Most wanted for 2018

[WNY Bowhunter]

Here's my #1 buck for the upcoming season. He is 7 yrs old this year. I'm hoping that a couple new secluded foodplots might draw him off the neighbor's property (his bedding area) in early October during legal shooting light.

Last year:

Currenty, about a week ago:

[dbHunterNY]

if you covered up the antlers it still looks like a beast and it's not even juiced up from the rut. i've never heard of one getting that old around here.

[WNY Bowhunter]

25 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

if you covered up the antlers it still looks like a beast and it's not even juiced up from the rut. i've never heard of one getting that old around here.

He's a big bodied deer for sure. Here's his rut look from early November...

The vast majority of the bucks in my area get killed off way to early too. Unbelievably, this deer has been a total homebody his whole life. I've been getting him on cam since he was a yearling 8pt back in the summer of 2012. Last year...based on his shed and an estimated 21" spread, he would have grossed right around the 160 mark. I wouldn't be surprised if he slips a little in the antler dept this year. He's a bit behind where he was at this point last year. Overall, it seems that the winter and late spring we had this year was pretty stressful on the deer herd as most of the bucks that I've been seeing seem to be behind schedule in antler growth for late June.

Edited June 28, 2018 by WNY Bowhunter

[dbHunterNY]

10 minutes ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

He's a big bodied deer for sure. Here's his rut look from early November...

The vast majority of the bucks in my area get killed off way to early too. Unbelievably, this deer has been a total homebody his whole life. I've been getting him on cam since he was a yearling 8pt back in the summer of 2012. Last year...based on his shed and an estimated 21" spread, he would have grossed right around the 160 mark. I wouldn't be surprised if he slips a little in the antler dept this year. He's a bit behind where he was at this point last year. Overall, it seems that the winter and late spring we had this year was pretty stressful on the deer herd as most of the bucks that I've been seeing seem to be behind schedule in antler growth for late June.

we haven't had a really dry spring or summer spell yet though. i feel that plays a big role in antler development. age might hurt him a bit though here on out, so they say. i can't tell you much from personal experience for bucks reaching that age.  it's mostly smaller antlered for their age bucks and home bodies that make it to older ages here too. some i know who hunt older bucks like that more often in other destination states say once that get that old some become almost predictable, despite still being hard to get close enough to seal the deal. 

[WNY Bowhunter]

20 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

we haven't had a really dry spring or summer spell yet though. i feel that plays a big role in antler development. age might hurt him a bit though here on out, so they say. i can't tell you much from personal experience for bucks reaching that age.  it's mostly smaller antlered for their age bucks and home bodies that make it to older ages here too. some i know who hunt older bucks like that more often in other destination states say once that get that old some become almost predictable, despite still being hard to get close enough to seal the deal. 

We've had a very dry spell here in the western fingerlakes region since late aMay. We did have had some pretty good rain in the past week though.

I'm hoping that older = more daylight movement is true too. He definitely was way more daylight active on cams last summer and fall than he had ever been. Hopefully, the trend continues this fall. He was very active during the rut last year too which nearly got him killed several times during gun season by friends that hunt neighboring properties!!!

Edited June 28, 2018 by WNY Bowhunter

[moog5050]

Good luck.  A monster for sure!

[Cabin Fever]

He's a stud, and it sounds like a very smart stud at that! 

[greg54]

He is a beauty. Good luck!

[NFA-ADK]

Good luck, he is a real beauty! 

[grampy]

Good luck!   It's truely an honor to hunt a buck like that.

[Robhuntandfish]

awesome buck!  that will keep you in the seat on a cold day - just hoping for a chance .... best of luck!  hope to see him and you on the 2018 deer harvest thread!  

Ive been chasing the same buck for the last two years.  Havent put cams out yet to see if he made it thru the winter.  But hoping he is still around to at least get my hopes up again this year, not as big as the one youve got in the area but a good un.  Pics of 2016 and then 2017.  

[moog5050]

I am still waiting for the antlers to start growing on any of the bucks we have around.  Surprisingly, they all still look like does.  But I am sure one will turn into a giant between now and Oct. 1.  lol  If not, I am going to "borrow" WNY Bowhunter's stand.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Great Buck.  Is this one of those deer that do not drive hunters to the woods every morning?   Old and tough as nails i suppose?

[G-Man]

this buck was 8.5 years old and had lost about 1/2 its time length from the year before. was toughest meat I ever tried to eat..ground was like chewing on rubber bbs.. good luck with him. I firmly believe more big buck die of old age in a secluded home range than most hunters think

.

[wolc123]

39 minutes ago, G-Man said:

this buck was 8.5 years old and had lost about 1/2 its time length from the year before. was toughest meat I ever tried to eat..ground was like chewing on rubber bbs.. good luck with him. I firmly believe more big buck die of old age in a secluded home range than most hunters think

.

Did you age the carcass prior to processing ?   I bet if it had hung for 2 - 3 weeks at 33 - 43 F, it would have been nearly as tender as your average 1-1/2 year old.  Even the burger is much easier to chew if the carcass is properly aged before processing.  The older the animal, the longer it takes to break down the rigor mortis.   The process is similar for any red meat.  Another good option for an old tough deer is canning.  My buddy did that with a 8-1/2 year old moose, that was butchered immediately after killing , and it was just as tender that way as the 2-1/2's and 1-1/2's that the other guys who were on that hunt got.   

[G-Man]

46 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

Did you age the carcass prior to processing ?   I bet if it had hung for 2 - 3 weeks at 33 - 43 F, it would have been nearly as tender as your average 1-1/2 year old.  Even the burger is much easier to chew if the carcass is properly aged before processing.  The older the animal, the longer it takes to break down the rigor mortis.   The process is similar for any red meat.  Another good option for an old tough deer is canning.  My buddy did that with a 8-1/2 year old moose, that was butchered immediately after killing , and it was just as tender that way as the 2-1/2's and 1-1/2's that the other guys who were on that hunt got.   

I found it easier just to give the whole thing away...lol.. lots of doe tags that year as well.. back. When we took. 20 plus deer a year out of camp.  Freezer was filled easily...

It was the onlyy deer I ever gagged gutting was stained from hocks to hooves. Nauseating stench  you could smell.from yards away..

[wolc123]

49 minutes ago, G-Man said:

 

It was the onlyy deer I ever gagged gutting was stained from hocks to hooves. Nauseating stench  you could smell.from yards away..

I can relate to that.  Two years ago I killed a 2-1/2 year old at the peak of the rut, and I smelled him approaching through the standing corn upwind, long before he emerged about 15 yards from my stand.  That strong piss smell is not something I will soon forget, and I imagine that an 8-1/2 would be considerably stinkier   He was slightly quartering to me when he stepped out,  and the wide three-blade mechanical broadhead passed diagonally thru, entering just behind the a front shoulder and exiting the ham on the opposite side.   That made real smelly mess of the gutting job, but I washed it out with the blood from forward of the diaphram.  The meat from that buck was very tender and tasty after the carcass was aged for 10 days.   

[landtracdeerhunter]

Looks like you have some deer hunting planned.

[WNY Bowhunter]

19 hours ago, grampy said:

Good luck!   It's truely an honor to hunt a buck like that.

So true. It would be very bittersweet to actually kill him.

[moog5050]

39 minutes ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

So true. It would be very bittersweet to actually kill him.

More sweet than bitter I bet!

[Iluvracks1359]

amazing buck, I cant wait to see  pics when u bag him!

[LET EM GROW]

I know a guy who could mount that slammer for you!

[WNY Bowhunter]

16 minutes ago, LET EM GROW said:

I know a guy who could mount that slammer for you!

Send me his number. My guy is retiring...lol.

[WNY Bowhunter]

He's coming along. The left antler is way weaker than last year at this time...

 

 

Edited July 6, 2018 by WNY Bowhunter

[G-Man]

most bucks ive seen are behind last years growth. perhaps it was the lack of spring as a season. we went from snow to 70 in a day.. not much chance for a green up. apples seem spotty as it was to cold or heavy rain when blossoming. hazelnuts seem fair . acorn and hickory are sparce as well.. hope food plots come in well and take up the slack...