Older buck or a higher scoring younger buck?

[dan]

Its a loaded question... When you give a size differance it puts it in better perspective. Personally, age and charactor do the most for me. But most good hunters have a few 140ish bucks on the wall, not many have a 185 or two..

[Schultzy]

I had a 4.5 year old buck on film that scored better than he did at 6.5. Never did see him at 5.5 years old or get him on film. Anyway, would you rather kill him when he was younger and scored better or when he was 2 years older and scored less (same buck)?

In the scenario you explained here I'd take Inches over age.

[BigHills BuckHunter]

Definetly the older buck, I would look at a 125" 8 year old as way more of a trophy than a 140" 4 year old.

Its all about outsmarting and beating the master at his own game of survival for me. The more hunting seasons a buck survives the more of a trophy he becomes, if he made it through 6.5 years of hunting and I am the lucky hunter who kills him, then I could care less about the size of his rack.

Just my opinion. I know others have a different ones and trust me when I say I love big antlers as much as the next guy, I just want to kill a big old buck.

[ Post made via Android ]

Couldn't have said it any better myself

Also think about the extra does he breeds in those 2 years to put out his genetics

[kenn1320]

Very interesting responses and I'm pretty surprised at how many claim they would rather shoot the older buck regardless of rack size. Its really simple guys and no different then what many of us try to get across to the guys here in Mi. If you want to shoot older bucks, you cant be shooting 3.5-6.5 yr old bucks. Its all up to you and your self control. I haven't shot a buck in Mi since 2001, and eat a tag every year. So what? If the buck isn't what I want, no sense in shooting something just cause.

[Zap]

ODM.

[Stanley]

Really? Let me find my issue of quality whitetails where they had experts look at the teeth of a doe they harvested and they guessed her to be 5 or so (don't recall exactly) and she was 14. That's not a deer just walking by, thats one dead in front of them. They said even with tooth wear, the only thing you can tell is if its 2.5 or younger. Anything past that and its a guessing game. Heck ever issue they have a panel of so called experts and they never agree on the age completely and they have all day to stare at the photo. I think many look at the rack, then look at the body then back to the rack and make the assumption. As was pointed out, there have been some stud 3.5yr old's that would fool you.

Also Stan I just took a better look at your pics. Interesting the sheds you have are ALL typical 8pnt frames, including the buck in the photo. Then the year you shot him he went to a 10pnt main frame? Some of the sheds appear to be the same deer no doubt, but I have my doubts they are all from the buck you shot, if any. A broke G2 can be common.[/quote]

Absolutely the same buck. Same rack shape, same brow tine shape, both huge bodied, both 22 inches inside, both in the same area. Big misconception that older 8 pointers will always be 8 pointers. I have seen a lot of bucks change point number over the years. Some get more some get less. Once you have examined enough antlers you can tell if they are off the same buck.

[Stanley]

Its a loaded question... When you give a size differance it puts it in better perspective. Personally, age and charactor do the most for me. But most good hunters have a few 140ish bucks on the wall, not many have a 185 or two..

Most older bucks 6.5 - 8.5 will never sport a 185 rack. When they get that much antler they are freaks not the normal. Most older bucks do have more potential for character that is for sure.

[Dor]

I had a 4.5 year old buck on film that scored better than he did at 6.5. Never did see him at 5.5 years old or get him on film. Anyway, would you rather kill him when he was younger and scored better or when he was 2 years older and scored less (same buck)?

In the scenario you explained here I'd take Inches over age.

me too