Tennessee Bucks over 150 inches

[Land Between the Lakes]

If you had to guess, how many bucks over 150 inches would you say live in Tennessee, hundreds, thousands?

It seems like more and more are being taken every year across Tennessee. I've personally never taken one in TN, but I know people who have, and I have seen a good amount at work and other places in TN.

 

[poorhunter]

I'm not a deer biologist (even though I have a wildlife management degree), but I'd venture to say that more bucks getting older is the number one reason why there are more big racks seen/killed. I have no idea what the numbers show though. One thing I would say about Tennessee that's different about Indiana (where I came from) is that the deer there didn't have to work near as hard to get lots of good quality food as the deer hear do. More food, no rifle, lower limits, shorter gun season equals more big racks...IMO.

 

[csi-tech]

The biggest deer I have ever known anyone to kill is a 156" bruiser out of Williamson county. The Wilkerson Buck (170"?) was killed right next door to me and that one is well documented. I have also seen a very precious few deer that are that big patrolling nights for 20 plus years (maybe 3 or 4 in all) and having seen a couple that are that big that were poached and actually saw the TWRA Agents take the deer.

I think they are exceedingly rare. There may be a dozen in any given county in a typical year I think. A couple more in the big buck counties.

 

[Mike Belt]

I'd say more than 100 and less than 1000. No way to know. In any given county there are probably a few and some counties are more likely to have them than others. Here in SW Tn I hunt at Ames Plantation consisting of 18,600 acres under a buck management program. We have lots of food and security cover and some of our land is never hunted. I've talked to a few members that have seen bucks that would break 150", seen a few pics someone got on camera, and I've personally seen 5 that would; one of them already this year. That's after having hunted there 11 years. In those 11 years I don't think we've had over 3 or 4 bucks checked in that size.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I tend to agree with the above; in the 100s vs. 1000s.

More +150s are being caught on camera but I think that may be as much an indicator of more cameras as it is more +150s. I absolutely believe there are more +150s than there were in the past with all the focus on habitat management, herd/age structure, and more selective hunters that in the past. That being said, 150 is a lot of bone and they just aren't lurking behind every tree (in TN or anywhere else for that matter).

 

[AT Hiker]

Two answers;
1.) lots of 150"s roaming TN and hitting the dirt every year.
2.) most of those 150"s are actually solid 140". So really not that many 150" deer.
IMO a solid mid 140" deer is a stud. Most people seem to grossly over score these deer and until they actually get to touch/feel/examine a truly large 150" + buck they just dont get it.
I have never killed a whitetail over 150", seen a few while hunting but not many.


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[chebuck]

I think there is more than most people think that will gross more than 150 but to net 150 is a totally different story. I think most Tennessee bucks will top out in the 140's.

 

[WRbowhunter]

If you had to guess, how many bucks over 150 inches would you say live in Tennessee, hundreds, thousands?

I guess 112

To be serious I think most are nocturnal and impossible to kill unless they got bumped and forced to move in daylight. That leaves very few with a chance to be shot. I also think that is one reason( of course not the main reason)some states with short gun seasons get some big bucks. Everyone is in the woods at the same time keeping the deer moving.

 

[MXB 400]

I wouldn't know for sure but I do know that there's some huge bucks on the 3 leases that I'm on. I missed a 130 plus last Thursday and have been told by several members from the leases that there are some big bucks that roam the area.

 

[Almartin]

Here's a couple. Well the one on the left is close at 146+ net. Right is 167+.
They lived at one time anyway.

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[Land Between the Lakes]

Nice bucks!

 

[knightrider]

Not near as many as people would have you believe. If there were they would be more killed!

 

[Land Between the Lakes]

Most of the bigger bucks I see in my area are in the 125 to 135 inch range, some of those look very impressive though. I've seen 8 pointers that look to have 18 to 20 inch spreads that would probably score 125 to 130, and they are impressive looking. I do see true 140 to 150 inch bucks a few times per month on the large public land in my area since I'm there a lot. And as others have mentioned a legitimate 150 inch buck is very large. As far as largest bucks I have seen, I have seen a few bucks in this area that would legitimately gross score at or over 160 inches.

 

[double browtine]

I don't know about East tn or West Tn, but I think middle TN counties has more than most think. I bet Montgomery county and Stewart county have a couple hundred each! Not counting LBL or Fort Campbell.

 

[plinker22]

I have the luxury of hunting 450 private TN acres and I can affirm that it has absolutely ZERO 150" bucks!

 

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

I can say with almost 100% certainty there are none in Polk County.

 

[Matador]

Not near as many as some would like to think. Seems like there are a lot seen but not many harvested.

 

[Boone 58]

1 in 10 maybe 2 in 10...................takes a lot of things for a buck to reach maturity in Tennessee................having said that, we are light years ahead of where we were 20 years ago...............light years.

 

[DRSJ35]

who knows when they get older they also get smarter.I know for a fact without age there's no chance.

 

[fairchaser]

I've only seen a couple TN bucks in my life that would qualify to be that class of buck but they were on the move or obscured so I could not know for sure. I only know of 4 bucks in 6 years killed at Ames over 150 and two were over 160 gross. Over the years one or two in that class are known or seen on Ames. If Ames is representative of the county and it's not, there would be 10-12 in the county. Many counties in TN would not have any bucks of that caliber. There are more than you think.I personally believe there are more that die of old age, get hit by cars or die naturally than are harvested legally. I expect to see one on every hunt because you never know when one might show up.

 

[102]

I have hunted since 1981.
I have seen exactly ONE deer in Tn.that I was certain topped the 150 inch mark. I put an arrow through it at 16 yards.

However, in 1999 I started hunting up North.

I have arrowed TWO that topped 150. and seen several more.

125-140 are a little easier to come by in Tn and Illinois.

 

[Land Between the Lakes]

I don't know about East tn or West Tn, but I think middle TN counties has more than most think. I bet Montgomery county and Stewart county have a couple hundred each! Not counting LBL or Fort Campbell.

I know there are certainly a few hundred bucks that would gross score in the 150 range on Fort Campbell and surrounding area. LBL has more than what most people think also, most never get seen or taken by hunters. In fact there are bucks that would gross score over 180 plus inches at LBL and Fort Campbell, they are rare, but they do exist. I believe Tennessee has at or over 1 million deer now days, It's possible there could be a thousand or a few thousand bucks in TN that would gross score at or around 150 inches. But like others have said most probably never get taken by hunters. TN is nearly 50% covered by forest, so the bucks have a lot of places to hide.

 

[Realtree]

Across the state I'd say couple thousand!

 

[catman529]

Just a random guess but if there are 2 per county on average then that's only a couple hundred in the state. And I'm sure a few counties have none and a few have more than 2. And it would depend on the year as well

 

[Simpleman.2]

I can say with almost 100% certainty there are none in Polk County.

You'd be surprised. These mountains hold some BIG deer. There's not deer behind every tree but the ones that are there are big. There's even a few "150" big....I know of a few people with trail cam pics to prove it....however on a county wide level obviously the deer quality is nothing like that of middle TN but like I said the mountains will surprise you. You just have to do your homework and be in big time shape!!

 

[AT Hiker]

Just a random guess but if there are 2 per county on average then that's only a couple hundred in the state. And I'm sure a few counties have none and a few have more than 2. And it would depend on the year as well

Good guess and perspective and one I could agree with. But there are a handful of middle Tn counties that average at least 1 killed per year so those counties could skew the over all numbers quite dramatically.

Another perspective to look at is TN had 15 bucks entered into B&C from 2005-2010, approx 3 per year. Giant bucks are truly a rarity, especially in TN.



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[csi-tech]

I have the luxury of hunting 450 private TN acres and I can affirm that it has absolutely ZERO 150" bucks!

Amen brother, same here.

 

[landman]

I'd say 30-45% of the bucks killed over 150" never hit social media, some counties have high numbers compared
to others. But how many, would be a wild guess, I know of an area that's 3 miles x 7 miles that has
about 1.5 to 2 per sq mile. But other parts other that county the mite have 1 or none In middle TN.

And if you told me Fayette county had 1 per 20 sq miles I wouldn't be surprised, nor would I
be about that with Montgomery county either

 

[Tennessee280]

I know of an area that's 3 miles x 7 miles that has
about 1.5 to 2 per sq mile.


Sounds like Hendersonville

 

[Winchester]

Obviously no way to know exactly but there are definitely deer over 150 in TN as several are killed every year. That said I have only ever killed one myself that was exactly 150 gross in TN and only saw maybe two more that would make it. A 150 in deer is not a realistic goal for the vast majority of TN hunters.