How Old Is This Buck?

[DEERSLAYER]

Maybe 2.5??

Yup. Looks like 2.5 to me.

Like my $39 cams??

YES! I wish that deal would come up again!

[SamPotter]

Stash, what makes this a northern deer? Where is the north/south line? We're about even with the bottom border of WI. It's called the southern zone of NY.

Spysar- would you agree though that there are at least 3 different genetic regions of NY? (Adirondack, Western, and Long Island) At least that's the way I've always looked at it. Long Island clearly has different genetics; more often than not the racks have nontypical points and can be some of the biggest in the state. Adirondack racks usually have that heavy mass, short-tined look with modest spreads and not many have more than 8 points. Western NY farmland bucks can have a fair amount of variation, but there seems to be a lot of 10 points with 20" spreads and longer tines.

Even though you live in the southern zone, I consider your area to have Adirondack-type bucks.

I agree the buck in the original picture is fully mature and could be over the hill.

[Spysar]

Yeah, I would agree it's more of an Adirondack type. I live in the smaller Taconic mountains.

Since this buck appears to have age, I wonder what's holding him back(rack wise), nutrition or genetics? I'd say he has to be at least 3.5.....maybe more. Some of the best hunters I know hunt this ground too. That deers gonna be hard to kill.

I need to figure out how to post a topo map of where he is.

[SamPotter]

Yeah, I would agree it's more of an Adirondack type. I live in the smaller Taconic mountains.

Since this buck appears to have age, I wonder what's holding him back(rack wise), nutrition or genetics? I'd say he has to be at least 3.5.....maybe more. Some of the best hunters I know hunt this ground too. That deers gonna be hard to kill.

I need to figure out how to post a topo map of where he is.

Being that you're not in prime ag country, I'm sure a few extra groceries could get him another 10 or even 20", but he's not going to suddenly turn into a 24" wide, 170" 12 point. With optimal nutrition he'd just add a little everywhere; 1/2" on all mass measurements would get him 4", plus an inch on every tine or main beam would get him another 8", and his rack wouldn't look much different, just slightly amplified.

P.S. For some reason, he just looks like a hard to kill buck.

[DEERSLAYER]

Yeah, I would agree it's more of an Adirondack type. I live in the smaller Taconic mountains.

Since this buck appears to have age, I wonder what's holding him back(rack wise), nutrition or genetics? I'd say he has to be at least 3.5.....maybe more. Some of the best hunters I know hunt this ground too. That deers gonna be hard to kill.

I need to figure out how to post a topo map of where he is.

Probably both. The quality of the habitat, including good thermal cover, can make a pretty substantial difference in antler growth.

For the most part I agree with SamPotter about adding 10"-20" with good food, but in some mature forests I think a mature buck could probably get 20"+ with good nutrition. I have seen some 30"+ jumps in low quality environments when the deer were given good year round nutrition in an otherwise poor quality environmrnt.

I thought you also might like reading this. It's not a normal situation, but it is definitely a bit of an eye opener.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15713

[Southern Man]

The big problem is he is likely the only mature buck is a big area. There will be no other bucks keeping their cores defended. He gets his choice of where ever he wants undisputed. I wonder if bucks expand their range when there no other buck to put him in his place...

I think so.....

[Edcyclopedia]

Old enough to know better.

[ Post made via Android ]

[mspaci]

is it a public land deer?

[whitetailassasin]

Often times when they get older there core ranges shrink. If you have a lot of your best hunters in the area. Start by looking in overlooked areas maybe you or these boys aren't hunting. If he's the big boy, finding a bed that should show size and big tracks will more than likely be his. I would use your cams to start eliminating places you know he isn't until you do start getting him either at first light or last light. My guess is he uses wind specific beds and does move around, but he will have a primary bed or two he uses that you should be able to pin down. You know your onions so a little scouting will pay off big. This warm weather and lots of food may have him in bedding he may use often(primary). I'd also try and locate all the food sources in traveling distance, like the apple tree, then locate the best bedding for thermals, wind, and safety adjacent to these. Just to start and see where this gets you.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Spysar]

is it a public land deer?

No.

[Spysar]

Ok, figured out the screen shot thing.... Red- where I took the pics. Blue-mountain he *might* bed. Yellow line-road with houses. Anyone got any suggestions? This is way bigger and steeper than the map makes it look. I'm gonna get an ariel too.

[Spysar]

I usually don't hunt a single deer like this. I'm actually just challenging myself to see what happens. I'd like to kill him in early bow season 2016, before I head west on my trip. It's a crap shoot after I get back, it'll be gun season, and all planning will be out the window by then. Red-where my cam was. Blue- where I'd look for his bedding, highest most remote peak. Yellow is where houses are.

[Spysar]

I have 1200 acres here. But it's my hometown where I know everyone, so I can probably go off the land if needed. Can't really go west of tinley road.

[dan]

I would expect him to be bedding in one or more of the spots I marked with a red dot... The bench that has the red dot that I pointed the purple arrow at seems most likely to me...

[Spysar]

I would expect him to be bedding in one or more of the spots I marked with a red dot... The bench that has the red dot that I pointed the purple arrow at seems most likely to me...

Oh good! That spot you picked with the purple arrow was my first pick too. It's so friggain steep, no one goes up there. I've been up there before. There's one game trail that traverses that steep hill. I'll go up there and take a look. And set up some cams to leave a while. Thanks Dan.

Work is slow for me too. No snow to track. No ice to icefish. So I get time to find this buck. I want his horns too.

PS- those other three dots you made. That is a spot where the other hunters would go through. There are deer there. I think more of a doe area there. Or maybe he's there until pressure starts.