I can’t recall the exact study or quote, but I remember Matt Brock stating that there are only a very small percentage of bucks that will ever grow 150” of antler, period.

You and Matt Brock are 100% correct

Agreed. The vast majority of bucks in my area will NEVER make it to 140 much less 150. I have had plenty over the years that have never made it to 130". Most of the time the bucks that have a chance to really be special stand out at age 2-1/2, and are in the 130's (or real close) at 3-1/2. And a lot of the time they get killed as a 130" 3-1/2 yo.

Three seasons ago I had pictures of a main frame 10pt with a split brow tine and he not a minute over 2-1/2 yo. He was easily distinguished as both main beams turned down at the end and his tines all swept in getting pretty close together above his head. He added another small tine on his main beam as a 3yo but lost the split brow. I never got another picture past the first week or so of season might have scored 125"ish.

hoss is right, the exceptional deer are usually exceptional at all ages, and get killed for it at three. I have a buck on my place that is a really nice two year old ten point. Not huge , but above average at two. He was a smaller version ten point at one. He will be an exceptional buck at five or six IF he lives and is healthy.

Appears that we hunt the same make up of property and have the same philosophy of hunting. That six year old five point that I killed sure was fun though. Glad I wasn't waiting on him to be 130.

I haven't killed one that big or anywhere near that big. I have been lucky enough to be with or around people who had. I put my hands on a 154" deer in Illinois once and a 173" deer in Winston County, Alabama once. I can tell you this, that most people around here believe they've got a 140 or 150 and in reality they've got a 120. I'm in no way knocking them because I thought the same dad gum thing until I saw what it took to make a 154" deer and a 173" deer. Those were gross scores as well, no knocks for symmetry. Also they were green scores on both of them. No drying involved.

Everyone is going to argue that they "can't grow good bucks". That might be a 140 or 120 doesn't matter. A "good buck" is subjective.

What about focusing on age instead of worrying about overall score? Do you think we collectively as a State deer herd have good age structure? Maybe the deer will only ever be a 100 inch deer in a certain area.... My question is how many of those do you have. I do realize they don't all die via a bullet. However - there are not many places I have ever hunted in this State with 4-5 year old deer running around. How do you get there? Does anyone even really care that we get there?

I do hunt other States and I do think their age structure is much better. Young deer get killed especially on public ground in those states and a property owner who has 2 tags most certainly might shoot a 2 year old 6 point in those States. But something is different. Lot more 3 year olds running around.

Don't read into what I just wrote anything about my opinion. Just lay down some thoughts on that and what you think. I'd be interested.

I think focusing on either would help the other

I think it would be great for this state and in 5 years of implementing a new management strategy state wide Alabama would become a destination hunt. The only problem is there’s too many bubbas that aren’t going to have the next guy tell them how to hunt. So many people are worried about getting theirs we’ll never collectively get there.

The only problem is there’s too many bubbas that aren’t going to have the next guy tell them how to hunt. So many people are worried about getting theirs we’ll never collectively get there.

Why are they bubbas just because they don't want to trophy hunt? Just asking as I have never considered myself a bubba. I actually don't shoot any young deer as I don't care to, but I also don't care if someone else does.

>>>>However - there are not many places I have ever hunted in this State with 4-5 year old deer running around. How do you get there? Does anyone even really care that we get there?<<<

To answer your last question, I don't care. I have always been happy to just hunt whatever deer that we have on the place. When I was really interested in deer hunting I spent a lot of time scouting and looking for a big track, then would hunt him in January during the rut. If I happened to succeed and kill an older buck, his rack was little more than a curiosity. I was just as happy if he was an older 6 point that scored 90. I never used cameras and seldom knew what the deer looked like until I shot him. I think cameras have changed deer hunting more than anything, and not for the better.

I always wanted the deer herd to be healthy, and to have decent age structure, but I think all of the emphasis on the perfect rack is bad for the sport. The public in AL still supports hunting for food; it doesn't support trophy hunting and that's where all the emphasis seems to be going. What really concerns me is that so many hunters embrace more government restrictions in the hopes that it will somehow help them to kill a bigger buck someday. What difference does it make if your bucks top out at 120 instead of 135? Does anyone think that an extra 15 points to a deer score is gonna make you any happier?

Not me. Guess I am out of touch with the world today.

I think that the bigger the rack more rare and in return the more treasured. It's definitely hard to kill a mature buck, but exponentially more rare to kill a mature buck that has the rare blessings of a 150"+ set of head gear.

Now I will be the first to say I DO NOT want more regulations. Personally I don't shoot much anymore and when I do it will be a mature buck so additional regulation won't have much of a direct affect to me. But, I have a 7yo that absolutely loves hunting right now, and like I was when I was younger he loves to shoot. He is the shooter 9 out of 10 times we hunt, and I have been a total of 1 time this year without him. We are blessed to get to hunt a lot, generally 1-2 afternoons and maybe 1 morning a week (3 hunts a week is a lot to me).

I may be in the wrong but I have told him he will need to kill 100 or more before he is truly confident with his shot, what shots are marginal, what shots to take and when to pass. By then he may be more of a trophy hunter but I'm not rushing it. Until then we are in it for the fun not the racks.



He killed a 125" 3yo 10pt this year that probably had the most potential of anything I had on my place to make it in the upper 130"s. I don't know of any regulations that would or could prevent quality 3yo's from getting killed?

They’re not just because of that, I called them bubbas on a Hail Mary cast and it looks like the cork is bobbing. In all seriousness it’s usually a good Ol boy who don’t spell good or talk right that tells me you can’t eat the horns. That’s fine, I agree you can’t but don’t complain about not seeing big deer or not seeing lots of deer in Alabama if you shoot everything that moves. Also I’m not talking about trophy hunting at all.... I’m talking about age managing your herd.... that’s two totally different things.

-I manage the herd to the extent I can.
-I don't have a problem with what others shoot.
-I haven't shot a deer this year as it has been a down year for me individually. That doesn't bother me. Still enjoy it.
-Last I checked my name wasn't bubba and I think I talk right.
-I am in a small club (6 of us) that is a great group of guys with no arguments and essentially shoot what makes us happy. This year to date, we have killed four bucks and one doe. Haven't been aged, but two of the bucks might be 3, others are older. One was the first deer for a wife. One was upper 120s and that is a good deer antler wise for us.
-Observation wise, one hunt in December with four hunters we saw a grand total of two does. One hunt in late December we with four hunting we saw 48 total. Same guys, same land. Different moon, different weather. It happens.
-We have probably killed six hogs and they do run off the deer as soon as they show up. I don't think it effects the long term movement of the deer, but does take away food resources.

I guess I just don't understand what all the fuss is about and why we would ask for more regulations upon us. They are just goats.

I agree with this line of thinking

This is 100% correct. Where I live almost everyone owns 20-40 acres and a lot of them like to hunt and when they hunt they like to kill stuff. I have run cameras at my house on and off ever since they been making cameras and I have got 1 picture of 1 buck that would be what I would call a really good buck. When I hunt I like to see deer and feel like I have a chance of killing a good one. That is why I don't hunt on the 40 acres where I live. I also agree with outdoorobsession that in AL if want to realisticly have a chance of killing a big buck every year you have to spend big bucks.

I would just like to see 150” deer let alone kill one. I can’t even find a 150 inch buck on 2000+ acres in the Midwest. I’m gonna tell you fellas something y’all already know based off the many comments on this thread, a 150” deer is a special animal! They do not live behind every tree as some are lead to believe. I have been blessed to hunt some great properties over my hunting career, but very few have offered the opportunity at 150” deer consistently. My best Alabama buck to date came off 100 acres of land in Covington County that offered very little in Ag and natural browse. He was a special deer that had the right genetics that I helped express by providing year around protein with supplemental feeding and food plots.

I personally strive to shoot 4 year old or older. I don’t care if he scores 20” or 150” at age 4 he’s a shooter in my personal opinion and what I would consider a trophy. I am personally trying to up my game to 5+ but still see the occasional 4 year old that floats my bobber and he gets shot. In my club we simply shoot age rather than score. We don’t have a antler criteria that deer must meet because I’ve never been able to get one to stand still long enough for me to measure him up. All I ask of my members is to do your best to accurately field age him and if he’s 4 and one you want to give a ride, burn powder. I know we have the potential to grow some exceptional deer due to the amount of land we as as QDM cooperative control. I also understand we will most likely kill more mature deer that average 110” to 120” than the higher scoring deer. I do believe we can consistently kill a few above average deer every season if we do our part in managing the herd.

I personally understand where a lot of folks are at in their stage of hunting. I started like most everyone else on here. We were poor when I was growing up and I hunted public land 99% of the time. When I finally could afford to join a good club that had an abundance of deer I burned a lot of powder. It did not matter if it was a buck or doe, I was gonna make up for all those years of hard hunting. I get it and understand folks need to kill deer because we all are in different stages with life and hunting. I’m all for killing what makes you happy and I’ll congratulate you!! The good thing is, it’s a renewable resource and we can always grow more deer.

A lot of wisdom in that post by someone that has killed some fine deer. Thanks for the post.

Deer over 150" are a rarity wherever you are. I killed two bucks at my friend's Laredo, TX lease this year. 5500 acres, serious management program, supplemental feed, and in the Texas "Golden Triangle", famous for big bucks.

One scored 108" and the other was 128". The 108 was 5.5 years old, the 128 was 6.5 and weighed 200 lbs on the nose. "Management bucks" is what they were called, by the leaseholders, not me. I was tickled with both, and the smaller was an exceptional trophy, as I was the only one who had ever gotten to see him in person. I was told "if he comes out, make sure he doesn't leave".

Age structure is really important to get to 150 inch deer, but quality of food, cover, soil mineral content, and most important, genetic potential is what really counts.

There are hundreds of deer farms raising deer with high genetic potential that will score over 150 as a 1.5 year old. I saw this one at a friend's place.

He's 3.5 years old, and in the breeder pen -

These two are the same age. If you think genetics doesn't matter, they have the same father, different mothers. Anyone want to guess the age?