How to prevent 'ground shrinkage' ....

[Cornfed]

Hey guys vacation starts tommorrow so I am just here at work day dreaming when this topic crossed my mind..... we have all probably shot a nice buck at one time or another only to suffer from 'ground shrinkage' once we recovered him (ie. smaller than you thought he was prior to the shot).... anyway, some interesting thoughts/observations to use in field judging.

The average mature whitetail has an ear length of 7 inches.

The average tip to tip spread of the ears in a forward position is 17 inches.

If on profile the bucks main beam tips extend past his nose then he has exceptional mainbeam length.... many 'book' bucks do not extend past the nose however......

Since using this method of field judging I have found it much easier to determine from a distance if a buck meets MY personal criteria.... hope this helps prevent some 'ground shrinkage' for someone

 

[firedog]

Great advice! I have had the ground shrinkage antlers before. That is a great way to look at deer. No one has ever mentioned that to me before....now if I can only keep my composure as I stare at a nice buck!

 

[150 Class]

When they are truly BIG, when you see it you will say to yourself OH MY GOSH and you also might wet your shorts. Those that you have to judge are the ones that are prone to ground shrinkage. At least for me, I have found that in good lighting, especially when it is in bow range, you will know a shooter the moment that you see it. Other deer seem to get bigger and bigger the longer you look at it and the closer it gets and can shrink quite a lot when they hit the ground.

 

[Shredder]

Great tips to observe a deer and field judge prior to the shot. I think the majority of the ground shrinkage occurs when a hunter has to make that split second decision whether to harvest a deer or not and does not look at the rack closely.

 

[scout]

I agree with 150 class.
Bino's can fix the visual image in your mind and fool you into adding inches.
Like 150 class said when you see them you just know at a glance. I like the ones that look like a carpenter swinging around a long 2x6 when they turn thier head!

This year the "2x6" got hit by a car. But I stuck a "2x4"! It should grose low mid 150's.
Another thing... The higher you hunt the smaller they look and the larger they look if you are low. Get high

 

[BW]

Don't Shoot.

 

[Limb Chicken]

150,
I agree I like to call it shock value!!!

 

[hawkeyefan]

I find that if you try to stay sober, ground shrinkage isn't generally an issue.