TN Deer Population

[348Winchester]

Didn't the state record typical come from that area?

No, it was on Hatfield Mountain in Morgan County on what is now Catoosa WMA. But, as the crow flies, the two areas are only 25-30 miles apart.

I have had close calls with several more 140+ bucks but found sundry ways to screw them up. In 2000, I blew it on the largest buck I have ever seen. He had it all; width, mass, and length as well as a body like a burro.

Scott, Morgan and Fentress counties do not produce big harvest numbers but do produce higher than average numbers of big bucks.

What do you think about most of those bucks being taken in such a small area?

 

[Carlos]

Very interesting.
I haven't seen a population map in awhile, but I'd imagine most of our members are in the Nashville area, and west from there.

 

[BSK]

What do you think about most of those bucks being taken in such a small area?

That area has always fascinated me. The number of high-end bucks that have come out of that region defies logic.

 

[TheLBLman]

Just as BSK and others have indicated, unique factors can contribute to an increased percentage of mature bucks in an area.

Understand, I'm speculating here, but my guess is that one of those significant factors has been a lot less antler high grading by hunters, mainly due to simply less deer hunting there compared to most other areas of TN. The "less" deer hunting has been caused mainly by the rugged terrain, which likely has many pockets going virtually unhunted. These "pockets" of even less hunted spots then (more or less) become "refuges" for the 3 1/2 & older survivors.

I would also speculate the higher scoring bucks you've been killing were fully mature ones, and good examples of what bucks can do when the best "stock" isn't removed prematurely (like at ages 2 1/2 & 3 1/2).

 

[TheLBLman]

Didn't the state record typical come from that area?

Depends on exactly which state record typical you're talking about.
From 1959 until recently, the "Foster" buck had been TN's #1 Typical.
It was a perfect 12-point mainframe, believed to have been fully mature when taken.

However, it was taken just a little further south in Roane County.

It's been 62 years........

And this still stands as tennessee's #1 typical deer. Sonny foster buck Roane country 1959. 186 1/8 I remember seeing a old news paper with the story in it talking about how they all crammed in a old 4x4 jeep and drove as far back as they could up the mountain. Shot with iron sights, he didn't...

www.tndeer.com

 

[Buzzard Breath]

What do you think about most of those bucks being taken in such a small area?

Genetically superior hunters. Until recently, noone voluntarily moved to that area. Your gene pool wasn't getting diluted with Elmer Fudd chromosomes.

I have no real contribution to this thread, but those are some awesome bucks. Congrats. It sounds like you and PickettSFHunter continually kill big deer in some rough country.

 

[TheLBLman]

Back in the early 1960's, I believe there were two different bucks (not the Foster buck) taken from the Catoosa WMA which actually were entered in the B&C Record Book.

I believe we saw a few larger antlered bucks back then for a variety of reasons, but here are my top 3:

1) Lower deer densities which provided better quality food sources (per deer).
2) Less experienced, less effective hunters, who typically would shoot the first buck seen, rather than high-grade antlers.
3) In this general region, the soil is apparently a bit higher in the nutrients more conducive to larger antlers than compared to many other areas of TN.

Of course, in times past, there was also a very short gun season with a 1-buck limit in TN.
(And, no, I don't not want that.)

What baffles many, has been the lack of agricultural crops in the more rugged "plateau" regions of TN. Agricultural crops (and rich bottomland soils) seem to go hand in hand with those areas in most states consistently producing the highest scoring antlers. But that said, the 12-point mainframe Foster buck, nice as it was, having a score of 186, it would still be dwarfed by many 10-point mainframes scoring over 190's in states like Illinois, Ohio, etc.

Many other states are consistently producing mainframe 10-point typicals scoring over 190, and they're doing it now. That never happened in TN. State to state soil differences are likely the main reason why.

By comparison, most bucks which have made B&C in Tennessee have been somewhat freaks of nature. Even a perfect 12-point mainframe buck is somewhat a freak of nature.

 

[BSK]

By comparison, most bucks which have made B&C in Tennessee have been somewhat freaks of nature. Even a perfect 12-point mainframe buck is somewhat a freak of nature.

That is certainly the case now, in heavily hunted areas, primarily due to high-grading. In the past, true typical 12s weren't as rare as they are now, but still not commonplace. Both of these came from my area in the early to mid 2000s:

 

[BSK]

Henry,

Going through some of my pictures, here's some examples of what you don't want to shoot:

The first two pictures are 2 1/2 year-old 10-pointers. You definitely don't want to shoot 2 1/2 year-old 10-pointers. Neither of these bucks score high, but they show tremendous potential. Most mature 10-pointers weren't 10-pointers at 2 1/2. The second two pictures are high-scoring 3 1/2s. Both of these bucks need protecting (if high-scoring bucks is your management goal). The first one scored right at 140, the second probably high 140s to pushing 150. I know the first buck scored right at 140 because I killed him! Again, my place isn't managed for peak score, just entertaining hunting. And I would have shot that 2nd 3 1/2 year-old buck in a heartbeat if I had seen him.

 

[Henry]

Henry,

Going through some of my pictures, here's some examples of what you don't want to shoot:

The first two pictures are 2 1/2 year-old 10-pointers. You definitely don't want to shoot 2 1/2 year-old 10-pointers. Neither of these bucks score high, but they show tremendous potential. Most mature 10-pointers weren't 10-pointers at 2 1/2. The second two pictures are high-scoring 3 1/2s. Both of these bucks need protecting (if high-scoring bucks is your management goal). The first one scored right at 140, the second probably high 140s to pushing 150. I know the first buck scored right at 140 because I killed him! Again, my place isn't managed for peak score, just entertaining hunting. And I would have shot that 2nd 3 1/2 year-old buck in a heartbeat if I had seen him.

Thanks! Will study them...and have the wife look at them too.

 

[BSK]

New Field-judging buck age examples

First, let me emphasize that field-judging age is an art and not a science. Although I've been perfecting my skills for many years, I still only get 4 out of 5 buck ages right. Let me also emphasize that deer from different geographic regions will have different body conformation characteristics...

www.tndeer.com

By the way, check this VERY old thread out concerning field-judging age.