West TN Deer Data

[TNRifleman]

I may have shared this before but I didn't want to hijack the other thread about best day to be in the woods, but also wanted to explain my answer of 11/25

Because I am a data nerd, I compiled all of the data from the Ames Plantation website for deer that met requirements (by age or antler score) from 2009 - 2020 and came up with 11/25 as the best day. This was based on the number of scoring deer killed on each day of the season and ends at 2020 because this was the last data they had on their website. The dataset is not huge but is good enough to be somewhat representative of what is going on in west TN. My data reflected 243 bucks that met requirement over that time span with 51% of them being killed between 11/19 and 12/4. 11/25 saw the most bucks killed with 15, with the next closes being 11/14 and 11/28 with 10 each.

Other interesting facts:
1. In that 11 year time frame, 4 scoring bucks were killed in the month of October.
2. Average age of scoring deer killed was 4.1 years
3. Average score of scoring bucks was 130.8
4. Average weight of scoring bucks was 145.3
5. Average number of points was 8.8
6. 2014-2015 season had the highest average score at 134.1
7. Largest buck killed was 167 7/8, 2012-2013 season

 

[BSK]

Great data TNRifleman!

Now the trick would be "normalizing" the data. In essence, convert the harvest dates to harvests per unit effort. However, I doubt they have the hunting data publicly available.

 

[TNRifleman]

Great data TNRifleman!

Now the trick would be "normalizing" the data. In essence, convert the harvest dates to harvests per unit effort. However, I doubt they have the hunting data publicly available.

I would love to get ahold of all of the data they have, just to have fun with it and see what I could figure out, but I am sure the University of TN is paying someone to do all that The data I found was all pulled manually from the pictures on the site that listed date, age, weight, score and points. That's all that was available publicly.

 

[megalomaniac]

Like BSK said, 'normalizing' data based on man hours hunting would give the definitive.

But in general, the best day to kill a mature buck is 6 to 7 days prior to peak breeding for the area.

If Nov 25th is THE day for Ames, I would argue Dec 2nd is peak breeding there.

 

[BSK]

Like BSK said, 'normalizing' data based on man hours hunting would give the definitive.

But in general, the best day to kill a mature buck is 6 to 7 days prior to peak breeding for the area.

If Nov 25th is THE day for Ames, I would argue Dec 2nd is peak breeding there.

Sound assumptions.

 

[MickThompson]

Like BSK said, 'normalizing' data based on man hours hunting would give the definitive.

But in general, the best day to kill a mature buck is 6 to 7 days prior to peak breeding for the area.

If Nov 25th is THE day for Ames, I would argue Dec 2nd is peak breeding there.

Late November would definitely be subject to a thanksgiving day bias

 

[DeerCamp]

I may have shared this before but I didn't want to hijack the other thread about best day to be in the woods, but also wanted to explain my answer of 11/25

Because I am a data nerd, I compiled all of the data from the Ames Plantation website for deer that met requirements (by age or antler score) from 2009 - 2020 and came up with 11/25 as the best day. This was based on the number of scoring deer killed on each day of the season and ends at 2020 because this was the last data they had on their website. The dataset is not huge but is good enough to be somewhat representative of what is going on in west TN. My data reflected 243 bucks that met requirement over that time span with 51% of them being killed between 11/19 and 12/4. 11/25 saw the most bucks killed with 15, with the next closes being 11/14 and 11/28 with 10 each.

Other interesting facts:
1. In that 11 year time frame, 4 scoring bucks were killed in the month of October.
2. Average age of scoring deer killed was 4.1 years
3. Average score of scoring bucks was 130.8
4. Average weight of scoring bucks was 145.3
5. Average number of points was 8.8
6. 2014-2015 season had the highest average score at 134.1
7. Largest buck killed was 167 7/8, 2012-2013 season

The weight of those bucks is tiny compared to what we average in Henderson County.

 

[DeerCamp]

Like BSK said, 'normalizing' data based on man hours hunting would give the definitive.

But in general, the best day to kill a mature buck is 6 to 7 days prior to peak breeding for the area.

If Nov 25th is THE day for Ames, I would argue Dec 2nd is peak breeding there.

What are your thoughts on a property where the best time to kill a mature buck is AFTER peak breeding?

 

[BSK]

What are your thoughts on a property where the best time to kill a mature buck is AFTER peak breeding?

On my place, with peak breeding being Nov. 11 to 20, I always see one last surge of mature bucks hitting the scrapes hard right around Dec. 2-7. I've never been able to capitalize on that last peak harvest-wise, but the old bucks are definitely moving in daylight.

 

[megalomaniac]

What are your thoughts on a property where the best time to kill a mature buck is AFTER peak breeding?

33d after the first peak day is the best day for 2nd rut on my farms. On my places, mature bucks don't really start actively searching in daylight until closer to actual peak breeding with the 2nd rut. So Nov 15th is the best day for 1st rut (with peak breeding being Nov 22), and Dec 17/18 best day to kill a mature buck on my farms 2nd rut (with peak breeding 2nd rut on Dec 20).

 

[TNRifleman]

The weight of those bucks is tiny compared to what we average in Henderson County.

99% sure that is field dressed weight as I've never seen one come to the check station intact.

 

[BigAl]

Sadly since CWD hit the bucks there have been decimated. But that data is pretty much why I quit hunting in Oct, besides the fact that I can't eat deer and I hate bugs, heat, etc.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I would argue Dec 2nd is peak breeding there.

^ This. True. My far is about 20mi the east and this is what we see as well.