Mature, dominant, and biggest aren't adjectives that necessarily describe the same animal regardless of species (or person, for that matter). The biggest buck may not be the baddest--he may be more laid back in attitude, whereas a smaller buck may have a bigger attitude and therefore be the dominant buck. Both could be mature, in the the sense of being at the peak of rack development. I think that many times the biggest, smartest, and most elusive buck may not actually be dominant. He may have "gotten over that", got smart watching his bad boy friends get shot after getting "rut stupid", or maybe never did care that much about the "rut thing", just hid out in a little patch somewhere and got big. Huge tracks left during the night or sheds might be the only thing that lets you know he even exists.
Have had the same experience with boss turkeys. In one case the boss absolutely refused to come to a call, until last day of the season when he was the only one still gobbling. A couple of calls "over the shoulder" to hide direction brought him strutting almost a quarter mile across a disked corn field---and would have been the end of him, EXCEPT that he was smart enough to stay 50 yards out into the field, and the "side kick" that always traveled with him was only 40. He got a little smarter that day, and also had to get a new buddy. Not all bad, though--the side kick was the bigger bird.
Same thing last year at another location. The clear boss of the area was not the biggest bird, actually rather average.
I know this is the whitetail conference, not turkey, but it's the same thing. Buck I arrowed this fall wasn't the biggest, unfortunately the bigger buck ran away when the buck I harvested showed up to my grunt calls (aimed at the bigger buck, who wasn't impressed) with a definite attitude. And can't count how many times while pheasant hunting or whatever when I've kicked out a big buck who was all by himself in some little bit of trees or weeds, when there were smaller bucks running with the ladies (and later riding in the back of a pickup).
Not a universal truth, but the biggest isn't necessarily the dominant. And then there's always the "Napolean complex" to consider.
Thanks for letting me interrupt your conversation.
GD