THAT has been my single-biggest challenge in trying to produce more above-average antlered older bucks on a relatively large property in TN. Most of the truly top-end antlered bucks get killed as 2 1/2's. Those that survive 2 1/2, then typically get heavily, specifically "targeted" as 3 1/2's, and are killed then.
Should one of these survive beyond 3 1/2, the number of individual hunters specifically targeting that buck is often double-digits, and these hunters may be spread over thousands of acres, many 2 to 3 miles apart, many thinking that particular buck mostly hangs around in just the area they're hunting (a few hundred acres or less of several thousand contiguous acres).
Even with thousands of contiguous acres (more lightly hunted than the surrounding areas), it has thus far been a near impossible feat to see a top-end antlered young buck survive to maturity. Never mind 5 1/2-yr-old & older bucks are not uncommon in these same areas, but they'll typically have a 6 to 8-pt narrow mainframe rack with short tines. As their body sizes become larger, their racks look relatively smaller, and many hunters may be giving them a pass even though they can be fully mature bucks.
If you think a highway, a subdivision, or even the Cumberland River is a travel barrier, think again. Such barriers often restrict deer movement much of the year, but may mean little during about a 30-day period when the most hunters are afield hunting the hardest
