Hypothetical Question 2

[Encinal]

You have a ranch management plan that allows your best trophy bucks to get to 6+ years old before they are eligible for harvest.

It has been an amazing rain year.

The good young buck you have been watching has bloomed from a very nice typical 160" 10 pointer with no trash as a 4 year old to a 180" 10 with matching double drops as a 5 year old.

Do you let him go another year?

[Shane]

What could you get for him this year? What might you get for him next year?

[jimmy o]

Yup rules are rules.

[150class]

180 ten with double drops at 5.5?
That's a dream buck and a exception
Dead deer


Double drops and a 160+ eight get shot even if a year short on my hypothetical place

[Kdog]

I would try to kill him with my bow. If he can out smart me then he gets to live .

[In Rut]

If you shoot a 180 he never gets to 190. If you shoot him at 5 you have less of a chance of him passing his genetics on in years to come. I would say if the rules or management plan are to take 6 year old bucks wait until 6. A buck like that should live until at least 7-8 maybe longer on a trophy managed ranch IMO. Great thread.

[quackaholic1]

Yep let him go to at least 6 if not 7. Some bucks add a lot of antler from 5 to 7

[panhandlehunter]

If you shoot a 180 he never gets to 190. If you shoot him at 5 you have less of a chance of him passing in his genetics on in years to come. I would say if the rules or management plan are to take 6 year old bucks wait until 6. A buck like that should live until at least 7-8 maybe longer on a trophy managed ranch IMO. Great thread.

He may never get to 190 anyway. In the grand scheme of things one deer won't make a difference. And he may never grow those double drops again. I would take him now. But it is ultimately up to the person calling the shots.

[Colton]

Rules are made to be broken. Ace that fool!!!

[d_e_smith]

Is this place HF?

[MassMan]

Life's too short. If you want a 180 double drop kill him.

[low_tec]

How big are the drops? My ranch my rules? He might not make it if the drops have some good length.

[J-Jac]

I would let him go on a high fence ranch and I would hunt him on a low fence ranch. For the record, I'm not trying to be sarcastic.

[Clintbow]

Yes, what's the point of having a management plan if you don't follow it. It's also a slippery slope because once you make an exception than everyone who hunts there will make an exception and there goes the management plan. If you are literally the only one hunting the property it might be different.

[Rivermonster]

Everything always sounds so nice and easy to do sitting around the camp fire. But if i'm holding my bow and that guy walks out and stands broad side at 20 yards, he'd probably end up dead. 5 yo may not be ultimate peek potential, but it's pretty dang good.