How big is this deer? (Still on the hoof) W/ Scale

[Broncazonk]

Here is the same photo, less cropped to show one of the neighbors corn feeding stations in the picture for some scale. (I've got mixed emotions about them things. I think they change the deer's movements and patterns. And they are not a big success for him at all.) We each have about 1200 acres next to each other, he goes hog wild with about 10 feeders every year. We stay 100% natural.

This is a O.v. texanus deer by the way, not the macrourus sub-species of north-eastern Kansas and Iowa.

Does the added scale change anyones impressions as to size?

I still think he's 3 1/2 y.o.

Bronc

 

[Grasshopper]

I'd agree; 3-1/2 on the buck.

No idea of the age on the feeder....

In my pretty limited experience, the feeders do mess with deer patterns. I hunt western KS (when I can draw a tag) and like to hunt little creek bottoms way out on the prairies. Couple years ago, another guy (local)got permission to hunt from the same landowner. He stuck a feeder in two of the creek bottoms I hunt and had a stand sitting right by 'em. I hunted at least a 1/4 mile off the feeder and the deer movement was almost non-existent.

In years past, these two little patches of cover were dynamite funnels during the rut. I think the increased human activity and sloppy hunting practices made the difference. The next time I came out there, he'd lost permission and removed the feeder. The place rocked, once again.

Way more info than you asked for (sorry) but the topic caught my interest. I also hunt the big woods in WI, where some guys bait. Don't even get me started on that /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif

 

[Sligh1]

Body for says 3 BUT sometimes this late in the season their bodies make them look younger than they are because they are so shrunk down from the rut- looks 3 and 140 if I had to guess.

Thankfully Iowa doesn't allow baiting.

What's the story with the different species of deer over there and how do you know all that? (I don't know much on that subject at all!).

 

[Broncazonk]

Hey...

The Chautauqua Hills part of Kansas is the northern most extension of O. v. texanus, the Texas whitetail. In years past, they actually were the "grey ghosts" you see on T.V. I killed the deer below last year (2007) and he is a good example of that grey texanus color. (It has nothing to do with age.) Their color seems to be getting browner ever year.

Kansas actually has four different sub-species of whitetailed deer:

1) O. v. macrourus - The native deer to eastern Kansas (East of I-135) The macrourus deer a big-headed, nearly horse-headed brutes, with lots of heavy, uneven, non-typical antler development. All the HUGE non-typical stuff you see coming out of Kansas is usually macrourus.

2) O. v. borealis - Imported and released by Missouri G&F in the 1930's. The borealis deer are big and very long-haired. They came from Minnesota orginally, were released in eastern Missouri up to the 1950's and drifted into extreme eastern and south eastern Kansas.

3) O. v. texanus - Has naturally moved north from Oklahoma. The texanus deer are the smallest bodied deer in Kansas, by far, but they grow the largest antlers in relation to their body weight of any WT deer. They are also very active and visible in the rut.
The "Kansas King" deer, (sheds that went 217" B&C net, never killed or even seen) was a texanus deer who lived about 25 miles from this deer.

4) O. v. dakotensis - The Dakota deer of western Kansas (West of I-135) The dakotensis deer are big and impressive and usually lighter brown, paler colored, than any other deer.

Bronc