How is this for a spike horn ?

[RUNNIN REBEL]

He is actualy a 3 pt. that is 2 1/2 years old this year. We call him J D buck (horns looks like JD POWERS trophy)

Fawns are getting BIG now too

[jaychunter]

hopefully i have some pics to share . been movin the camera around to pattern them . ill be at camp in the am

[Gill-T]

Jerry that spike looks to me like he is either a champion fawn, or a sickly 1.5 year old. Don't like seeing the rib cage showing. My guess is you got a 1.5 year old with worms. If he survives till fall put an arrow in him and keep him from mating.

[RUNNIN REBEL]

Chad, this is same JD buck last year @ 1 1/2 year old. He is VERY small frame as is most bucks here. They just get racks here early.

You should see video of JD buck putting a thrashing on this buck scrape. There are 4 much larger bucks using this scrap.

JD buck on a gut pile. Legacy Rob knows were this experiment was.

[33canuck]

I don't even hate to tell you this but I highly doubt that is the same buck. Both of those are 1 1/2's and the one from last year is a good looking young buck where most would be a straight up spike in "bad" areas he has a decent 2 on the one side which means he most likely has the potential. Any area can grow good bucks some are better this is true but any area can do it with age. Be patient and let the little guys grow. As almost anyone will tell you it is very tough to distinguish 1 /12's and 2 1/2's as they mature they can really change year to year. Once they hit 3 you can typically start to see similar characteristics from year to year.

[RUNNIN REBEL]

33Canuck you could be right on this year buck being different than JD buck. Should get more pictures when i go back soon. Had other camera go down for the season so i missed alot.

[33canuck]

First off, great looking bucks, I'm shocked at the body size. Based on the mass and character of the antlers I would put those buck in that 2 1/2 range, the split brow buck maybe 3 1/2 but all look extremely undernourished although they have racks that look like the opposite. That nice 8 in the last pick closest to the cam looks like a good 3 1/2 decent antler and body mass. Good pics but you will need 2 or 3 of those scronny body bucks to fill the freezer Good Luck!

[Gill-T]

Different buck. Last years three point looks 1.5 -2.5. Bad genetics with those two...shoot them. On our hill we have a six point gene where we get some monster mature six pointers that never will amount to much. THE WORST deer to shoot is the 1.5-2.5 year old eight or ten pointer. Best thing about your camera is you can really study the deer in your area and know which ones to shoot when you see them. Best way to age is look at the rack....is the inside spread past the ears? Does the animal have the "roman nose" where the nasal bone is convex shaped (humped up) not straight. Look at the body size esp. the size of the rear legs, the belly, the neck. VERY few make it to 5.5 years old in New York....when you see one, you will know instantly it is a shooter because it will look like an elk in comparison to other deer you have been seeing.

Nice bruiser pictures from last year!!!!! Now those will be some good ones this year.

[RUNNIN REBEL]

Thanks for the freezer filler tipp.

Here are 2 of the bigger body bucks here but horns still could get better. Top buck is a wide 8pt and bottom buck is only a 4 pt Both deer on same scrape/same distance picture.

another pic of big 8pt

[33canuck]

Different buck. Last years three point looks 1.5 -2.5. Bad genetics with those two...shoot them. On our hill we have a six point gene where we get some monster mature six pointers that never will amount to much. THE WORST deer to shoot is the 1.5-2.5 year old eight or ten pointer. Best thing about your camera is you can really study the deer in your area and know which ones to shoot when you see them. Best way to age is look at the rack....is the inside spread past the ears? Does the animal have the "roman nose" where the nasal bone is convex shaped (humped up) not straight. Look at the body size esp. the size of the rear legs, the belly, the neck. VERY few make it to 5.5 years old in New York when you see one, you will know instantly it is a shooter because it will look like an elk in comparison to other deer you have been seeing.

Agree with most of what you said but not the comment "VERY few make it to 5.5 years old in New York" Well managed ground only take 4 good years I have seen it time and time again, If you want to you can get mature animals consistantly on a piece of ground.

[Gill-T]

Top picture is a mature buck. Look at the shape of the nose from the eyes down to the tip. The other two are 1.5 year olds most likely. Looks like you have a good crop of mature deer to wait for this year.

Well managed ground only take 4 good years I have seen it time and time again, If you want to you can get mature animals consistantly on a piece of ground

In response....because they get shot! Genetics are ok, food is good. The main ingredient missing on most deer hills is age.

[RUNNIN REBEL]

Chad these are the young bucks we leave alone. It is nice watching them grow.

[Gill-T]

Great. Now when can I come out?

[33canuck]

Most guys think everything gets shot but the truth is alot get shot but not all, I have hunted ground before that guys say that same thing, then I got "LUCKY" and shot a big mature buck. You can not and I repeat can not shoot a great buck if you shoot a good buck. Shoot what you want but know this almost every piece of ground will hold a mature buck or two that is that way for a reason, he is hard to hunt, but not impossible to hunt. That's why now and again you or your neighbor will get lucky and shoot a big one you think was just roaming through when the truth is he was proabb;y there all along he just made a mistake and had you let his younger brother walk by earlier inthe season you would have been out there and had a crack at him. No doubt some ground does get pressured and overhunted therfore big bucks don't stick around but if you can get a few guys to change their ways you can see quick results in just a few years and that will result in much bigger smiles and photos.

Well enough on that I'm just passionate about hunting mature bucks down and hope to spread a bit out and se some guys score some mature deer too. Double R you got some great looking bucks, that ground looks pretty good to me good luck this fall I expect to see some good pics!

[RUNNIN REBEL]

Oldest buck on property. been chasing him for 4 years.

8 legged 19 pt buck LOL!!!

2 GOOD bucks me(my camp)& buddy(his camp) shot last year. BUT 33Canuck makes a GREAT POINT. These would be GREAT BUCKS THIS YEAR!!!!!! I am still learning after many years hunting so bring on the advice i am VERY GRATEFULL

[salmonite]

jerry,

You get some great pics there... Whats your secret for getting such great pics? mineral site, corn or are you doing it all on natural movement?

[Gill-T]

Salmonite, you can't legally use salt licks or bait to feed wildlife, so since this is a public forum you may want to PM Jerry

[ray koziatek]

salt and corn are natural ,,,now the big fence he erected with a 1 way chute to his spot might raise some eyebrows.....but the traind dogs that chase em in 1once a week are natural too....in indiana thats a shooter for the landowner as he dont want any "spike genes" on his land , after 40 years of managing his property and the neighbors also take em for the meat(off their land) the end results are 8pt 1.5 year bucks are the norm ,,bottom line a hunters paradise.. so that one should make some good eatin before he becomes a pappa.

[salmonite]

Salmonite, you can't legally use salt licks or bait to feed wildlife, so since this is a public forum you may want to PM Jerry

I was under the impression its legal to feed during off season and illegal during season

[ray koziatek]

nope ya cant feed sence the scare of CWD .,,but ya can feed turkeys and some times the deer dont pay any attention to the "TURKEYS ONLY" sign..suppose a 25 lb squirrel lick might have the same results....

BUT whenever you have a question that might jeporidize your pocketbook or hunting rights ALWAYS CHECK THE RULE BOOK AND GIVE THE LOCAL D.E.C. A CALL.for inshurance if the book dont clear it up for ya..

[salmonite]

i see thanks ray

[RUNNIN REBEL]

We learned it was better to hunt the trails to/from the food plot instead of shooting at them while feeding. They educate & adjust very quickly other wise

[Gill-T]

That last one looks like it lost it's velvet already!

[salmonite]

take a look at the date, unless jerry screwed up his time and date, he is showing some pics from last year

[Gill-T]

Apparently, I am not going to make detective.