[iowavf]

Well pretty sure I hit one late tonight with about 20 minutes left in the season but it was cloudy and raining pretty good. He looked like he was ready to go down as he disappeared out of sight and with the rain we had no tracks. Going to look tomorrow but is the same buck I have on trail cam and will say he pushes 170. Hopefully I have some pics but will have to have help on how to post!

 

[cbhunter]

Well pretty sure I hit one late tonight with about 20 minutes left in the season but it was cloudy and raining pretty good. He looked like he was ready to go down as he disappeared out of sight and with the rain we had no tracks. Going to look tomorrow but is the same buck I have on trail cam and will say he pushes 170. Hopefully I have some pics but will have to have help on how to post!

pm sent


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fairchaser]

I've seen one deer I would guess scored 200+ but not in TN. I've only killed one over 180 also not in TN. I've only seen a few over 140 while hunting and have never killed one in TN but there's still hope. I've seen many 140 + laying on the concrete with someone else's tag. I'm not one of those lucky hunters.

 

[cbhunter]

Well pretty sure I hit one late tonight with about 20 minutes left in the season but it was cloudy and raining pretty good. He looked like he was ready to go down as he disappeared out of sight and with the rain we had no tracks. Going to look tomorrow but is the same buck I have on trail cam and will say he pushes 170. Hopefully I have some pics but will have to have help on how to post!

pm sent


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

waiting for your text so you can update everyone [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tree_ghost]

I have been hunting hard for the last 10 years. I've only seen 1 deer in the woods hunting that was close to 170" and I couldn't seal the deal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Winchester]

I have hunted some really good ground from IL to OH, KY, TN and many more over the years and I have never saw a buck even close to 200 legit inches of antler. I would have to say the biggest buck I have ever laid eyes on while still alive and wild would be maybe 185 with most of the biggest not hitting even 175. Most hunters, especially TN hunters, have never saw a legit 145 let alone a 200.

 

[cbhunter]

Most hunters, especially TN hunters, have never saw a legit 145 let alone a 200.

So very true!

 

[Double drop]

I have killed a 198 3/8 gross in Hardin county tn but he was a freak of nature for there. I have killed 2 more over 140 and for the area they are really big deer. For the most part if you kill something over 130 in Tennessee you have done something.'

 

[Jmed]

We got a 200 1/8' gross velvet off of our KY farm this year. We have had pics of him for the past 3 years. Went from a 115" 8 point to a 140" 8 point to what he was this year. His tine length and mass combined with 21" of abnormals around the bases ran his score up. He was 4.5 when "super 8" was shot.

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

I've only seen 3 that I believe would go over 180" killed one of them. 185 4/8

Killed 5-6 over 150" with archery gear.

I actually believe the threshold is lower than 180 IMO. I see multiple 150s type deer a year but to break that 160" mark is truly rare!!!

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk