Shoot or Pass - Trophy Hunting - Age?

[nyantler]

1 hour ago, NFA-ADK said:

Different standards when I am above them in a tree on Long Island!  ADK he is a shooter and stalking on the ground he would also be a shooter. 

We are trying to go with a min 130 class 3 year old or better on private land.  We had 5 in this age class last year we hope made it to this season in one location.  This year they would be 4+ years old and very woods savvy.  I can't post pics of them until they are on the ground if we ever get one, lol. 

If those are the standards I think I'm a pass then... healthy handsome buck though.

 

[NFA-ADK]

I get a free pass (One) to shoot any buck I want.  He would get me excited but if I had enough time to observe him, I would be able to see his hall pass and have to let him go.  Watch me get him opening day lol.  Won't I feel like an idiot! 

We aged him at 2.5, he has a wide rack for his age and is a good one but a bit young.  His ears if straight would almost be at the edge of his antler width and his antler length is a bit small. (One factor in the equation, I know antlers are not a good reference even more so in velvet.)  His legs are way to thin in the back and his fat belly has no sag at all along with missing some muscle definition of a 3 year old.  Again this is just my and my buddies opinion from seeing LI deer over the many years.  We could be wrong...

So many years of passing young deer I just hope this year I get a better shot at one in the age class I would like.  I don't think my buddy will give me any other pics of him, lol.  He thinks I might post it on the internet and mess our area up, shhhh. 

[Rack Attack]

From looking at the picture you provided, it's hard to for sure tell age of the deer especially since this is a late summer photo and coats are much different from hunting time as well.  Based on how the legs look and from what you can tell about the neck I would guess this is a younger deer, likely 2.5 but possibly 3.5.  As for the antlers, he has nice bases going, but overall mass especially when velvet comes off will be thin.  In addition, his main beams don't have a lot of length due to the lack of wrap in the front.  When out of velvet, his brows will be very short, likely 1.5-2".  Based on all of this, I would guess that deer out of velvet would not make 120", and is more than likely to be in the 115" range.  This is a nice young main frame 8 pt, but with the standards you have set for yourself this is not a shooter.

Edited September 21, 2017 by Rack Attack

[NFA-ADK]

17 minutes ago, Fletch said:

disagree!! It will be hard not soft, longer tines, not fuzzy, a big difference really lol

I think he is referring to the shape.  As for size, those tips will not be much longer and in actuality the overall size of the rack will look and be smaller after shedding.  Look at any deer before they shed, most look like giants then after they shed no so much.  This is the reason so many want a velvet buck, they add to the overall score with velvet on them. 

[Fletch]

14 minutes ago, NFA-ADK said:

I think he is referring to the shape.  As for size, those tips will not be much longer and in actuality the overall size of the rack will look and be smaller after shedding.  Look at any deer before they shed, most look like giants then after they shed no so much.  This is the reason so many want a velvet buck, they add to the overall score with velvet on them. 

I was just being a wise a$$ cause the rack will surly be a lot different. I would still love to know the date of that pic. I don't think 120 is far off though what he will probably be around and I am still giving him 3.5 at this point. Nobody can prove me wrong since he is not a hit lister lol!!

[First-light]

2.5 120-130 nice deer I pass.

[NFA-ADK]

7/27 was the date so he did have some more growing time. 

[wolc123]

The rack looks 3.5 but the body looks 1.5.  Taking the average, 2.5 is a pretty safe bet.  Hopefully he puts on a little weight by the start of the rut.  As a meat hunter primarily, I know I was not supposed to answer (sorry if anyone takes offense), but I would be shooting that one even if I was a trophy hunter.  As a meat hunter, 2.5 year old's are my favorite antlered bucks to kill.  They offer the optimum combination of quantity and quality venison.  That one would make a great euro and getting a look at the teeth would take the guesswork out of the age question.   

[dmandoes]

going by his first mass measurment and base im saying 3yr or older.  that would make him a shooter for me.  i have a hard time getting him to 120"s.  g1-3", g2-8", g3-5"=16x2=32, mass13x2=26, beams21x2=42, insidespread 18,  32+26+42+18=118"s. this buck looks spindly to me other than his first mass. i think i was generous on his measurements.  

[Steve D]

7 hours ago, NFA-ADK said:

1) As a trophy hunter would you shoot him?  Please don't answer if you only hunt for meat or do not consider yourself a trophy hunter.  

I am not strictly a "trophy" hunter so I can't answer. Looks like a young buck with a nice rack to me.

[Taylormike]

Shoot so we can put the guessing to bed and get an actual score.

[ATbuckhunter]

Personally I say that i'd shoot that guy. Maybe I would think differently if I saw him in person, but most likely id let an arrow loose. 

As far as age, I agree with everyone else and say its probably a 2 or 3 year old. If you pass and no one gets it next year, it'll really blow up in antler size for sure, 

[Adkhunter1590]

I'd say he's prolly a 3 year old. Will be a stretch to break 130 inches. Will be quite thin once the velvet comes off. If you can stomach it, pass him. If he makes it till next year he should be really good

[Doc]

Ha-ha..... Is this a deer that is in an enclosure that you can shoot anytime you think is right? Where I hunt, this is a buck of a lifetime. I would be actually quite stupid to let him pass, because that for sure is the last time I would ever see him ..... alive. I don't even give a crap what age he is. That rack is a trophy in my hunting area.

[chas0218]

20 hours ago, moog5050 said:

Tough angle to judge age by body characteristics.   Sure the rack says likely 3 (will be more spindly when velvet drops) but he could just be a great 2 year old.  He certainly looks a bit long in the leg for 3 and not much stomach or sway, but angle could be misleading.  I would guess 2 from the photo, but a real nice 2 year old.  I know of one member that might call him a yearling.  lol

Yup I am thinking he is a studly 2.5 year old. I wouldn't say 3.5 year old. It really depends on the area and quality of deer taken in previous years that you can compare him to.

 

I know many say you can't age by the rack but it can give you an idea. I will say he isn't any 4.5 or 1.5 year old.

Edited September 22, 2017 by chas0218

[chas0218]

5 hours ago, Doc said:

Ha-ha..... Is this a deer that is in an enclosure that you can shoot anytime you think is right? Where I hunt, this is a buck of a lifetime. I would be actually quite stupid to let him pass, because that for sure is the last time I would ever see him ..... alive. I don't even give a crap what age he is. That rack is a trophy in my hunting area.

I used to think this same thing but I have passed on deer that were 3.5 years old to see them the next year and even the year after that with some neighbors that hunt brown it's down. No knocking you a buck of a lifetime is different for everyone just like the saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

The one below I saw for 2 years straight before I decided to "try" and shoot him. Well it didn't work out and managed to trim a small limb out of my shooting lane with my bow. Still haunts me knowing the guy down the street now has him on his wall. On a side note our property has never had more than a 10 point. I really want to break into something bigger but for some reason once they hit 10 they just keep getting bigger instead of growing more points.

Hope this works better. Photobucket is no longer doing free image hosting.

Edited September 22, 2017 by chas0218

[NFA-ADK]

These 2 are both 2.5 year old deer, my buddy passed a 3.5 last year also.  The guy who shot these 2 now realizes they are small compared to the 135 + class deer around as he saw 2 last year after shooting his buck and one was over 140.  

Simply put if you shoot every 2 year old in your area you will probably never see anything older, I know the guy down the road might shoot him but as a big buck hunter you must let them go so they can grow.  All the 2 year old and younger bucks taken have no chance of getting larger.  The excuse that the next guy will shoot him if I don't will never give that buck a chance to grow and mature.  Lucky for us the other hunters pass many young deer also but nothing is set in stone it's all voluntary.  Want larger deer, talk with the hunters in the area, if you can get just one to pass 2 year old deer it will help.  Every year the same area's produce large racked deer, much of this is due to guys passing them when they are young.  

Both of these bucks where less than 130.

[moog5050]

You have far better than average 2 year olds in your area or at least compared to the areas I hunt.  Good thing for sure!

[Rack Attack]

NFA-ADK, those (2) deer you have pictured are the same buck.

Edited September 22, 2017 by Rack Attack

[chas0218]

7 minutes ago, Rack Attack said:

NFA-ADK, those (2) deer you have pictured are the same buck.

You just beat me to it.

[moog5050]

The hook on the rt G2 is pretty neat.

[growalot]

Send that into QDM and ask for a score...I do their scoring a buck every E-Mail....

Interesting ...Moog what in the nose suggests a 3 to you...I have a deer the guys named old shovel nose..an older buck...but I don't see that in this deer....I'd like to see the depth of the jaw line...older bucks show a significant depth over young ones, I wouldn't  put him over 3 from the pic.

https://www.qdma.com/7-sins-aging-bucks-hoof/

[moog5050]

10 minutes ago, growalot said:

Send that into QDM and ask for a score...I do their scoring a buck every E-Mail....

Interesting ...Moog what in the nose suggests a 3 to you...I have a deer the guys named old shovel nose..an older buck...but I don't see that in this deer....I'd like to see the depth of the jaw line...older bucks show a significant depth over young ones, I wouldn't  put him over 3 from the pic.

https://www.qdma.com/7-sins-aging-bucks-hoof/

Hard to say Grow, just looks like a longer nose but certainly not definitive by any means (angle still stinks).  It could be a 2yr old for sure and that was my original guess.  Just waffling a bit. 

He would definitely be close to a shooter.  Game time decision.  Based on what we have seen recently on camera, he may be THE TARGET BUCK.  lol

[growalot]

Quote

Based on what we have seen recently on camera, he may be THE TARGET BUCK.  lol

 

Your right on that...I put a cam on a new scrape drip under the apple tree....over 200 pics day and night 2 days in a row...the doe have been eating and standing under the drip...not a single buck picture another scrape drip..cam has doe all over it...no food around just a travel route drip...no buck...They are still hanging together on two different areas of the property both are big corn areas......Also in the WW I need to go spot my field just once because they have MOWED that WW down the rye...not so much and I'll take a pic of where at least a few big beds are in the oats.

[NFA-ADK]

Sorry, my bad, this is the other buck shot 2  years ago I believe.  Good catch on spotting it was the same!!!

Funny how the angle change fooled me, real easy to make a good buck look like a giant if you get close enough!

 

Edited September 22, 2017 by NFA-ADK