Looks like there may just be statewide Antler Restricts.

[dbHunterNY]

and as Phade pointed out, it can vary widely by area due to the factors he mentioned.

 

yea all my 2nd opinions live and hunt locally.  In all honesty I probably use them for convenience but even say here compared to the fingerlakes halfway across the state is a big difference probably.  you see the difference in Quality Whitetails magazine "Age this" section, where deer are aged from all across the country to the point it makes you shake your head and laugh at the differences.

[phade]

We kept going back and forth on this buck - whether he was 5.5 or maybe 6.5 looking at the range of pics we had of him and neighbors had. Me and Moog have posted him here a few times. He's dead now and was never aged to my knowledge.

 

Fast forward to this season, and a casual conversation led to the buck with a neighbor who hunts a property a solid mile and a half as the crow flies. He was showing me old game camera photos. He never knew what happened to the buck (his pics were pretty young with him, looked pretty clear to be 1.5 and 2.5 respectively in the two seasons he had pics). Turns out he moved into our area. Pics were matched to the ears, the unique frame, and his forehead has a unique color pattern that is pretty clear when you inspect it.

 

That buck based on the math of when the pics were taken, was either 8.5 or 9.5 years old. This picture is actually a regression of the year prior inches-wise. Next door neighbor has pics of him with an easy 20" of added antler, he lost one major tine and had other junk not appear. A rarity here in NY.

 

But, his 1.5 and 2.5 pics...he was an easy 125-130 inch deer at 2.5. Might have even been over 130. Night pic is him year prior.

 

Edited January 13, 2015 by phade

[dbHunterNY]

whether it's fortunate or unfortunate we never end up in your situation phade.  we rarely have a buck live long enough.  we're mostly judging bucks 3.5 yrs old and below.  from what I've been told and seen of others history with trail camera pics is definitely a must.  Charlie Alsheimer did an article on a buck and it peaked at 6.5 or 7.5 and then started to go backwards.  by 12.5 yrs old it look closer to a yearling with a weird oddly shaped rack.  awesome and heavy looking deer.  maybe some year in my lifetime i'll have your situation. lol

[wildcat junkie]

Fairly certain most of my 100-120" deer averaged 2.5 years old. Based on teeth and weight ..  I would think that a large % of 2.5 year old NY bucks have 100" of antlers..

 

 

I am not an expert or biologist though. jmo

Not in my area. 2 1/2 year olds usually sport moderate 5-6 point racks.Yearling can be spikes 3-points, 4-points, 5-points & ocasional 6-points. I did shoot a small 8-point that was  most likely 1 1/2. It had a cute little simetrucal 9"wide basket. On the other end, the biggest body weight deer I ever shot way a 219# dressed 4-point.

 

100" eight points I have shot have been teeth aged @ 3 1/2 & the one I shot this year will be @ least that old, more likely 4 1/2 judging by the body.

 

Deer in my area lead a hard scrabble existance W/only a few corn field in the area & all of those are chopped for balage. Not a huge amount of mast trees either.

[ncountry]

Not in my area. 2 1/2 year olds usually sport moderate 5-6 point racks.Yearling can be spikes 3-points, 4-points, 5-points & ocasional 6-points. I did shoot a small 8-point that was  most likely 1 1/2. It had a cute little simetrucal 9"wide basket. On the other end, the biggest body weight deer I ever shot way a 219# dressed 4-point.

 

100" eight points I have shot have been teeth aged @ 3 1/2 & the one I shot this year will be @ least that old, more likely 4 1/2 judging by the body.

 

Deer in my area lead a hard scrabble existance W/only a few corn field in the area & all of those are chopped for balage. Not a huge amount of mast trees either.

 

 

I am lucky that right here around the house their are many corn/alfalfa fields... The local deer have  larger racks, than the deer that I have killed in the S Colton/ Parishville area.

 

219# 4 point is an old brute!

 

[wildcat junkie]

I am lucky that right here around the house their are many corn/alfalfa fields... The local deer have  larger racks, than the deer that I have killed in the S Colton/ Parishville area.

 

219# 4 point is an old brute!

 

4 1/2 years old, in his prime & great eating. I shot him during pre-rut so he was still in good shape. Poor genetics as far as antler growth, but great genetics for body size. He was the dominant buck & had lots of battle scars..

 

For perspective, I'm 5'10" & weighed 285# in that picture. About the same as the buck's live weight.

Edited January 14, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Paula]

4 1/2 years old, in his prime & great eating. I shot him during pre-rut so he was still in good shape. Poor genetics as far as antler growth, but great genetics for body size. He was the dominant buck & had lots of battle scars..

For perspective, I'm 5'10" & weighed 285# in that picture. About the same as the buck's live weight.

Nice picture

[Pygmy]

Nice rifle...Looks like a Rem 700CDL and I'll bet it's a .280 Rem.

Pretty perceptive, eh ?...<<grin>>...

[wildcat junkie]

Nice rifle...Looks like a Rem 700CDL and I'll bet it's a .280 Rem.

Pretty perceptive, eh ?...<<grin>>...

What kind of glass is on it?

Edited January 14, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[steve863]

What kind of glass is on it?

 

 

It's a 4X Leupold.  I'm not Pygmy, but anyone here could answer your question for him. LOL

[skully]

If you do not shoot little bucks= there will be bigger bucks= common sense

[jjb4900]

What kind of glass is on it?

Kahles

[wildcat junkie]

Kahles

But what flavor Kahles?

[jjb4900]

But what flavor Kahles?

the flavor that's too expensive for my taste.......

[wildcat junkie]

the flavor that's too expensive for my taste.......

Actually, that's the 1" tube "American" series. Pretty reasonably priced, but I don't think they are still available.

[Five Seasons]

Would only protect about 40% in 7J/7H.

60% would be targeted.

Depends on if they go with spread or points. Remember it's not to protect 2.5s

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[Five Seasons]

Why? I have seen them every year since I moved out to Region 8

Ditto. I posted one in this very thread.

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[Five Seasons]

I don't see that. I see the larger racks as a byproduct of a more mature deer.

And equal or more important goal to someone that wants a full freezer could be the larger body size and more meat as well.

Take a look at this 1.5 taken the same day, on the same property as the 3.5/4.5 (Never jaw aged it). They are hung from the exact same height.

Comparison.jpg

Let's be honest. A mature rutted buck is not exactly prime venison haha

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[Culvercreek hunt club]

Let's be honest. A mature rutted buck is not exactly prime venison haha

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You couldn't tell the difference in the meat between those two. I have never had a buck that had bad tasting meat since we started cutting our own.

[SteveB]

Depends on if they go with spread or points. Remember it's not to protect 2.5s

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The state is talking points.

There is zero reason to mandate one hunter not to shoot a 4 pt 1.5 so someone can shoot a 6 pt 1.5 or target most of the herd at 2.5.

Just because you have decided to target the human equivalent of a teen ager (2.5 buck) is not reason to try to save 40% of the 1.5 bucks in 7j/h by law.

[jjb4900]

I saw a proposal, may have been the last go round, that wanted one buck of any legal size and one that had to meet an antler restriction....that sounded pretty reasonable.

[wildcat junkie]

You couldn't tell the difference in the meat between those two. I have never had a buck that had bad tasting meat since we started cutting our own.

The best eating deer I ever shot was a 219# dressed 4 1/2 year old NNY buck that In heart shot in early November.

 

The worst tasting deer I ever shot was corn fed 100# dressed S. Indiana doe that I kidney shot in mid November.

[growalot]

 

I saw a proposal, may have been the last go round, that wanted one buck of any legal size and one that had to meet an antler restriction....that sounded pretty reasonable.

 

Perhaps if it was a 4pts on 1 beam...not including brow...other wise you are still looking at young buck getting shot...if that is what they are trying to avoid...TEACH HUNTERS how to recognize a mature deer...If the reason is to not shoot young deer..

[jjb4900]

Perhaps if it was a 4pts on 1 beam...not including brow...other wise you are still looking at young buck getting shot...if that is what they are trying to avoid...TEACH HUNTERS how to recognize a mature deer...If the reason is to not shoot young deer..

absolutely, I'm sure there are areas of the State that 6pt bucks are the norm for a 1.5 year old deer.

[jjb4900]

all they would have to do is implement mandatory Statewide AR's for the first two days of Regular gun season to make a big enough impact on the Buck age structure.