Aging Bucks on the Hoof by Grant Woods
Aging bucks on the hoof – an example during December. I still get very excited when I see any deer coming through the woods. That excitement level ratchets up when I see an antlered buck approaching!
It’s become very popular among hunters to pass younger bucks and wait for a mature buck. That can be tough to do when you only have seconds to see and decide to shoot or pass. Let’s say you are hunting where the landowner requests bucks are at least 3 years old before they are harvested. You see the buck in this video coming and know you will have seconds to decide whether to use your tag or pass. What would you do?
Preventing cookies from being stored on your device may interfere with your ability to view video content.
You can adjust your cookie setting by clicking the button below.
I estimate this buck is 2.5 years old because:
- His back and belly are very straight.
- His shoulders and hams are not very muscular or developed.
- His chest doesn’t sag below where his shoulders meet his legs.
- His neck merges with his chest well above his brisket, especially for during November in the Midwest.
- If I cover his antlers and simply view his body, he looks like a large doe.
The last tip is often a tell tale sign of an immature buck. This is a dandy buck, but he has lots of potential to grow a larger body and antlers. How’d you do? Did you give him a pass?
Growing and Hunting Deer together,
Grant
Aging bucks on the hoof – an example during December
I still get very excited when I see any deer coming through the woods. That excitement level ratchets up when I see an antlered buck approaching! It’s become very popular among hunters to pass younger bucks and wait for a mature buck. That can be tough to do when you only have seconds to see and decide to shoot or pass.
Let’s say you are hunting where the landowner requests bucks are at least 3 years old before they are harvested. You see the buck in this video coming and know you will have seconds to decide whether to use your tag or pass. What would you do?
I estimate this buck is 2.5 years old because:
- His back and belly are very straight.
- His shoulders and hams are not very muscular or developed.
- His chest doesn’t sag below where his shoulders meet his legs.
- His neck merges with his chest well above his brisket, especially for during November in the Midwest.
- If I cover his antlers and simply view his body, he looks like a large doe.
The last tip is often a tell tale sign of an immature buck. This is a dandy buck, but he has lots of potential to grow a larger body and antlers. How’d you do? Did you give him a pass?
Growing and Hunting Deer together,
Grant
