October 14, 2006A surprising find
It certainly did for me on opening day. The second I saw this deer I thought "shooter." This was my first bow buck so, really, at this point in my bowhunting career most 2.5-year-olds are shooters. Still, when I put my hands on this one I thought he was probably 3.5 years old because the antlers, even though they had only six points, were pretty wide (18 inches, outside) and heavy. Plus, HE was heavy - 145 pounds field dressed. I'm doing a European skull mount and today spent some time simmering the skull. When I pulled the lower jaw I was surprised by the good condition of the teeth. The buck looked to be just 2.5. I took the jaw to tonight's Hunters for the Hungry benefit dinner, hoping Virginia deer guru Matt Knox would be there. He was, and confirmed that it was 2.5. Ideally, it's best to let 2.5-year-old deer walk if you're seriously hoping to manage for trophy bucks. Not many yearlings get shot on the place where this one was killed, but we really aren't actively managing for trophies, either. It's hard to say what potential this deer had. Its rack would have gotten heavier, certainly. But it might never have had many points. I can't help wondering what a 3.5-year-old or older buck on this place might be able to grow on his head. |
About this blog
While growing up in rural Southern Oregon, Mark Taylor developed a passion for the outdoors while he and his younger brother tagged along with their father on fishing, hunting and camping adventures. Graduating from Northwestern University in 1988, Taylor spent four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy based in Norfolk before moving into journalism. After five years writing about the military for a Norfolk-based publishing company, he became the outdoors editor at The Roanoke Times in 1998. He lives in Roanoke with his wife and twin daughters. .....Advertisement.....
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