is a 8 always an 8?

[Chuckfu]

Here are three years of a buck that was an 8 point our first year on a lease.
Starting in 2017
I agree that most 8s stay that way, but you never know unless you let them grow. This deer happen to be worth that risk.

[solocam_aggie]

The buck I killed this year was a main 10, then a main 11, to a perfect 8. I think it can go both ways.

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[wloftis]

I do not like a heavily populated 8 point gene. But to your question....I have a ranch I used to hunt and we had pictures of a large 8 point and he remained a 8 point for 5 years; continually growing in mass, height, etc. When he turned 6 years old; he blew up! Main frame 10 but had 16 scoreable points. He was shot with a bow at 6 years old and ended up scoring 175+.

[Jon B]

False. We shot a ten this year that was an 8 last year. I have seen deer that didn't change but it is the exception not the rule. We had a 7 point that was a 7 point at 3,4 and 5. He never saw 6 years old.

[txtimetravler]

...and we had pictures of a large 8 point and he remained a 8 point for 5 years; ...He was shot with a bow at 6 years old and ended up scoring 175+.

So he was a large 8 at a year old??

[KactusKiller]

Plain stupid for a “biologist” to say. Now if it’s high fence and over populated then he is playing the numbers game. On average majority of 8 even if they add points won’t become a lot more. I look at every deer different. You can sometime see potential for more with certain characteristics.
But by no means should anyone paint with that broad of a brush.

[Fishndude]

I’m sure this has been said above. The biologist is an idiot.

I had an 8 become a 20 plus

[buckduster]

Did he tell them that a spike was always a spike too?

[buckduster]

8 points

Did he tell them that a spike was always a spike too?

[MAP]

I have 3 sheds from 3 different bucks that where "management 8's" at 4 years old, and each turned into 175-188" bucks. They where not slick 8 points, but had alittle character at 4. When it comes to 8's I wouldnt want any of them shot that have any type of extras or big frames. From my experience these type of bucks normally get really big at 7+.

This might sound silly, but the only 4 year old 8's that I dont mind killing are slick 8's that have G2's and G3's that lean forward. Its kinda hard to explain over a message, but those type of bucks normally stay small 8's or turn into big 7's at some point in life.

[rtp]

Even though many add kickers they stay a main frame 8. Many ranches shoot all deer 5.5 that are 8 points. Why???! Because they have many more deer that are 10-12 points that are more desirable to do the breeding. Will one 8 maybe be a ten in 2 years? Maybe but in the big picture it is not worth that deer breeding when there are better genetics available.
It is no different than raising livestock, you want your best bull, ram, etc breeding your females.


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So if we are using points as a determining factor, you would rather shoot the 130" 8 pt at 5.5 and let the 120" 10 point walk?

[swamprabbit59]

I’m not sure if it’s the best tactic or not... but I have a friend on a 2400 acre place with a ton of 8 points and smaller bucks, so for 4 years they passed everything with more than 8 points, and killed all the 8’s and smaller bucks they saw. Now they kill a few 160+ 10-12’s every year, plus whatever they need to cull and they have a bigger healthier deer herd. Like I said, not sure if it’s the best way but it worked for them.


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[rtp]

I had a 5.5 yr old 9 pt that I guessed to be around 140 or so. It was an extremely wet year and I was having a really hard time getting a hunter into the pasture to try and get him. He was very identifyable because he was missing half of his front left hoof. I never was able to get a hunter to connect on him. Good thing because he blew up the next year. Stayed a mainframe 9 but grew every which way and added 3 extras and scored 168 and change.

[Bone Thug]

The answer is no....Not all 8pts stay 8’s.
We have seen many different 8’s add points from year to year. I really enjoy seeing what bucks do each season. The history side of a buck is very interesting to me.

[Capt.Brown]

He probably wasn’t miss understood. It’s the same idiots that are advising the TPWD to have a spike season.