the size of spikes the next year
Contributors to this thread:Connecticut
From: jax2009r
21-Feb-18
whats everyone view on spikes from this season to next season.....6 pointers , 4 pointers etc and 20 pounds?
I have a few in a spot I am curious to see what the cam tells me next fall
From: steve
21-Feb-18
COULD BE A 4 TO 8
From: notme
21-Feb-18
Im guessing 16
Im guessing 16
From: bigbuckbob
21-Feb-18
Notme - remind me to never let you anywhere near my house with a nail gun.
From: Richm444
22-Feb-18
yeah I agree - 4 to 8. I have an 8 pointer that was 2.5 years old- Beam is inside the width of the ears
From: shawnm
22-Feb-18
Little confused? I don't think a buck in CT could be a spike one year and then a 8 the next. I don't think the genetics are that good here in ct. It seems most bucks in CT once they become a 8 that's it.. very few 10 pointers and up. I've never seen anything bigger than a 8 in my area but it doesn't mean there not out there. If there is one that's the problem it's only one..
From: steve
22-Feb-18
shawn one of the reason is no one lets them live to 4 or 5 years and yes spike to 8 isn't a big deal just no mass .Steve
From: Richm444
22-Feb-18
Shawn I agree - most 2.5s are 4 or 6 for reasons you stated - but good genes and diet can make an 8 -
From: Bigbuckbob
22-Feb-18
Can't say "no one" let's them live in CT.
From: longbeard
22-Feb-18
Sorry Shawn but I disagree. The Genetics ARE here but the age factor is what is missing. I see many deer that are 8 pts at 2.5 yrs old. There are many 6 and 7 pt at 2.5 as well. Many times (not always) a spike is a spike because it could have been a late born fawn and spend its first year of growth trying to catch up physically. That spike could be anything at 2.5 but chances are it’s still behind. The point is if they are allowed to grow they will develop a mature body and rack. The other variable that ties in here is an unbalanced out of wack buck to do ratio. If that ratio is more in line to “normal” generally the bulk of the fawning is at approximately the same time, eliminating the glut of late born fawns. Just my take for what it’s worth
From: steve
22-Feb-18
sorry ! only you bbb
From: Will
22-Feb-18
BBB that's a classic :)
I totally agree with Steve and longbeard. I'm not a mature deer only hunter, but it's clear that the north east has genes that are very good. Are we Wisconsin or Iowa or Kentucky or Ohio... no. But I bet the genes are actually close. they dont get expressed often due to lots of deer being shot before 2.5YO and the food quality not being as good as states like those with tons of agriculture. They are certainly good enough to produce PY sized bucks when deer get to mature ages with decent regularity. "We" just kill them when they are to young most of the time, so the ones that make it are really good at surviving and not seen to often.
From: notme
22-Feb-18
Yup what they said
From: shawnm
22-Feb-18
You guys are crazy.. this is no texas, Kansas or Canada.. a ten pointer is not common in CT and neither are two year old 8 pointers. I'll stick with what I'm thinking and we will have to agree to disagree. Yes you may think that the buck is a 2.5 year old but you really have no way of telling unless you tackle it, rip it's bottom teeth out and send them to deer age. Just like multiple people said they could tell by my bucks size it was a 3 yr old.. well turned out he was 5.5.. just like we all have said here multiple times you really can't tell a deer's age without sending the teeth in.
From: >>---CTCrow--->
23-Feb-18
You don't get to see a lot of 10s because they dont get to be 10 by being stupid and let themselves be seen.
When you see one, look how he acts and you'll see how much more cautious they are than a 4 or a 6.
Just like people. Look how a teenager acts and then look how a mature older adult, like notme for example, acts. See the difference? Same with deer.
From: bigbuckbob
23-Feb-18
Shawn - next time you get a chance to go to a sportsmen show that has big buck mounts from around New England, take a look at some of the CT bucks. Yeah, we don't have tons of them walking around, but we have some good genetics in this state. I've seen some huge racks over the years from my stands, so I know they're out there and that's why I wait, and wait, and wait,......
From: notme
23-Feb-18
Bad bad example dude...teenagers are "f" up...lol. no wait maybe im "f" up...no thats not it, its them, ya thats it..
From: longbeard
23-Feb-18
Shawn we are not saying this compares to the Midwest. And to be clear it’s very hard to age a deer from one picture, like trying to tell how old your deer was. But there are good genetics in this state and I agree nutrients are as plentiful in our soil but the biggest limiting factor here is age. I have always said I would trade every deer on my wall for all the big ones I missed or saw through the years. They are there for sure
From: Gwiz
23-Feb-18
How many years experience do you Shawn?
From: Gwiz
23-Feb-18
How many years experience do you Shawn?
From: Gwiz
23-Feb-18
Genetics and nutrition plays they biggest role , I have 1/2 8 pt shed no larger than hang loose sign . Spikes are poor genetics
From: Will
23-Feb-18
Will's Link
Shawn - all love brother. Check out the NEBBC site and enjoy scrolling the pic's, or hit up Barnes and Noble, some carry the NEBBC mag in the hunting magazine sections and every quarter they have more deer shot and scored listed http://nbbc.marketluminary.com/library/photo-gallery
A key point, is that those are deer shot and scored. My hunting buddy is a big deer magnet, but has never scored one nor has the desire. His house looks like he hunts Illinois each fall, and he's only hunted central MA and SW New Hampshire! So there is ONE guy who shoots a lot of big deer and basically no one would know - there are many more like him!
It may be the area you are hunting, and that bucks are getting killed prior to 3.5 or 4.5+. It's just as likely that those old fellows are avoiding contact - they get very good at avoiding predators if they live that long. VERY.
You are looking at a increasingly small part of the deer population just by numbers. The older a deer gets, the more chances it's had to be killed by something (car, hunter, coyotes, bear, disease, lack of food, etc). So just by default you have lower numbers of older deer... Which again, are really good at avoiding death (unlike most of their buddies who died at 1.5 or 2.5).
Ill admit, There are areas where it seems you only see younger bucks. Normally there's a reason. The older deer dont live there, or relate to that space differently - they are doing something different or they would be dead.
Gene differential may relate to mega racks - 170+ inch giants etc (example only), and perhaps areas with good food and management allow more deer with that weird freak gene to carry on. Mature bucks, are big. will they all be 150+ or something... Nope. But I'd wager it's an unusual 4.5YO that at the least does not look really impressive - here in New England.
Heck, just look at all the beasts that get posted in trail cam threads on here and on the MA forum. It's crazy how many gorgeous (even by mid western standards) bucks get posted and no one ever see's the deer while hunting. Heck, I've been on Bowsite since 05 I think and thought I was seeing guys post a lot of nice deer on cam, then I joined a boston based bowhunting group on facebook last spring, and was mind boggled at how many big deer guys were getting pic's of, and in the fall, shooting.
There are big deer around. Not behind every tree... but they are there.
From: jax2009r
23-Feb-18
I never realized spikes mean bad Genes and a fork and a spike are most likely the same age....I never really thought about it till I made this post.... I shot a small basket rack 7 pointer one year and never had it aged I assumed it was 2.5. I wish I did
From: tobywon
23-Feb-18
tobywon's Link
Spikes are not poor genetics....the late great Charles Alsheimer studied this extensively to disprove that spikes are not inferior genetics and to debunk the "spikes are always spikes" myth. See link.
From: Bigbuckbob
23-Feb-18
This is like that girl notme dated years ago. She said she was 18 and looked 22, but once the facts came out in court,.....;)
From: nehunter
23-Feb-18
Toby, I was just gonna google Charlies Spike myth. I'm a firm believer that the Buck either has antler growing genetics or he doesn't. The farm I hunt has tons of spindly mature Bucks that are always missing brow tines. Then I have shot "Illinois" type Bucks out of the same herd.
I'm sure tough winters and dry summers don't help the antler growth any.
From: tobywon
23-Feb-18
I agree nehunter.
From: longbeard
23-Feb-18
Spikes are absolutely NOT bad genetics. That has been proven false through the years. That was a myth that started long ago on the big ranches in Texas where culling became king!
From: steve
23-Feb-18
I agree with longbeard
From: jax2009r
23-Feb-18
I dont think they stay spikes....What I read is a spike and a fork are the same age....the fork ends up with a bigger rack down the road...this year I had a fork and a spike hanging together...I thought the fork was older but in reality they were most likely twins
From: steve
23-Feb-18
I don't think they were twins and 2 different size racks some years I don't even see spikes lots of little 4 and 6s this year at some spots I saw a lot of tiny spikes and also some monsters so the genetics are there a lot has to do with age .imho
From: Bigbuckbob
23-Feb-18
I had twins once but that's got nothing to do with hunting.
From: skipmaster1
23-Feb-18
I see a lot of deer get aged along the NY/CT line. A lot of deer I always assumed were 2.5 years old are actually 1.5 years old. A lot of 4 and 5 points but still a handful of 6-8 pointers. Does the area produce piles of absolutely giant monsters, even with age? No, but the potential is there. I've killed a lot of bucks over 4 years old, many of them 5.5+ and most didn't net P&Y but they are getting more food now with higher Doe harvests and we've seen antler size increase. Every year I see deer over 125". You'll never know what they will become until they reach maturity. I agree I haven't seen a whole lot with more than 8 points but many are massive 8's
From: shawnm
23-Feb-18
Yes I do believe there are some monsters here in CT, just very few. Look at the huge non typical buck that gent killed this year. Thing was a monster. I just believe there limited. Think about how many have posted a pic of a deer bigger than a 10.. not only hasn't anyone on here killed one but with all the cams we all got out no one even has pics of anything bigger than a 10. No matter how elusive a buck is and if he only moved during the night the cam is always there. I think the buck I got last year would be near impossible to beat in my area. Not only are there no 10's but all year and last I know of only two eights in my area, one being small.
From: skipmaster1
23-Feb-18
Even if most bucks are only 8's. Lots of 8's are huge. Personally, for me it's more about age than score anyway. It's just the older ones are often the largest in the area. My buck this year was taken just on the NY side of the state line and was only 7 points but was bigger in years past. Grosses just over 130" and was over 6.5 years old. I had a deflection and missed a bigger 8pt this year too. Probably only a 4.5 year old. I can't wait to see what he becomes next year. You just never know, some deer explode and some hardly add inches at all. If you want to see their potential, they need age and adequate access to food.
From: skipmaster1
23-Feb-18
The first pic was of this deer as a 2.5 year old. My buddy killed him at 3.5 years old. He made a huge jump. It was one of his better deer and he was super excited and I couldn't have been happier for him, but there is a good chance that deer would have been a monster in 2 or 3 more years
From: soapdish
24-Feb-18
BBB were they Asian twins? If so you and Austin Powers have something in common, groovy
From: Smoothdraw
24-Feb-18
Don’t forget Notme’s motto “It’s not the size of the spike, it’s...”
From: notme
24-Feb-18
Its the power of the bang...lol
From: nehunter
24-Feb-18
skipmaster - How do you know its the same Deer? Is there something with a tine or growth that makes you sure its the same Buck?
From: longbeard
24-Feb-18
Here you go Shawn. This is a shed I found yesterday. It’s barely bigger than my hand. It has 3 points and the mass is about as thick as my thumb. What are you thinking 1.5? 2.5? 3.5?
From: skipmaster1
24-Feb-18
Nehunter- I can't be 100% but it was the exact same configuration of a 9 point. The same property and the ages line up. It's the only 9 I had ever seen there before. I'd ve very surprised if it wasn't him. I watch the bucks a lot and make sure anyone who kills any deer in the area has it aged.
From: grizzlyadam
24-Feb-18
I have seen spike yearlings, 8 point yearlings, and everything in between. A few years back I had an 11 point 2.5 year old hanging around. He disappeared unfortunately, he may have been a booner if he survived. I figure the spikes are off to a bad start as far as being anything special at maturity. You never know what they are going to turn into. Charles Alsheimer's following of that spike through his life was very educational.
Bucks definitely need to reach maturity to know what their full potential is. Not many of them do, and the ones that do don't get that way by getting shot. They are different creatures, they can spend their whole life right under your nose without you ever knowing it. They ARE out there, even if you don't get pics of them on trail cams or kill them consistently.
I think we have decent genetics in most of CT, not as good as mid western states but not bad. We lack the agriculture and mild winters they get. The food our deer eat needs to go their body before it can go into antler growth, and most of the bucks need to replenish the body mass they lose over the winter which takes away from antler growth. Once a buck reaches maturity less energy needs to go to skeletal growth so antlers can blow up pretty good after 4.
Bottom line is that if you want to kill big bucks, don't kill small ones.
From: jax2009r
24-Feb-18
I would never burn an archery buck tag on a spike. . Then you are crippled all year on what to shoot...controlled hunt shotgun is different story....
From: N8tureBoy
25-Feb-18
Antler size has a lot to do with environment and nutrition. Most deer have good genetics. There was a study showing that if you move deer to an area with poor nutrition the body and antler size of their offspring decrease, as expected. The more interesting part of the study was that if you take smaller bodied deer with smaller racks, which people assume is due to "poor genetics," and then move them to an area with great nutrition, there isn't a huge change in body size or antler growth for the first generation of offspring, the F1s. Nature must assume that the sudden influx of good food might be a fluke so why take the risk of growing larger body and antler mass that might be unsustainable if the nutrition takes a nosedive back to baseline. However, if those first generation F1 offspring are given great nutrition then their offspring, the F2 generation, show huge increases in body mass and antler growth. Moral of the story is that most deer have decent genetics, but the environment they are in is what triggers their genes to express or suppress certain characteristics. It also take a couple of generations to see changes in how the genes express, so creating an amazing food plot won't likely affect local deer for the short term in terms of body size or antler growth. If you keep at it for 5-10 years you will see huge changes in the descendants of the same population. Of course, this is all meaningless if the deer gets shot or hit by a car early on in life....
From: skipmaster1
25-Feb-18
N8tureBoy- that study was great. I think it has a lot to do with what I'm seeing in the areas I hunt. We were very overpopulated and deer had poor nutrition and lots of stress. After years of reducing the population we are finally seeing better bucks. More food and less stress over generations is starting to show.
From: BoneHead
25-Feb-18
I believe there is a different caliber of spikes, if the deer has little stubs at 1.5 then not a good chance he will turn into much the following but if the deer has spikes that have a curve to them and good then I certainly believe that it Could turn into an 6-8 the following year providing it's a easier winter and health and good are well.
From: N8tureBoy
25-Feb-18
Skipmaster - I once heard a saying.... "Genetics loads the gun, but environment pulls the trigger."
From: notme
25-Feb-18
So somebody should of told my parents that saying..lol
From: Will
25-Feb-18
N8tureboy - that's interesting... It actually makes me think of various studies on humans and their offspring after famines.
From: soapdish
25-Feb-18
N8... Spot on
From: shawnm
25-Feb-18
Longbeard I'm saying 2.5.. what are you thinking?
From: soapdish
25-Feb-18
Im at 1.5
From: Bloodtrail
25-Feb-18
I’m going the other way and say 3.5, maybe 4.5. See how thick the base is (no comment Notme). Young deer don’t have pedicels like that. Too many deer are judged too young in CT. And Skip, I’m gonna throw this out there, there is no way that is the same deer...maybe a cousin or uncle or step-brother....maybe it ate all of Steve and Dave’s corn ;)
I’ve got a pic of a 6 and and an 8 from two different years that barely put on any size. They just put on a little mass. Let me see if I can find them.
From: steve
26-Feb-18
2.5 at least
From: >>---CTCrow--->
26-Feb-18
I once shot a spike that was so big, it had 4 points on each side.
From: SILVERADO
26-Feb-18
SILVERADO's Link
Take a look at this, should answer your questions.
From: SILVERADO
26-Feb-18
Shawn 10’s are not common in CT? Maybe in your are but they are quite common. You just need to let them grow.
From: SILVERADO
26-Feb-18
Another
From: SILVERADO
26-Feb-18
Another
From: SILVERADO
26-Feb-18
Another
From: SILVERADO
26-Feb-18
Also Shawn bigger than a 10.
From: SILVERADO
26-Feb-18
From: SILVERADO
26-Feb-18
And one which is still alive. You can’t base the entire state on one spot, or your opinion. There are giants killed every year here. Nehunter posts pics every year of deer that will rival deer from the Midwest.
From: jax2009r
27-Feb-18
I think 8s are more common but any state has all different sizes ...now maybe Shawn spot just has 8...that is totally possible
From: shawnm
27-Feb-18
Thanks jax.. I know I've only been in my area for two seasons but with hundreds of hrs spent hunting and three trail cams out at all times I've never seen a 10. Yes Dave you and nehunter post pics of some big bucks but not many other people do. I think we can all agree you and your father have some damn good spots. I would say if everyone on here posted there pics of 10s it wouldnt be over 20.. that's 20 deer out of how many thousands? Like I said yes we got them, just very few. I also think the liberal tag system has a lot to do with it.. also I have pics of two eights in my two areas that were eights last year and did not grow at all. Actually one was a nine and this year he's a 8. The five point buck I killed this year was a 4 last year. I don't think they have the potential to grow with lack of farming here in CT. I think if we had rows and rows of beans, corn etc our deer would be bigger. Just browsing doesn't give them the proper nutrition for there rack. And yes Dave this is my opinion. I'm not basing this on facts or numbers like some do I'm just giving my input of what I'm seeing.
From: Bloodtrail
27-Feb-18
2015
2015
2016
2016
2016 at night
2016 at night
Here is an 8 from 2015 and then again in 2016. Didn’t get pics of him in 2017. You can see he is stud 8, but he didn’t put on much from year to year....just some mass.
Sorry about the bottom two pics being rotated the wrong way. Bowsite only lets you rotate the first image it appears on the IMAGE TOOL.
From: nehunter
27-Feb-18
Getting pictures of big Bucks is one thing, shooting him is another! I'll take this 8 point any day of the season!
From: skipmaster1
27-Feb-18
I almost never use trail cams. January 2017 I put a camera up for a week and had a pretty decent 8 and 9 show up. I don't hunt there much and not once this season, but there are some pretty decent bucks in the area.
From: skipmaster1
27-Feb-18
From: SILVERADO
27-Feb-18
I think it all depends on area. Sure some areas may have 8’s, (dominant) doesn’t mean it can’t be changed. Shoot the 8’s and let the younger bucks with 10 point potential walk so they can breed. Additionally Some 8’s maybe an 8 until they are 5.5+ they usually they will at least grow additional points as crab claws, drops etc. Do i believe that we have the same potential as Midwest. No.. but for the most part i think what we lack is nutrition, followed by age, and then genetics. Our deer do not spend their entire lives in corn or soybean fields. This helps them build the body size they need in their first few years followed by antler size at 3.5 and up. I also believe that year round mineral supplements help grow antler size and help our deer reach closer to their potential. At my spots deer have access year round and i have seen a difference in antler growth.
From: Bigbuckbob
27-Feb-18
Deer in Plainville, CT
From: Bigbuckbob
27-Feb-18
I think he's about 2 yrs old ;)
From: longbeard
27-Feb-18
Shawn your making my point. Does it take permission at an awesome spot to see a big 10 point in Ct? No! It just takes hunter discipline to let the smaller bucks walk
From: Bigbuckbob
27-Feb-18
When I first started deer hunting I had zero patience, I just wanted a deer, any deer. After a few years of taking deer regularly, I learned to wait for just bucks. After a few more years I learned to wait for mature bucks. That's when I began seeing more nice bucks. Why? Because I was still in my tree waiting for that big one. There weren't more bucks in the area, what changed is my approach to hunting. Rather than setting up for deer, I set up for bucks. That's why other guys on this site get big ones, they've learned the patience and how to hunt bucks.
From: longbeard
27-Feb-18
Well said Bob. Dilly Dilly!
From: skipmaster1
27-Feb-18
Yup. Mature bucks aren't really deer. Not in how they act and move through the landscape.
From: notme
27-Feb-18
Bob, when you first started hunting ,from your tree stand you saw the the mayflower land and steve driving that new fangled horseless carriage...lol
From: Bigbuckbob
27-Feb-18
And I have the pictures to prove it.
From: Will
27-Feb-18
Bob, you may be proving Shawn's point... #16longyears :) (KIDDING)
From: notme
28-Feb-18
Ah, from what i remember in history class cave painting are not considered photographs...lol
From: steve
28-Feb-18
thanks notme .
From: Bigbuckbob
28-Feb-18
Yeah but I was very good at cave painting.
From: jax2009r
28-Feb-18
we have more than one buck tag...you can shoot the smaller buck and still wait for the bigger one....nothing wrong with that
From: longbeard
01-Mar-18
Jax your right nothing wrong with it but for the content of the OP’s question and this thread, why would you do that??
From: Bigbuckbob
01-Mar-18
Kill small bucks and you won't see as many big ones. Two tags makes it worse not better.
From: shawnm
02-Mar-18
I think just a couple people letting the smaller bucks pass won't make too much of a difference. For most of us who hunt state land and don't have great spots it's really not going to make a difference at all. If bloodtrail let's the smaller bucks walk and the guy in a the tree 500 yards down the way whacks them it makes no difference at all. On land that's not good its hard to let anything walk. Now if you own or are the only one to have access to a huge parcel then I think you could make a difference by letting the youngsters walk. On state land it will never happen.
From: SILVERADO
02-Mar-18
Shawn i hate to disagree with you but unfortunately that is the complete wrong thinking. I probably passed 8-10 different 8 Pt’s this year, Why because they were 2.5- 3.5 year olds and had real good potential to be giants in the next few years. Will they make it, who knows, but at least when they made It by me they still had a chance. If i had killed them that would have been it. My spots are very small, 4-5 acres being the largest, so trust me i don’t have some massive spots where management is easy. What you need to do is figure out what your area lacks and try to improve that. Is it bedding area, food, water? Are there other hunters around?? The area That i am in does, way more than i care for but it is what it is. In fact 3 spots i Hunt i have another hunter stand setup less than 100 yds from me. Yet somehow the bucks still make it. You state that if you pass a deer and some other guy hunting 500 yds down the trail will kill it. Maybe/maybe not. You ever think that he/she is thinking the same about you? Also you state that if you whack a few small ones you don’t think it will make a difference. What if everyone thought that way? I can guarantee you, that your chances of seeing a big one will go down drastically. Another option is if you know who is Hunting near you, become friends with them or at least come up with some sort of game management plan that benefits everyone. I’ve done that with several guys on this site that hunt near me, and Ive also done it with guys on state land (if you know where there stand is leave a note in a ziplock bag with your # and let them know you also hunt in the area and would like them to contact you so that you don’t step on each others toes.) Ive worked together with many guys so both of us could be successful. Remember it all starts with you. Change your mind set on management and then convince only one more. Change his mind and he convinces one other. In a few years CT may be a really good place to hunt. Screw the state they only have one mind set deer reduction. We hunters need to manage this state and do the best we can to increase antler size. We can still reduce population with doe management if that’s what they want. However with that being said, if you are not seeing many does in your area at all then don’t kill them. I passed quite a few does this season because there just were not many to be seen. The coyote have decimated the fawns in my area so if i want to keep hunting I need to do my part. Whack as many coyotes as I can and pass does to get the population back to where i think it should be and then begin management again. Doc may differ in his opinion but with the cams i run and time spent in the woods. I think I have a solid idea of what my area needs.
From: longbeard
02-Mar-18
Very nice response Dave!!
From: shawnm
02-Mar-18
I see where your coming from. Hell, I think I've been convinced to pass the smaller ones. But if that was the case I wouldn't of had a buck this year. I think tag restriction to one doe and one buck would help tremendously. But like you all say you won't know if you don't let them grow! Something for me to think about and I appreciate and respect your opinion. Thanks Dave!
From: SILVERADO
02-Mar-18
Also another thing again just my opinion.... it’s better to shoot a 1.5 year old buck if you have to shoot one than a 3.5. Think about it the 3.5 year old made it this long, if he has good potential he only needs one more year to be a beast. The 1.5 year old needs a long way to go and a lot can happen. Me personally 4.5 or older, my gun buck this year was 6.5+ the more bucks you pass the better your odds are of having a giant in your area one season soon.
From: Bigbuckbob
02-Mar-18
Better not to shoot either buck,....but that's just me.
From: SILVERADO
02-Mar-18
Agreed bbb. But some guys feel the need. For me it’s doe or big buck.
From: SILVERADO
03-Mar-18
Shawn here is what a 2.5 y/o 7 or 8 looks like. Small skinny body rack well inside the ears.
From: jax2009r
03-Mar-18
You think that deer is 2.5 but unless ear tagged you really don't know ...it's still a educated guess
From: steve
03-Mar-18
I was just cleaning the garage loft cam across this box from years ago size didn't matter to much to me I didnt wait a spike was big enough now I just like to see them walk by and hope they make another year
From: longbeard
03-Mar-18
Jax even though it’s not my picture I would bet the house that deer is 2.5. No neck, ear wide spindly antlers and straight lines top and bottom
From: notme
03-Mar-18
Where did you get a red head deer dude
From: steve
03-Mar-18
You noticed ??
From: DeerDan
03-Mar-18
Guy who measured my 10 tells me he's was 3.5 years old.
From: SILVERADO
03-Mar-18
Deerdan in my opinion. No way to tell from a mount. It’s a lot easier to age judge a deer based on a pic of the full body or an actual in-field encounter. It’s possible that buck is 3.6 but most likely 4.5+
From: DeerDan
03-Mar-18
Here's a 10 I had last year in CT.
From: DeerDan
03-Mar-18
From: DeerDan
03-Mar-18
The only body pic I have but he dressed 210 lbs.
From: SILVERADO
03-Mar-18
There is absolutely no way that is a 3.5, minimum 4.5 year old then. A deer that dresses 210 lb in CT is most likely 5.5 y/o+ deer. Congrats on a beast!
From: jax2009r
03-Mar-18
Anything besides sending the teeth out is a guess....the only true age is sending the tooth out for t he exact age ...a year or two makes a difference
From: steve
04-Mar-18
You don't get to 210 in 3 years
From: SILVERADO
04-Mar-18
Ill bet dollars to donuts that there is no way in heck that his buck was 3.5 and dressed 210. That makes live weight around 250-260. That is never gonna happen in CT. You probably be hard pressed to find that in the “farm belt”. We just do not have the nutrition to put those kind of gains on. At 3.5 the bucks body is still in development, hence not packing on the extra bulk pounds. Your buck at mín was 4.5. The buck i shot this year dressed 215. He was 6.5+ Here’s a pic of him in 2016.
From: BoneHead
04-Mar-18
I agree Steve but a beauty of a buck. By the pic early season and neck hasn't filled out yet. But has strong facial features and my guess is 5.5-6.5.
From: BoneHead
04-Mar-18
Sry meant Dave, but did you post and photos of your buck this year. I must have missed it...
From: SILVERADO
04-Mar-18
From: SILVERADO
04-Mar-18
From: BoneHead
04-Mar-18
Nice deer man!!
From: shawnm
04-Mar-18
How old do you think he is Dave? Did you send out his teeth?
From: SILVERADO
04-Mar-18
I think my buck is 6.5. I strongly believe he was 5.5 in the trail cam pic in 2016 and 6.5 this year when he was harvested however he maybe older. I called the taxidermist the day after i dropped it off to remind him to save he tooth for me but i was already too late. He aged him at 6.5+. He said his teeth were heavily worn down.
From: BoneHead
04-Mar-18
Definetly a mature buck! Great to see some older animals being harvested! If we were all on the same page CT would def produce some amazing animals. A lot of deer with fantastic genetics are being shot at 2.5-3.5 granted they are some people's biggest ever. But at the same time like Dave mentioned rather see them harvested at 1.5. Good luck to everyone's up coming season/turkey season!!
From: skipmaster1
05-Mar-18
I passed legitimate shots on 28 bucks this season and I know a pile of them got shot on the property I'm hunting and the property surrounding. For me that's ok, some made it. I was looking for the one that made me happy and shooting a deer "just because someone else would" doesn't make me happy.... and I'll openly admit that occasionally I shoot a younger buck just because I felt the rush and it was fun. It's not set in stone. I know that since I started passing more and more bucks, we are seeing older and older bucks. It's hard to really tell age on a trail camera or even in person but you can tell if they are young or more mature I like to find mature bucks and go after them, regardless of antler size. Some years I only shoot does some years it all comes together.
From: BoneHead
05-Mar-18
It's all about the moment and how everything comes together. A good friend and I were hunting a property in Sharon and decided to bail around 11 and go check some cameras early novemeber. I drove my pickup threw a field to were a camera was setup and there stood a beautiful 10pt just steering at us. I got out of my truck he was @ 25yds he took off to about 50yds and I grabbed My compound and waited. Meanwhile my pickup which is a diesel was clanking away. Wouldn't ya know if he decides to come right back while i am 10 yds from my truck and 15 yds from him. He could care less about me in the field but was more concerned about the trail he was on. Low and behold he gave me a 15 yd perfect shot and I capitalized. Any other situation I would have passed him up but just how it all came together and while my buddy had a front row ticket it was an amazing experience and story we both won't forget!!
From: Brian M.
05-Mar-18
Shawn, shoot whatever makes you happy. But, if you want a true big racked mature buck, you must be willing to eat your tags. Possibly for 4-5 consecutive years ( hopefully not 16 years like Bob). And then you still may never see what you're looking for. Or worse, you miss the only opportunity you get.
From: SILVERADO
05-Mar-18
Brian I agree 100%, well said.
From: Bigbuckbob
06-Mar-18
There were some nice bucks I let walk because while they had nice racks they were not mature bucks. Then there were many mature bucks that didn't give me the shot they deserved. And I also had more than a few opportunities at some big bucks while walking out just passed legal hours. But I enjoyed every minute.
From: Bigbuckbob
06-Mar-18
There were some nice bucks I let walk because while they had nice racks they were not mature bucks. Then there were many mature bucks that didn't give me the shot they deserved. And I also had more than a few opportunities at some big bucks while walking out just passed legal hours. But I enjoyed every minute.
From: notme
06-Mar-18
Doubely id say
From: SILVERADO
06-Mar-18
That’s all it’s about BBB. Being in there and spending time doing what you enjoy.
