dedgeez
death from above
I'm not trying to sell you anything. I just think you'll be surprised at how little he is in person. I have sheds to a deer that I am 99% sure was a 2 year old that year. He looked very similar to this deer in body size and had a 140 class rack on his head. I had 500plus pics of this deer throughout the summer and when I laid eyes on him in October he looked like a fawn with horns. All I'm saying is to me, when you have young deer like this around that have that kind of potential, it is something special. I would be just as pumped to have a buck like that roaming around all fall on the farm as to actually kill one. Those are the kind of deer that turn out like that Hokah buck. But kill him if you want to 
Just givin ya $hit man.
He would be nice and tender to eat though.
Just givin ya $hit man. He would be nice and tender to eat though.
Cooter
Active Member
Easy for guys to let deer walk that have ground lock up to themselves or control the deer that are taken off it.
If you would be proud of that deer hanging on your wall. TAKE IT if you get the chance.
Life is full of what ifs .......what if you only ever see him alive once?????
Hunt to your expectations not someone elses
Mobile Cooter
If you would be proud of that deer hanging on your wall. TAKE IT if you get the chance.
Life is full of what ifs .......what if you only ever see him alive once?????
Hunt to your expectations not someone elses
Mobile Cooter
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josh macfarland
New Member
Cooter said:
I couldn't of said it better myself
arrow flinger
hawkjosh22
Member
In my area, he wouldn't probably make it through Shotgun season as everyone around me shoots everything. Even guys in my group shoot everything they see, when I try to let the young bucks pass.
josh macfarland
New Member
hawkjosh22 said:
Same at my place.that's a Dang nice deer where I hunt
arrow flinger
Crimson Arrows
Well-Known Member
That deer has the makings of a giant :way: Probably 3.5 now..maybe 2.5 :drink1:
Will he make it..hard to say? But if he does....
DoneRight
PMA Member
x100 :way:
loneranger
Well-Known Member
When I first came to Iowa, 2 1/2 yr olds were old bucks where I came from. Quickly I found out,,, that is not old for Iowa. First season I was tickled to have a 2 yr old down. Now,,when I walk up to one,,I see a youngster. When I look at the young deer I have taken I also think, what if ,,I,,would have let them walk? They may have made it? Even if I did not see them again would be glad one made it to another season. It is,,all about what makes you happy. I get excited still when I see any buck,,after yrs of seeing ,,not much,,where I came from. But when I walk up to one laying on the ground,, I want to be satified I matched brains with an older guy. Is not that easy I know,,if the shot presents itself in the dim morning light,,and your adreniline is flowing,,and you have not seen a deer in days. But I try to tell myself,,"will you be happy when you walk up to him ?". That is the standard I now try to keep.
Well I think I will take a shot at him "if" I see him. Like I said, only on camera 1 time. Haven't made it out to my stand yet. But, I think I want to move it a little deeper in the treeline. Not so sure I should do that at this point. May have to wait till they start to combine corn next to treeline.
bloodhoundhandler
New Member
Agree not everybody is into deer farming. If that deer makes you excited shoot him and don't look back or ever regret it
blakesburg
PMA Member
I thought I read that antler size/traits were passed through the does.
Uh, yeah, but they get them from the bucks that breed them.
Antler genes are passed from the bucks to the doe fawns, so if a buck with big antler genese breeds a doe, then her doe fawns will have the genes to pass along to their buck fawns. So basically they skip a generation.
It's a lot more of a crap shoot than most people realize. Imagine that a buck with big antler genes breeds a doe who then has two button bucks. Dead end for the buck's genes.
If you like the buck, shoot him. Trying to allow his genes to be passe on is a real longshot.
That young buck will be 200" if he's able to reach his potential and be able to reach maturity. WOW! YOUNG.
Honestly, he likely won't be that hard to kill this year as YOUNG bucks aren't near the intelligence of a mature buck BUT if you shoot him, 100% sure he won't make it another year. If passing him goes through your mind (IF), Iowa is probably the most likely place in the world to have a buck like that make it and I've had GREAT experiences passing younger bucks on small parcels, a good amount have and will survive. Whatever you decide is up to you BUT the fact is, that buck is a RARE GEM of genetics and could be a buck of a lifetime for someone IF he was able to reach his potential. Whatever you decide, good luck this fall!
*Genetics are equally passed by bucks and does and that buck would likely breed many does this year and many more through out his years. Like I said, that is a young buck with RARE & AMAZING genetics and potential!!
Honestly, he likely won't be that hard to kill this year as YOUNG bucks aren't near the intelligence of a mature buck BUT if you shoot him, 100% sure he won't make it another year. If passing him goes through your mind (IF), Iowa is probably the most likely place in the world to have a buck like that make it and I've had GREAT experiences passing younger bucks on small parcels, a good amount have and will survive. Whatever you decide is up to you BUT the fact is, that buck is a RARE GEM of genetics and could be a buck of a lifetime for someone IF he was able to reach his potential. Whatever you decide, good luck this fall!
*Genetics are equally passed by bucks and does and that buck would likely breed many does this year and many more through out his years. Like I said, that is a young buck with RARE & AMAZING genetics and potential!!
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Cooter
Active Member
Really you know this for sure????
I see you addressed the "if" what about personal expectations.
I agree this deer could get big but some come off pushing age and antler size so heavy it is crazy.
What if this is a new or younger hunter and he gets all this advice? Now he holds out for years waiting for this great mithical animal but never sees it. Or shoots this deer and feels regret. Finally he gets frustrated because he sets goals to meet yours and stops hunting all together.
I know some of your dreams are have every buck grow till 5+ and you are trying to educate everyone to do this, just like back in the day everyone was taught to only shoot bucks.
Most of you pushing this have your own ground and food plots. Then your ground becomes a sanctuary when the pressure gets heavy. So letting a deer walk for you is easy.
Sat in a new stand a little deeper in the trees. Finally seen doe with fawn come out of the standing corn. 2 small bucks followed a few minutes later and started to spar. The larger of the 2 a small basket 8. Fun to watch and they left and went down into creek but could still hear them splashing and antlers hitting, finally circling back behind me till dark. Took a while to get out of stand, but a good thing at least deer there.
Did not see the big boy, only 1st time out yet.
Did not see the big boy, only 1st time out yet.
Oh Cooter, busting my balls, you goof ball
It's all good. OK.... I should have written some fine print
NO- I do not know 100% sure that buck will reach 200" if he's fully mature.... He might get an injury OR he might just not make a predictable jump that most would. I would lay my $ on it he hits 200" if he got 5, 6 or 7-ish. Yes, I could be wrong there!I was just stating my opinion. And if it's the kid's 1st buck, hey whatever. If it's the kid's 105th buck, whatever too. I shot several young bucks when I STARTED hunting and I think that's an area that hey, that's totally cool as we all know there's NO QUESTION these kids are ecstatic to shoot anything those 1st couple years. If it TRULY fills your season and fills you up as a hunter, great. I just know too many folks (nothing to do with this thread) that just need to get something on the ground with horns no matter what, I know many who regret what they shoot and I know many who have a garage full of young tiny bucks that they don't give a piss about and just wanna kill bucks. BIOLOGY doesn't back what THOSE guys do and I think that should at least be ACCOUNTED for to SOME degree. These rascals are not ONLY here for our shooting pleasure, we have a duty, in my opinion, to account for management, biology, etc. that includes age structure, sex ratios, genetics, etc.
NO- no one has to set a bar a XYZ point... 5.5 like I CHOOSE to do for "good reason" in my OPINION (opinion BUT I'll back up WHY it makes excellent biological sense). I'm in the VAST VAST Minority with that too, keep that in mind. I was after 5.5 year old deer when I was hunting PERMISSION ground with no food plots that ranged from 40 to 160 acres and I was successful, was NOT easy. Let's say there really isn't any 5.5's (or WHATEVER) in your neighborhood, maybe you challenge yourself to 4.5's OR maybe there's lots of 2.5's and few 3.5's so you choose to go for 3.5's. WHATEVER- I think it makes sense to challenge yourself on something realistic that also is a good biological decision as well.
5.5's are FAR from mythical creatures in MOST parts of the state. 3.5's are common in almost all settings (yes, I know a few will say NO, I agree there's a few places that are exceptions to any rule)... I'd say ON AVERAGE a 4.5 is a tough but attainable animal on average. I've killed 5.5's on every type of land I can think of in IA in many counties over many years. Did I have to pass a TON of 3.5's to see ONE 5.5? YEP. Was it hard? YEP. Did I eat tag sandwhiches ever? YEP. Was I ok with NOT shooting a buck for just the sake of it, letting young bucks walk and going home empty handed? YEP. Will I go home empty handed this year if no 5.5 gives me a shot? YEP. Do I enjoy hunting even if I don't kill something? YEP. You get my point.
At the end of the day, to each his own, you're gonna do what you wanna do and same with me BUT I'll make a biological argument anyday and I love what I'm doing. Hope you say the same. Good luck out there!
