I'm curious as to how much weight ( estimated ) on average the mature bucks in your areas lose from pre to post rut ? I have one that I'm estimating lost at least 30 pounds. In December , he was a pig, bumping 200. In Feb I'm guesting 165 when I got him. Long body and tall but skinny and run down.

I think most of my bucks gained weight this year.

bucks don't gain weight during the rut unless they are gay

I was guessing 25 to 30 lbs but that's pure guess with nothing to back it up. About 10 years ago I killed a run down 9 pt on public land. He weighed in at 193. The biologist said he would have went 210 to 215 pre rut.

My son shot a deer this year that I would guess weighed 200 in the fall and prob 135 when he shot it. Run down really bad.

I'm sorry I thought we were talking about a different kind of worn down. Last year we had a guest kill a buck in the peak of the rut that had worn all the hair from around his goober and it looked like it had blisters on it. He was using it more than a 19 year old QB at a drunk cheerleader party.

But when talking about weights, our pre-rut weights generally run 180-200 for a shooter (3.5+to 6.5+). Post rut they run anywhere from 145-175. The deer in their prime seem to lose a little more as they seem to go nonstop with out eating longer than the less mature or past their prime bucks.

I have 2 pics of the same buck that show the wear down between mid Dec. to Feb 8th. If anyone would like to post em for me just pm me your cell. It's pretty dramatic.

Also, if anyone would like to take a guess on age I'd be interested on your estimation.