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ferg

ferg

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This guy showed up on my cam this past week - at first I thought 3.5 but the last picture, with him broad side - I'm thinking 2.5 -

Thoughts?

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I was on my back deck at noon time - guess that's what he was looking at LOL
 
Classic specimin of a top-end 2 1/2 which is subject to Wes' High-Grade Theory, i.e. almost a 100% chance this one will NOT survive the 2013 hunting season.

Even if he's a 3 1/2, he's "above average" and still subject to the high-grading theory.

Being a young buck without a fully developed skeletal system, his body will typically be smaller than an older buck, thus making his antlers "appear" even larger, which makes him even less likely to be passed by a hunter. A 2 1/2 with 110 to 120-class antlers can "appear" to have antlers scoring more like 120-130. Major "ground shrinkage" is often seen when hunters kill young bucks which "appeared" to have large antlers (but they were only "large" relative to their small bodies).
 
ferg said:
A 2.5 gets a pass on my place . . . . .
Click to expand...
Generally speaking, today, a 2.5 gets a pass on most areas with antler restrictions as well as most areas under QDM, as well as from most accomplished deer hunters today who have taken many older and larger antlered bucks.

The exception to the generality is those 2 1/2's with much larger than average antlers for a 2 1/2 ------ those "top-end" ones tend to get killed even by hunters who generally don't shoot 2 1/2's.

Not that this is all a "bad" thing, as in many cases, the hunter is harvesting the largest antlered buck he's ever taken. It becomes "bad" if the management goal is to produce more very large antlered older bucks (which tend to be the largest antlered 2 1/2's).
 
Wes Parrish said:
Generally speaking, today, a 2.5 gets a pass on most areas with antler restrictions...
Click to expand...

Depends on the antler restrictions. If it is a point restriction, that buck is dead.


...It becomes "bad" if the management goal is to produce more very large antlered older bucks (which tend to be the largest antlered 2 1/2's).
Click to expand...

True. If your goal is large-antlered bucks, this is EXACTLY the buck you do not want killed at this age. He's most likely going to be a top-end older buck.
 
BSK said:
Wes Parrish said:
Generally speaking, today, a 2.5 gets a pass on most areas with antler restrictions...
Click to expand...

Depends on the antler restrictions. If it is a point restriction, [color:#FF0000][size]that[/size][/color] buck is dead.
Click to expand...
[color:#FF0000][size]That[/size][/color] was my point! :)
With most antler restriction programs currently employed, many if not most 2 1/2's get passed ---- but most antler restrictions are causing the better antlered young bucks to be much more heavily targeted, and killed at a higher rate than would be the case with no antler restrictions at all.

Another "point" is that because the buck is young, his antlers "appear" larger than they really are, i.e. small body makes antlers appear larger. Regardless of how the antlers are being accessed, not focusing on age first may result in some major ground shrinkage to the hunter, including killing a buck that might not meet the minimums of some antler restrictions being used.

BSK said:
True. If your goal is large-antlered bucks, this is EXACTLY the buck you do not want killed at this age. He's most likely going to be a top-end older buck.
Click to expand...
Exactly. :)
Unfortunately, with all the focus on antlers, particularly "antler restrictions" (rather than age), he becomes EXACTLY that buck that gets killed at 2 1/2, while his small antlered cousins survive to maturity.
 
Wes Parrish said:
Classic specimin of a top-end 2 1/2 which is subject to Wes' High-Grade Theory, i.e. almost a 100% chance this one will NOT survive the 2013 hunting season.

Even if he's a 3 1/2, he's "above average" and still subject to the high-grading theory.

Being a young buck without a fully developed skeletal system, his body will typically be smaller than an older buck, thus making his antlers "appear" even larger, which makes him even less likely to be passed by a hunter. A 2 1/2 with 110 to 120-class antlers can "appear" to have antlers scoring more like 120-130. Major "ground shrinkage" is often seen when hunters kill young bucks which "appeared" to have large antlers (but they were only "large" relative to their small bodies).
Click to expand...
interesting, I wa watching bow hunting videos last night and there was one with a 189 1/4" buck being shot. He looked big on hoof, but looked huge when the guy got his hands on him. Then the guy behind the camera mentioned ground expansion, so it wasn't just me. I figured it was his massive body making the antlers look smaller. Was a pig of a deer too.
 

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