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We’ve all said it to ourselves “how does he do it”. The “he” being the guy that seems to kill slob bucks year in and year out. After having known a few of these guys over the years I’ll share with you a little insight to what I believe is the most critical aspect of consistently killing mature deer. Property. It’s often said in real-estate that the most important factor is “Location, Location, Location”; the same statement holds true when hunting mature whitetails. If you want to snag a supermodel wife, hunting outside the local Jenny Craig office isn’t going to achieve the desired result. You have to hunt where they exist. Setting up outside the local plastic surgery center will increase your odds dramatically. The same is true when it comes to hunting mature whitetails. If you’re serious about killing mature deer property holds the key.
We’ve all seen the guys on TV who kill slob bucks year after year. They have all the fancy gear, tons of sponsors, and they’re really quick to pimp anything with a marketing budget. The reality is that crap pays the bills. You don’t need the fastest bow on the market, some magic minerals, or heaven forbid a device that mimics the sound of crunching acorns. At the end of the day you need three basic necessities to kill mature whitetails 1.) Mature whitetails. 2.) Time to hunt. 3.) Something sharp and pointy to kill it with. Obviously this is an overly simplistic list. We could go on for days and days with individual tactics and items that increases your odds. But for the purpose of this segment we’re going to cover the first Item; what is a “mature” whitetail.
Earlier I pointed out that when looking for a supermodel wife you have to hunt where they exist. To understand this we have to understand what creates a “mature whitetail”. The number one factor that creates a mature whitetail is right in the name, their age. In 2012 47% of deer killed in Ohio were 1.5 year olds, 31% were 2.5, and 22% were 3.5 according to the QDMA association. When the cards are on the table, 88% of bucks killed in Ohio each year are 2.5 years old and younger. Less than 1% are 4.5 year old bucks. If you want to kill mature whitetails, you have some work cut out for you.
The above graph brings me to my next point. A buck makes his largest jump in growth between the ages of 1.5 and 2.5; going from 30% to 60% of his lifetime growth potential. The jump at 3.5 to 4.5 is roughly 20% with a 4.5 year old buck being at approximately 91% of his potential. Now obviously this is an average and not indicative of every deer. We’ve all see that mid 150 buck go downhill between 3.5 and 4.5, but for the most part the chart holds true.
If you’re looking to hunt mature whitetails, antler size is not indicative of maturity. In area X a 3.5 year old buck will average around 145 inches and you should realistically expect him to be 160 inches at 4.5. In area Y, a solid 3.5 year old buck may be 130 inches, and you should realistically expect that buck to be 144 at 4.5. Due to factors beyond our control such as genetics, soil mineralization, and nutrition, both area X’s 3.5, and area Y’s 4.5, are roughly a 145 inch bucks. If you remember back, 22% of bucks killed are 3.5 and only 1% are 4.5 and older. The shear factor of location alone has given the guy hunting area X a 21% greater chance at harvesting a 145 than the guy hunting area Y. It wasn’t his brand of bow, his super lightweight stand, or how whitetail savvy he was. It’s pure and simple location and the guy hunting area X has far better odds. We’ve all seen some really dumb people kill some really nice bucks, most times it simply location.
So back to property, we’ve seen how important genetics are to a location. However age is just as important. That 2.5 year old buck needs to make it to 3.5 to be 60% of his potential. As the QDMA stated, roughly 88% of all bucks killed in Ohio are 2.5 and younger. This means that if your neighbors are all named Yoder; you better look elsewhere to hunt mature bucks. But that’s a topic for the next article. “How to let them grow”
In closing, don’t get hung up on antler size, because as we’ve seen it can vary greatly by age due to genetics. Take some time to figure out the average antler size of the particular age groups in your area. If you’re 4.5 year old bucks average 135 inches, don’t sit there holding out for a 160, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Hunt mature deer based on age and let the score cards fall where they may..
Thanks to the QDMA for stats and Graphics. www.qdma.com
We’ve all seen the guys on TV who kill slob bucks year after year. They have all the fancy gear, tons of sponsors, and they’re really quick to pimp anything with a marketing budget. The reality is that crap pays the bills. You don’t need the fastest bow on the market, some magic minerals, or heaven forbid a device that mimics the sound of crunching acorns. At the end of the day you need three basic necessities to kill mature whitetails 1.) Mature whitetails. 2.) Time to hunt. 3.) Something sharp and pointy to kill it with. Obviously this is an overly simplistic list. We could go on for days and days with individual tactics and items that increases your odds. But for the purpose of this segment we’re going to cover the first Item; what is a “mature” whitetail.
Earlier I pointed out that when looking for a supermodel wife you have to hunt where they exist. To understand this we have to understand what creates a “mature whitetail”. The number one factor that creates a mature whitetail is right in the name, their age. In 2012 47% of deer killed in Ohio were 1.5 year olds, 31% were 2.5, and 22% were 3.5 according to the QDMA association. When the cards are on the table, 88% of bucks killed in Ohio each year are 2.5 years old and younger. Less than 1% are 4.5 year old bucks. If you want to kill mature whitetails, you have some work cut out for you.
The above graph brings me to my next point. A buck makes his largest jump in growth between the ages of 1.5 and 2.5; going from 30% to 60% of his lifetime growth potential. The jump at 3.5 to 4.5 is roughly 20% with a 4.5 year old buck being at approximately 91% of his potential. Now obviously this is an average and not indicative of every deer. We’ve all see that mid 150 buck go downhill between 3.5 and 4.5, but for the most part the chart holds true.
If you’re looking to hunt mature whitetails, antler size is not indicative of maturity. In area X a 3.5 year old buck will average around 145 inches and you should realistically expect him to be 160 inches at 4.5. In area Y, a solid 3.5 year old buck may be 130 inches, and you should realistically expect that buck to be 144 at 4.5. Due to factors beyond our control such as genetics, soil mineralization, and nutrition, both area X’s 3.5, and area Y’s 4.5, are roughly a 145 inch bucks. If you remember back, 22% of bucks killed are 3.5 and only 1% are 4.5 and older. The shear factor of location alone has given the guy hunting area X a 21% greater chance at harvesting a 145 than the guy hunting area Y. It wasn’t his brand of bow, his super lightweight stand, or how whitetail savvy he was. It’s pure and simple location and the guy hunting area X has far better odds. We’ve all seen some really dumb people kill some really nice bucks, most times it simply location.
So back to property, we’ve seen how important genetics are to a location. However age is just as important. That 2.5 year old buck needs to make it to 3.5 to be 60% of his potential. As the QDMA stated, roughly 88% of all bucks killed in Ohio are 2.5 and younger. This means that if your neighbors are all named Yoder; you better look elsewhere to hunt mature bucks. But that’s a topic for the next article. “How to let them grow”
In closing, don’t get hung up on antler size, because as we’ve seen it can vary greatly by age due to genetics. Take some time to figure out the average antler size of the particular age groups in your area. If you’re 4.5 year old bucks average 135 inches, don’t sit there holding out for a 160, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Hunt mature deer based on age and let the score cards fall where they may..
Thanks to the QDMA for stats and Graphics. www.qdma.com
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