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Southern Sportsman

Southern Sportsman

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The recent 6 yr old (or more) deer picture on here got me thinking about how old some deer really get. When a picture of a really mature deer pops up, everybody says 6 1/2 because that's what is considered ancient, but I wonder. I was reading a QDM magazine today and saw a story about a deer they called the "cow buck" that was supposedly 15 yrs old when they killed him in 2011. They had pictures dating back to 2002, and he was mature then. He was a time-withered 4 point when they killed him. I love looking at those old past-their-prime deer and wondering how many miles they've walked or how many fawns they're sired, many of which certainly grew up and got shot well before papa. If you have any pictures of really old deer, lets see them.

This is the oldest I've gotten:
CDY_0389.jpg
 
man that's a hog of a deer!

I have yet to use a trail cam or see an old deer, except for the one I killed last week which was 5.5 according to most people here who saw the jawbone pics.
 
I believe both of these deer are older than 5.5. To my knowledge the first deer has never been seen during daylight, within the last couple years atleast.

SUNP0012.jpg


PIC_00163.jpg
 
This thread is great. Horns are the best furniture around, but to see deer like this is a wonder. The sheer mass in awesome. Do you guys think that some of these older deer, that get some age on them, continue to stay top dog or do you think after some age their bodies get weak, which may allow them to get beat out by a 3.5 year old stud.
 
My guess is that if they ever are the "dominant" buck in their area, they don't stay that way when they get older. It just seems like a deer that is more aggressive and makes himself dominant is more apt to get killed (chasing more, breeding more, etc), whereas one that is just content would stand a better chance of getting old. Of course I have absolutely no basis for this opinion, it's just a guess. I wish BSK would chime in on that one.
 
Southern Sportsman said:
My guess is that if they ever are the "dominant" buck in their area, they don't stay that way when they get older. It just seems like a deer that is more aggressive and makes himself dominant is more apt to get killed (chasing more, breeding more, etc), whereas one that is just content would stand a better chance of getting old. Of course I have absolutely no basis for this opinion, it's just a guess. I wish BSK would chime in on that one.
Click to expand...
ive been tryin to find an article in f&s that had to do with this. It was about non breeder bucks, whether it be due to age or injury how they push way back into the deep thick nasty where they never see people, pretty interesting i will keep lookin and see if i can find it, i dont believe everything i read but its one of them things that makes you think
 
Treestand Troubadour said:
Southern Sportsman said:
My guess is that if they ever are the "dominant" buck in their area, they don't stay that way when they get older. It just seems like a deer that is more aggressive and makes himself dominant is more apt to get killed (chasing more, breeding more, etc), whereas one that is just content would stand a better chance of getting old. Of course I have absolutely no basis for this opinion, it's just a guess. I wish BSK would chime in on that one.
Click to expand...
ive been tryin to find an article in f&s that had to do with this. It was about non breeder bucks, whether it be due to age or injury how they push way back into the deep thick nasty where they never see people, pretty interesting i will keep lookin and see if i can find it, i dont believe everything i read but its one of them things that makes you think
Click to expand...
Think this is the story your looking for.. I don't believe much that I read either but inclined to agree with this story.
Field & Stream - Bucks Dont Bother to Breed
 

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