The famous Cades Cove 8pt still holding

[Bass1090]

Horrible pictures, but this world class Cades Cove 8pt, that has gotten a lot of attention this year was still holding yesterday. What an amazing animal. The pics obviously do him no justice.

Wish we would have seen the one named "Lucky".

 

[Ski]

Stud

 

[Wooden Arrow]

Horrible pictures, but this world class Cades Cove 8pt, that has gotten a lot of attention this year was still holding yesterday. What an amazing animal. The pics obviously do him no justice.

Wish we would have seen the one named "Lucky".

surprised nobody has done a crossbow drive-by on him. big antlers draw the wrong type of attention sometimes...had a nice buck in a pen on Bays Mountain park, and some "hunter" shot him with one of those crossbow pistols & cut his head off a few years back.

 

[1984dog]

Horrible pictures, but this world class Cades Cove 8pt, that has gotten a lot of attention this year was still holding yesterday. What an amazing animal. The pics obviously do him no justice.

Wish we would have seen the one named "Lucky".

I used to go photograph the big bucks in Cades Cove back in the early 90's during the rut. It was awesome!! I took off maybe 5 years ago and made the journey to photograph the rut and could hardly find any deer. I spent 2.5 days in the Cove and actually saw more bear than deer. I was disappointed in the lack of habitat management in the Cove but do not know if habitat loss was the cause of low deer density. I cut my trip short 3.5 days and returned home.

Is the deer population back up?

 

[knightrider]

I used to go photograph the big bucks in Cades Cove back in the early 90's during the rut. It was awesome!! I took off maybe 5 years ago and made the journey to photograph the rut and could hardly find any deer. I spent 2.5 days in the Cove and actually saw more bear than deer. I was disappointed in the lack of habitat management in the Cove but do not know if habitat loss was the cause of low deer density. I cut my trip short 3.5 days and returned home.

Is the deer population back up?

They stopped all farm production and the herd went to crap, that and the bears eating all the fawns

 

[mayberryrick]

That looks like a different 8 point that I took pictures of back in December.

 

[TheLBLman]

I'd love to know that age of these bucks, especially the one directly above!

I would argue the Cades Cove bucks have fewer life "stressors" than most "statewide" bucks across TN.

In particular, they are not frequently run by dogs, which is often a bigger herd stressor than coyotes or bears. They are also not legally hunted by human hunters in Cades Cove.

I would bet the above buck is 7 1/2 or older.

 

[gasman]

I would argue the Cades Cove bucks have fewer life "stressors" than most "statewide" bucks across TN.

Everyone meet Captain Obvious...

 

[Antler Daddy]

It's a shame those big sheds must go to the squirrels.

 

[TboneD]

I'd love to know that age of these bucks, especially the one directly above!

I would argue the Cades Cove bucks have fewer life "stressors" than most "statewide" bucks across TN.

In particular, they are not frequently run by dogs, which is often a bigger herd stressor than coyotes or bears. They are also not legally hunted by human hunters in Cades Cove.

I would bet the above buck is 7 1/2 or older.

Me as well and I agree with your assessment of stressors. I'd add they don't have to dodge highway speed vehicles.

 

[TheLBLman]

I'd add they don't have to dodge highway speed vehicles.

Compared to most of TN, the Cades Cove deer have a relatively peaceful existence, free of the usual "stressors" that increase mortality. Yes, increasing numbers of bears may be eating a growing number of fawns in the cove, but don't appear to be going after adult deer much (very unlike dogs).

 

[TboneD]

Compared to most of TN, the Cades Cove deer have a relatively peaceful existence, free of the usual "stressors" that increase mortality. Yes, increasing numbers of bears may be eating a growing number of fawns in the cove, but don't appear to be going after adult deer much (very unlike dogs).

Yeah, if the good Lord would've given bucks an instinct to protect fawns it would be the worst thing for those bucks at the cove.

I've heard and read that dogs give deer of all ages hell but only seen one coyote chase a deer. I'd been watching a doe under a feed tree on a thicket edge and then all of a sudden a buck runs out of the thicket from behind me with a coyote on his heels. The coyote put on the breaks at the edge but the rather mature buck trotted under my stand towards the nearby road, catching me completely not ready in my too comfortable Summit Viper. Not 45 minutes later I stand to stretch and pee and he trots back from the road which I thought he'd sure crossed, presumably to make sure "his" doe was still in the vicinity. To this day, never have I felt more like an Elmer Fudd.

 

[tahtah]

I've spent a good bit of time photographing deer in the cove. It's been several years since I've been up there. I was talking to another photographer who pointed out to me that most of the big bucks were 8 pointers. Very rarely would you see bug bucks with more than 8 point racks. Granted, that's not 100% true. I have some nice pics of a huge 10 and also pics of a 14. But the more I thought about it, the majority of the big deer in the cove seem to be 8's. I'm sure it's genetics. Anyone else notice that?

 

[knightrider]

Yeah, if the good Lord would've given bucks an instinct to protect fawns it would be the worst thing for those bucks at the cove.

I've heard and read that dogs give deer of all ages hell but only seen one coyote chase a deer. I'd been watching a doe under a feed tree on a thicket edge and then all of a sudden a buck runs out of the thicket from behind me with a coyote on his heels. The coyote put on the breaks at the edge but the rather mature buck trotted under my stand towards the nearby road, catching me completely not ready in my too comfortable Summit Viper. Not 45 minutes later I stand to stretch and pee and he trots back from the road which I thought he'd sure crossed, presumably to make sure "his" doe was still in the vicinity. To this day, never have I felt more like an Elmer Fudd.

The fact you said feed tree should make you feel like a fudd

 

[TheLBLman]

But the more I thought about it, the majority of the big deer in the cove seem to be 8's. I'm sure it's genetics. Anyone else notice that?

Actually, I believe in most TN locales, the majority of the middle-aged & mature bucks will be mainframe 8-pointers.

There is a tendency for fully mature bucks to develop or grow some "sticker" and abnormal tines. The majority of "points" above 8 are often just that, "stickers" and relatively short abnormal tines.

 

[Lost Lake]

Beautiful buck. Glad he's been able to evade the bears for so long.

 

[Bass1090]

I used to go photograph the big bucks in Cades Cove back in the early 90's during the rut. It was awesome!! I took off maybe 5 years ago and made the journey to photograph the rut and could hardly find any deer. I spent 2.5 days in the Cove and actually saw more bear than deer. I was disappointed in the lack of habitat management in the Cove but do not know if habitat loss was the cause of low deer density. I cut my trip short 3.5 days and returned home.

Is the deer population back up?

It has come back some but nowhere near years ago. We have seen more the last two years than we did the previous 5 or 6

 

[Bass1090]

I will also add that as many others we see a lot of bear up there the last 5 or 6 years.

But, we hardly ever drive through without seeing a yote. Doesn't matter what time a day we usually see at least one.

 

[cbhunter]

It has come back some but nowhere near years ago. We have seen more the last two years than we did the previous 5 or 6

My experience to a "T"

Better lately but nothing like years ago

 

[killingtime 41]

Smokey mountain national park 500 thousand unhuntable acres.