Urgent age and score needed

[trophyhunter29]

deer age and score.

Ok through the pics you have and using the deers ears which are usually 6 to 6.5 inches I came up with some measurements. Left side G1 5", G2 6", G3 8", G4 5".
Right side G1 5.5", G2 7", G3 9", G4 5". Spread is 16-17". With no mass measurements it brings him around 106 +/-.
Remember a deers ears will never grow anymore after they are 1.5 yrs of age.

[ShaBow]

I can't make him older than 3.5! He needs a few more years!

[trophyhunter29]

So that makes them the best scoring tool in the field unless you want to ground check him. Lol.

[Aggieivy06]

I would call him 3.5 years, let him walk

I shot the deer in my avatar on a 1400 acre low fence ranch. It was triangular with almost 5 miles of highway frontage. he was 7 years old an pushing 200 pounds. Pure fair chase low fenced ranch.

^^^This is what I like to hear. For some reason, folks that don't "get it" like to associate older, bigger bucks with high fences. The bucks inside a high fence would never get old or big if the people on the inside shot them at young ages. It's all about the mindset of your hunters and those around you. If there is enough water and nutrition, it's no problem for a deer to reach 7 years if you let them. In 2002-2003, we TTT'd a lot of bred doe from South Texas to some high fence and low fence leases in East Texas to spice up the gene pool. I received reports last year that some of those doe were still dropping fawns.

We didn't try to protect that buck last year since it was an 8. We passed on him, but never pleaded with our neighbors. Also we only have 3 landowners including my dad. There is thousands of acres around us that can't be hunted so it's like we can manage much more than we have. Our land touches Lake Fairfield and Big Brown Mine is a mile from us. The mine owns everything around them. I wanted to plead with our neighbors to give this buck a pass this year because 75% of our hunters think he's 3 1/2, but I wasn't allowed to do that because one of hunters says he is 4 1/2 and 140-150 inches. I think he's 3 1/2. Maybe 125 tops.

You are right on with the score, my man. His tines are short and beams are well short of his nose length, and he's not very heavy--but he is young. He's closer to 120 than 140 and likely wouldn't nudge 130. However, he's got great potential and could be a bruiser in another couple of years.

[rtp]

So if your lease rules are 4.5 on trophies, what is the penalty if he shots this deer and the teeth age out at 3.5?

He looks 3.5 to me and would get his walking papers. I have to make many judgment calls on age every year. If in doubt, I error to the benefit of the deer. Sometimes it works out sometimes it doesn't. There is no worse feeling than waffling on the age of a buck, only to find out he was the younger of the two ages you were toggling back and forth between.

[txhunter817]

So if your lease rules are 4.5 on trophies, what is the penalty if he shots this deer and the teeth age out at 3.5?

He looks 3.5 to me and would get his walking papers. I have to make many judgment calls on age every year. If in doubt, I error to the benefit of the deer. Sometimes it works out sometimes it doesn't. There is no worse feeling than waffling on the age of a buck, only to find out he was the younger of the two ages you were toggling back and forth between.

Unfortunately we don't have any penalties this year. This same hunter got mad after last season about having rules and penalties so now its more of a gentleman's agreement and he plans to do what he wants basically.


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[lilbradford]

3.5. 125ish

[txhunter817]

The general consensus of tbh seems to be almost everyone thinking 3.5 years max. That is the same opinion 3 of 4 hunters have on our ranch. Everyone says to let him walk. Again 3 of 4 hunters agree on that too. I wish we could convince the other hunter to give him a pass this year. Thanks so much for all the replies everyone. 2 of us wanted to make sure we weren't wrong somehow on our age and score guess because of how adamant we've been in trying to protect this buck. Unfortunately I believe this promising 3 1/2 year old buck will meet his maker this weekend.

[txhunter817]

Bump for the evening crowd

[GarGuy]

He is either 3.5 or 4.5. I would literally puke if I accidentally shot that deer.

[BBBGP]

3.5

[txhunter817]

Bump for the evening crowd

[TexZ71]

3.5, he has a lot of potential, hope he lives to see at least 5.5.