The NO hit list

[Harold Money jr]

Some probably have a #1 buck to shoot. This is my #1 not to shoot. He's a 2yo with good potential for my place.

 

[BSK]

Yeah, that's great potential.

 

[megalomaniac]

For sure! DO NOT kill! Upper 10% of genetics

 

[Harold Money jr]

What's interesting is that this area had 2 types of antler characteristics at 3-4yo, real wide funky 5-7 pointers and basic 120" 8 points. Lately there's been another type with 9-11 point beautiful racks. This one will be one of those. I don't know what changed if a traveling buck bred a couple does or a new doe group moved in? Y'all have any ideas?

 

[BSK]

What's interesting is that this area had 2 types of antler characteristics at 3-4yo, real wide funky 5-7 pointers and basic 120" 8 points. Lately there's been another type with 9-11 point beautiful racks. This one will be one of those. I don't know what changed if a traveling buck bred a couple does or a new doe group moved in? Y'all have any ideas?

Considering the "shape and configuration" of antlers is carried almost exclusively on the mother's genetics, I would suspect (and I see this all the time regionally) that your local doe groups are producing these "shapes" over and over.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Totally get it and usually have a handful every year. We have one thus far that we want to protect at all costs

 

[Harold Money jr]

My gosh what a nice deer!! Love those 10's!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

My gosh what a nice deer!! Love those 10's!

Having anything more than your standard mainframe 8 where we are is a luxury. But we see more and more every year.

 

[lafn96]

Only pic I have of this one; looks young to me but that's strictly a guess. Hopefully I'll get some better pics of him to see if he's really only 2-3 like I think. How old do you think he is?

 

[BSK]

Having anything more than your standard mainframe 8 where we are is a luxury. But we see more and more every year.

Is that true even with the older bucks? I ask because right at 55% of our 4 1/2+ bucks are 9 or more points.

 

[BSK]

Only pic I have of this one; looks young to me but that's strictly a guess. Hopefully I'll get some better pics of him to see if he's really only 2-3 like I think. How old do you think he is?

View attachment 287247

Hard to say without seeing his entire body, but if I had to guess from that one picture, I agree with your age assessment.

 

[BSK]

I had one last year I was hoping would make it through the season, but alas, he did not. But that's the price we pay for having only a 2 1/2+ harvest rule. Not often you get to see 2 1/2s that are 10 points.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Is that true even with the older bucks? I ask because right at 55% of our 4 1/2+ bucks are 9 or more points.

I'd agree on most of the 4.5 or older being 9 or more. Not sure on the percentage though. That wasn't always the case but the last 6-7 years have really pointed in 9 or more on the older ones. However, we did have atleast 4 whoppers last year that were mainframe 8's or less.

 

[BSK]

It used to be considerably lower, but since we cut so much timber, or percent of bucks with 9 or more points has jumped dramatically. Over the last 3 years:

1 1/2: 0%
2 1/2: 14.8%
3 1/2: 29.8%
4 1/2+ 66.7%

 

[JCDEERMAN]

It used to be considerably lower, but since we cut so much timber, or percent of bucks with 9 or more points has jumped dramatically.

Yea I think everything we've done to improve things over the years have contributed to upping our numbers of 9+ point deer. Timber harvests, TSI and burning, and expanding food plot acreage from about 9 acres to close to 25 acres now.

Plus all the natural gene changes. Whether that's from slaughtering deer from time to time, or some of the heavy ehd years we've had. We have been in some of those unfortunate pockets a few times where you wonder when the next time you'll even see a deer. So of course over time after an event like that, deer come in from surrounding areas to fill in the gap, which brings new genes.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Very slim on buck pics here so far. No minerals makes it tough getting them in front of the cameras here right now, especially with all the corn and beans around. Add in batters on neighboring properties and, well it is what it is. Things will hopefully pick up as crops start coming out.

Last year passed a really wide buck at least a dozen times, and he was still around after season closed. First pics of him were in July last year, not the first sign of him this year.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Very slim on buck pics here so far. No minerals makes it tough getting them in front of the cameras here right now, especially with all the corn and beans around. Add in batters on neighboring properties and, well it is what it is. Things will hopefully pick up as crops start coming out.

Last year passed a really wide buck at least a dozen times, and he was still around after season closed. First pics of him were in July last year, not the first sign of him this year.

Very slim here too, but that's becoming the norm during the summer months. A few little baskets and smaller yearlings mostly. Only have one group that has 3-4 with age on them and respectable racks. The younger 10 I posted above is with them, though he's been by himself the last few days (pictured atleast). He always looks in some direction the whole time he's at that lick leading me to believe the others are nearby, but seems they are selectively coming in to the lick. For you guys in CWD counties where salt/mineral is banned, yes absolutely would be hard to get them on camera - no doubt! And it's just one county away from us so we will be there soon

What's interesting to see….our property is split up into two parcels. We have the bigger one that my family owns and the smaller one my dad's best friend owns. He does no habitat improvements and we do. He consistently gets these big deer on camera during the summer and we don't. Ours are filled with does and fawns during the summer. But that's because our parcel is filled with habitat improvements and the does fawning dominate. And I'm fine with that. This lick is about 1/2 mile from our parcel. Before we started implementing habitat improvements and we were just wide open hardwoods (like his), we had all sorts of big bucks during the summer (for years). To me it tells us we are doing some good in that department. We just always hope that translates to the fall. It has thus far, but we are always relying on the acorns. If there aren't many, the deer are few. When we have acorns, it's typically a good year

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Last year passed a really wide buck at least a dozen times, and he was still around after season closed. First pics of him were in July last year, not the first sign of him this year.

And that's what sucks. There is a very small percentage of deer you get to see year over year grow up. So many of them would be giants if they were allowed to grow, but died from neighbors or natural causes. I've let so many 3.5's walk to never be seen again. It is what it is. I get hell all the time for videoing instead of shooting . Knowing I could have satisfies me

 

[megalomaniac]

Check out the south MS Delta (Vicksburg up to Valley Park)... that area only produces mainframe 8s at maturity. Just terrible. They kill 140s all day long, but a 150 is rare as hens teeth because almost none of their mature deer are mainframe 10s.

 

[megalomaniac]

Totally get it and usually have a handful every year. We have one thus far that we want to protect at all costs

Yup, perfect example of a 'DO NOT KILL' buck!