Target buck

[BSK]

So far, this is my target buck:

 

[Split Brow]

Very cool, good luck with him!

 

[Shed Hunter]

That's an awesome buck!

 

[Antler Daddy]

Hope you take him!

 

[megalomaniac]

Unreal 3.5yo!

 

[wcw280]

If big deer potential had a video for the definition here it is.

 

[GumbyGuy]

He's still a young one IMO

 

[Ski]

Heckeva buck! I bet those base stickers don't last long after velvet comes off. Hope you get him! I've yet to pick a buck to hunt on any of the places I hunt in any of the states. Not nervous yet but usually I've got a buck somewhere by now that has me excited.

 

[redblood]

Super nice buck but does have a young look to him. Although it is so hard dor me to tell until they get closer to rut

 

[BSK]

Unreal 3.5yo!

Actually, although he doesn't look it, he's 4 1/2. I have a history with him. Last year, he was incredibly active during daylight. Long periods of time where I would get him on cam every day. Yet no hunter saw him. How bucks can pull that off amazes me.

 

[tree_ghost]

Actually, although he doesn't look it, he's 4 1/2. I have a history with him. Last year, he was incredibly active during daylight. Long periods of time where I would get him on cam every day. Yet no hunter saw him. How bucks can pull that off amazes me.

Good luck with him! I would have said 3 based on that pic alone. Goes to show how important historical data can be when it comes to accurately aging a buck.

 

[BSK]

Good luck with him! I would have said 3 based on that pic alone. Goes to show how important historical data can be when it comes to accurately aging a buck.

Oh, he absolutely looks 3 1/2. In fact, most of the bucks on my place look younger than they are this year. They suffered the consequences of last year and have struggled to build additional body growth. After the horrendous drought and complete acorn failure last summer and fall, the deer went into winter in terrible shape. Antler drop timing is very closely linked to nutritional status and individual animal stress coming out of the rut. I've been monitoring my local herd with cameras since 1993, and without exception, most bucks didn't drop antlers until March. But last year, nearly every buck had his antlers drop around January 9-12. I've NEVER seen the local deer population so stressed going into winter and I'm seeing the results of that this year with undersized deer. Another telling piece of evidence is spike incidence in yearling bucks. Because they are actively growing larger in skeletal structure at that age, antler development in yearling bucks comes down to "resources left over." Normally, we see about 40% of yearling bucks growing only spike antlers. After a really good fall/winter with a big acorn crop, it may drop to only 20% of yearlings with spikes. However, this year, after last year's brutal summer/fall, almost every yearling has just spike antlers. Our largest yearling so far has just tiny forks - basically 5" spikes with little 1-inch brows.

Sadly, the effect of last year's conditions may play out for many years to come. The underdeveloped yearlings this year may be stunted for the rest of their lives. And the ones who may be most affected are the fawns born this spring. Very good evidence exists that a buck's future body and antler growth potential is influenced strongly by his mother's health while he was in utero, hence button bucks born to the local does this year may also be stunted for life.

 

[megalomaniac]

FWIW, my bucks are averaging about 5-6 inches antler score ABOVE average per age class this year. But I had virtually unlimited food.

Fawn crop is WAY low, however. I was wondering if the observed lack of rut activity and greatly delayed breeding might translate to actual decreased fawn recruitment. While I cannot prove the decline in fawns is due to decreased breeding last fall, it certainly seems to correlate.

 

[fairchaser]

Actually, although he doesn't look it, he's 4 1/2. I have a history with him. Last year, he was incredibly active during daylight. Long periods of time where I would get him on cam every day. Yet no hunter saw him. How bucks can pull that off amazes me.

I believe bucks can smell so much better than most hunters are aware. It's not only when you're in your stand but the moment you leave your truck. They are also aware of where you've hunted and where your cameras are. Imagine them running a gauntlet avoiding all the danger zones and spots. If you can sneak in down wind in a spot that has not been contaminated at the right time, you have a chance.

 

[BSK]

FWIW, my bucks are averaging about 5-6 inches antler score ABOVE average per age class this year. But I had virtually unlimited food.

Fawn crop is WAY low, however. I was wondering if the observed lack of rut activity and greatly delayed breeding might translate to actual decreased fawn recruitment. While I cannot prove the decline in fawns is due to decreased breeding last fall, it certainly seems to correlate.

My fawn recruitment is down as well Mega. I would love to blame coyotes, but I can't. For whatever reason, my coyote population is suddenly WAY down. Normally, I get almost as many coyote pictures as I do deer pictures, but this year, out of the thousands of deer pictures I've already collected, I might have 15 pictures/videos of coyotes. And tellingly, my fox population has exploded. They are EVERYWHERE.

 

[megalomaniac]

My fawn recruitment is down as well Mega. I would love to blame coyotes, but I can't. For whatever reason, my coyote population is suddenly WAY down. Normally, I get almost as many coyote pictures as I do deer pictures, but this year, out of the thousands of deer pictures I've already collected, I might have 15 pictures/videos of coyotes. And tellingly, my fox population has exploded. They are EVERYWHERE.

Most female mammals simply won't ovulate if body condition is too poor to support a pregnancy. My does appeared healthy last fall, but just didn't come into estrus when I up was up there hunting. By the 3rd week of December, bucks were already back in bachelor groups and on feeding patterns, just no 2nd rut at all. So strange.

 

[BSK]

Most female mammals simply won't ovulate if body condition is too poor to support a pregnancy. My does appeared healthy last fall, but just didn't come into estrus when I up was up there hunting. By the 3rd week of December, bucks were already back in bachelor groups and on feeding patterns, just no 2nd rut at all. So strange.

Our local peak breeding was definitely delayed 10 days to two weeks. We also did NOT see a 2nd rut, and we usually get a decent bump in activity then. Not last year.

 

[Livin2hunt]

I'm glad to hear the info on fawn sightings. We haven't seen an abundance of fawns our way either this year with only 2 coyote sightings on cam since spring. Our herd health wasn't to bad considering we had ag in the fields that didn't get shelled(beans) from what was not shattered until super late in the year.

 

[Livin2hunt]

Really nice buck by the way!

 

[Andy S.]

Nice buck, best of luck with him. I would have guessed 4.5. I always add a year to summer photos when aging this time of year. He looks 3.5, so add a year and you get 4.5. I am still looking for a buck to target this fall. Numerous bucks on camera, but nothing I want to target yet. It is still early and the majority of bucks I get now range shift to never be seen again once velvet sheds.

 

[BSK]

Nice buck, best of luck with him. I would have guessed 4.5. I always add a year to summer photos when aging this time of year. He looks 3.5, so add a year and you get 4.5. I am still looking for a buck to target this fall. Numerous bucks on camera, but nothing I want to target yet. It is still early and the majority of bucks I get now range shift to never be seen again once velvet sheds.

I'm lucky in that I will keep most of my summer bucks, and then gain a HUGE number of bucks once the nearby ag fields are harvested and the acorns begin to fall. So I will have the chance to pick up a bunch of new bucks in October.

But for now, I have three 3 1/2s (two 9-pointers and a 10-point), and then the above mature 13-point. My harvest criteria is a buck has to be 3 1/2 and make our Top 20 All-time list (currently, would need to top 114 gross) for me to shoot. Currently, only the 3 1/2 year-old 10-point and the above 13-point clearly meet that criteria. So I have two "qualifying" bucks so far.

 

[thirdwilliam]

awesome deer

 

[Mr.Bro]

Wow! Your Gardpro videos look great!
Nice buck. Good luck!

 

[BSK]

Wow! Your Gardpro videos look great!
Nice buck. Good luck!

They recently upgraded the image quality on their A60 cams. The two new ones I got this year have a more "true color" than last year's model. And as always, the microphone is exceptional. If I turn the sound up, I can hear a deer chewing his/her food from 30-50 feet away. Amazing.

 

[Ski]

the microphone is exceptional. If I turn the sound up, I can hear a deer chewing his/her food from 30-50 feet away. Amazing.

That's my favorite thing about them. I can clearly hear all the verbal sounds deer make. It's amazing how many different sounds they use to communicate.

 

[mossyoakmantn]

That sucker is symmetrical!

 

[MFDfire15]

Great deer. Good luck with him

 

[MFDfire15]

They recently upgraded the image quality on their A60 cams. The two new ones I got this year have a more "true color" than last year's model. And as always, the microphone is exceptional. If I turn the sound up, I can hear a deer chewing his/her food from 30-50 feet away. Amazing.

That's crazy.

 

[timberjack86]

Looking forward to some kill pics! Good luck with him!

 

[Mars25]

So far, this is my target buck:

Great deer i hope get him