There are a lot of buck harvest rules not based on science or any input from a science standpoint. Not all mature bucks are going to score 140". Not even 120". Aging mature bucks is not that hard if you commit yourself to learning to age bucks. My club shoots 4.5 yr old bucks or older, no matter what the antlers look like. Are there mistakes? YES! Is the offending member crucified for it? NO! But, you only get one mistake per year and nobody's mad about it as the offending member hates that he shot a 3.5 yr old buck... but it happens.

On our property, there are several 4.5 yr old bucks and older that really need to be killed and our hunters were not shooting them because the bucks' antlers were not big. We had to place an "Old Man Buck Rule" which a 5.5 yr old buck or older with less than 100" of antler would not count against a member as one of his allowable bucks.

This system works for us and the opportunity to kill a really nice buck each year is highly likely... if you put some time in the woods.

We shoot some does but not that many, but we're not covered up with deer.

Oh, our bucks are aged by a certified biologist using the buck's jawbone, weight, antler base circumference. If there is a question in the biologist's mind if the buck is 3.5 yr old or 4.5, other factors (weight and antler base circumference) with historic data points regarding the property's previous harvested bucks are used to swing the decision one way or the other.

Last edited by Antlerfluke; 01/04/21 06:45 PM.