1 1/2 year old
90 - 135 lbs
Skinny neck, small front shoulder area
small head, usually a small fork horn
2 1/2 year old
140 - 165lbs
Shoulders still small but filling out, neck has gained slight mass, back is straight, slendor mid section.
Can have a decent rack, but usually thin massed, small 6 or 8 is most common.
No reason to shoot this deer as you probably cannot determine rack characteristics yet.
This particular young 8 has a very tall G2. Great buck to let walk.
3 1/2 year old
165-205 lbs
Bigger shoulder area, belly getting larger, back is still straight
Can have an exceptional rack with decent mass
If he has antlers with an undesirable quality, you could take him now.
But if it is just a small rack you may want to pass, so you are not accidentaly taking a healthy two year old
4 1/2 year old
175 - 235lbs
Starting to have a pot belly and there is a sway starting in the back
Big shoulder area where neck seems to disappear
Maturing deer with a maturing rack, should have good mass here, needs one more year of growth for the antlers
If this deer is still an 8 or less, you can remove him now as a management buck
5 year plus
180 + lbs
Mature Whitetail buck
Pot belly on good range with huge chest and neck.
Skin around the face and head begin to sag or droop and has an older look
The body has grown more than the legs making them appear almost too short because of his size
Lots of mass in horns usually has best set at 5-6 and begins to decline after that, but may keep good mass afterwards
If he has a desireable multi-tine rack and you don't need another trophy on the wall, you may want to give him a few years to pass on the genes
In the photo below note the huge mid-section and
chest. Neck and shoulders are one.
A small sway in the back in this photo, some sways
are more pronounced.
The Worst Bucks to Shoot
A 2 -3 year old 8 point or better with a bigger than average rack, especially 10 or more points..
Here is where the "15 inch or better" management style falls completely apart.
Under this approach, you would be shooting your best bucks at 2-3 and letting your worst potential bucks walk?
You should let better than average traits continue to age and breed.
It appears the 10 point below is a 3 year old with a few years to grow..
The 8 point is obviously a young buck with tall tines and great potential
to be a trophy with age.
These are the key deer you DO NOT WANT TO SHOOT.
Give these guys 2-3 more years and you will have a true trophies and a few
years of good breeding.
The Best Buck to Shoot
A 4+ year old buck with 8 or less points.
Many Mature bucks never get to be more than an 8 point. However, they continue to breed and pass undesirable genes
They also eat valuable browse that takes away from the bucks that do have potential to be a trophy
The 5 year old in the motion shot below is a 7 point over 200lbs. this
is not a deer I want breeding and eating.
See his big belly and sway back and he is missing his G3 on the right side...POW
