278# Italy Valley QDM Co-Op Buck

[fasteddie]

Thought you might be interested in hearing about a very large bodied Italy Valley QDM Co-op buck taken by member Clair Martin on 10/22.

Clair arrowed the buck in his corn field and as he started to drag it out of the field it was obvious that it was an unusually large deer, so he decided to weigh it before field dressing it. With the help of his wife and his tractor (not necessarily in that order) he was able to get the deer back to his barn.

Based on his digital feed cart scale (highly accurate) the buck’s live weight was 278 pounds. This would put its estimated dressed weight at about 222 pounds.

The buck’s antlers are about 20” wide with 8 points and a score of around 120”. Clair said that he had seen the buck before and based on the antlers being about as wide as his ears, he figured that the antlers were around 17” wide – a “shooter”. It wasn’t until he had the buck on the ground that he learned that the ear tips were actually nearly 20” apart.

Clair got 120 pounds of meat from this large bodied buck! We pulled a jaw bone and based on tooth wear believe that he was a middle-aged adult at 3.5 years old.

Unfortunately we didn’t get any pictures until after butchering, but attached are a couple of pictures that help show how large he was.

[5.9cummins]

WOW

[G-Man]

Nice!

[wmig2]

Awesome

[burmjohn]

Wow is right, that's a nice buck.

[Lawdwaz]

Nice buck!

Time to fix the wagon wheel.

[fasteddie]

They have been practicing QDM in Italy Valley fow about 5 years and have seen an increase in bigger bucks .

[burmjohn]

I read an article about the Italy Valley a while ago, can't find it, but it was pretty interesting to see what happened once people came on board.

[Doewhacker]

278? I have a hard time beleiving that one, for sure a big deer but it takes a hell of lot to hit 278.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I don't think that is out of wack, Doe. This guy hasn't even started to run does yet. If he dressed out at 222 that is only 22 pounds he would have to drop to be a 200 pound buck and that is not that rare down there. Finger Lakes have some great Ag in them. I could pictues this buck being down 22 pounds by Thanksgiving weekend. The one I got last year was around that weight and I got him the last weekend of Gun season.

[Doewhacker]

Yea I guess its possible, they do loose a considerable amount during the rut. I think it can be as much as 30% of their weight (could be wrong). My brother shot a simular racked 8 a few years ago late in rifle season that dressed out at 140 and I had figured pre-rut he would have been real close to 200 dressed weight which would have put him in the 250 live weight range.

Here is a link to the meat mans web site, on it you will find the math to do the estimates for live weight and more. Seems preety damn acurate.

http://www.askthemeatman.com/estimate_deer_weight.htm

[phade]

278 is big indeed. It does take a lot to get there.

I've never seen one that big here in wNY.

Edited October 27, 2011 by phade

[Lawdwaz]

Well, here's another slob for you guys. I guess the live weight would have been 270lbs+/-

Something in the water this year!

Mine was shot not too far from the Italy Valley, maybe 20 miles or so as the crow flies??

[bushnell]

Huge deer. Congrats

[HectorBuckBuster]

I have a buddy that shot a buck a few years ago that dressed out at 249 pounds. He was weighed on the local scrap yard certified scales. I shot a 6 point on the first day of bow season many years ago that dress out at 185 pounds.

[MuzzyLoader]

Gotta' be the steroids they're sprayin' on the grapes.

Enjoy all that venison!!!!

[wdswtr]

That is the second buck that I have seen or heard of that tipped the scales at 278. The one I know of was shot 2 weekends ago in Stueben county. Its my brothers hunting partner so I know its for sure I have a picture of it on my android. Not sure if he would like me putting a picture of him with his deer on the net. I will see if I can edit his face out lol and post it. Its the big it looks like a horse.

[wdswtr]

Here you go hopefully this works. Yeah guess it did twice lol

Edited November 1, 2011 by wdswtr

[erussell]

I dont know, these deer below weighed 280 and 260.

Still a really nice deer.

[Lawdwaz]

Here you go hopefully this works. Yeah guess it did twice lol

What a moose!

[Lawdwaz]

I dont know, these deer below weighed 280 and 260.

Still a really nice deer.

Those were in NYS? And weighed live weight or field dressed?

Lots of folks THINK they shot a 200lb deer but never put them on a scale. (That is NOT directed at you, erussell)

I hear people say "he had to go 200+" or "the butcher said he went 200+" all the time. In many parts of NYS, 200 lbs, field dressed is a giant buck.

[erussell]

deer were shot by hal blood a tracker in Maine and canada. Not sure if they were gutted. I would assume since he tracks them down in the wilderness and shoots them.Then has to drag them out. I know the 260 one was gutted and took 8 hours to get out to a state check in station.

[outdoorstom]

Man, there are some beautiful bucks in this thread. You guys have got me all fired up!!