megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
looks like a 3.5 yo to me as well
-
Help Support TNDeer:
Thoughts
- Thread starter OakHillHunter
- Start date
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
The most certain thing I can say is this buck has the genetics for a very wide rack!
My best guess is he's 3 1/2 or older, possibly 4 1/2.
Still can't rule out his being a super, super 2 1/2.
If he were in my hunting area, he is the very essence of a buck I'd want to protect until he's as least a year older.
But that's just me. If I were younger and had never killed a 3 1/2-yr-old buck, never killed a buck larger antlered than that one, would probably just be like many other hunters eager to shoot him, as I have been in times past.
For those thinking this buck might make the 125" net minimum for P&Y,
I don't think he will. There's not much mass there. He's very wide, but very little score comes from that.
He does look 120-class.
He also is looking more & more like a truly top-end, super-well-fed 2 1/2-yr-old buck.
If that's the case, his antler gain from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 will likely be astronomical.
My best guess is he's 3 1/2 or older, possibly 4 1/2.
Still can't rule out his being a super, super 2 1/2.
If he were in my hunting area, he is the very essence of a buck I'd want to protect until he's as least a year older.
But that's just me. If I were younger and had never killed a 3 1/2-yr-old buck, never killed a buck larger antlered than that one, would probably just be like many other hunters eager to shoot him, as I have been in times past.
For those thinking this buck might make the 125" net minimum for P&Y,
I don't think he will. There's not much mass there. He's very wide, but very little score comes from that.
He does look 120-class.
He also is looking more & more like a truly top-end, super-well-fed 2 1/2-yr-old buck.
If that's the case, his antler gain from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 will likely be astronomical.
He looks closer to 2.5 than 4.5. But I think he's 3.5. Either way he has incredible potential.
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
After watching the videos, still think 3.5, but think he may score higher than my initial guess.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
As an aside, I've personally seen, in TN, very well-fed 2 1/2's, with top-end genetics, actually gross score into the 140's, meaning they were overall larger antlered than this particular buck (regardless of his age).
Even in the "ridge & hollow lands" of TN's Western Highland Rim (relatively poor habitat, acorn-driven), I've seen 2 1/2's score into the 130's, and quite a few @ 120. But can't say I've ever seen a 2 1/2 as wide as this one. Of course, anywhere in TN, when a 2 1/2 can score 110 or higher, he's approaching top-end for TN. Maybe 1 in 25? But a 120-class youngster is maybe 1 in 100?
A few years ago, I was shown pictures of a mainframe 12-pointer, and asked to guess the buck's age. I guessed that buck at 4 1/2, thinking he "could" have been only 3 1/2. Then we were shown all his antler measurements and his jawbones. That Middle KY buck appeared to be no older than 2 1/2, and gross scored around 160.
My best guess remains 3 1/2 for this thread's buck
But am now thinking it's just as likely he's 2 1/2 as 4 1/2.
This is a truly special buck due to that wide spread.
