smaller bucks
Contributors to this thread:Wisconsin
From: xtroutx
28-Dec-17
Just looking for some opinions why. This year almost all the bucks around my place were small racked. There has been no change in farm crops or hunting pressure in the last 7 yrs Ive hunter behind the house. I usually put a camerea or two out back in july. Past years there has always been at least a half dozen or so of really nice bucks around between early season and the rut. this year the biggest I seen was 1 8pt. All others were spike thru 7pt. Just wondering why? Quantity of does was normal to the past and bucks seemed to be up in numbers but all smaller.
From: Tweed
28-Dec-17
What did their bodies look like?
From: xtroutx
28-Dec-17
body size was small on most (Young deer). A few had decent bodies, but nothing like the mature bucks of the past. I was shocked not to see some brusiers during the rut on camera.
From: xtroutx
28-Dec-17
Dont get me wrong here. I am not complaining, I had a blast watching these animals throughout the season, and probobly would have taken one but didnt need the meat after son took on out with his car.
From: Rutten Buck
28-Dec-17
From: Rutten Buck
28-Dec-17
Breeding poor genetics?
From: RutnStrut
28-Dec-17
neighbors.
From: xtroutx
28-Dec-17
Rutten, Genetics have been great for years for big bucks. There is next to nobody that bowhunts within a few miles of me. I know gun season is heavily hunted but it just seems weird that this year was so much different. Gun season has always been heavily hunted. Seems strange that all the big bucks around were shot in one year.Might be putting more thought into it than I need to. Just curios about others opinion on it. Thanks for the respones from you and tweed. Hopefully more to come.
From: northbound
28-Dec-17
I noticed same thing at home, complete opposite on my cams in Michigan. I still was able to take a nice buck but not near as many on cam 'inventory'. My neighbor thinks it's because of them holding horns so late last spring. Not sure if that's even a real factor. I'm thinking we'll have a nice selection next year from what I know survived
From: Hoot
28-Dec-17
Around me it always seems to be smaller bucks. No one around here will pass anything gun or bow and living next to county if it's brown it gets shot at. I did have one good buck on camera this last fall. I hope he made through gun season.
From: Swampy
29-Dec-17
In the migration sift you got screwed . Hope it's better for ya next year .
