Some bucks just don't have it?!?!

[Archerysniper]

certified jumbo I feel your pain in the area you hunt. I have hunted on and off with the family hunting every year up there since 1990 and the big bucks up there are not big at all. Most are not very wide and spindly mass. Their is also a big poaching problem in those fields of your landowners relative,I have chased a few down those dirt roads trying to get plate #'s and talked with the warden.

[certified jumbo]

Good topic, Good feedback guys, thanks.

Its always interesting hearing the different thoughts and peoples own situations. We've made the best of ours and if we can continue to harvest a couple of mag bodied pope and youngers every year i'll take it. i'm holding out hope someday a true monster may show up. in 1938, a guy by the name of Peter Antonson shot a 233" non typical next to our land, so it is possible.

archery sniper, i hear you man. it can be frustrating. as far as the poaching that has been a problem for years. however, that being said its a problem everywhere. also, i'd love to have you over to our place this fall and look at pics and sheds!! maybe during bear season??

[sticknstring]

I think most 4 yr olds w/ good soil will get you into that 130"+ range. Beyond that, it's all on genetics to see how big they'll get.

Those bases are huge - great brows too. I'd be thrilled to wrap my tag on that "dud."

[BLACKJACK]

I think most 4 yr olds w/ good soil will get you into that 130"+ range. Beyond that, it's all on genetics to see how big they'll get.

Those bases are huge - great brows too. I'd be thrilled to wrap my tag on that "dud."

Agreed. Would be nice to see this guy without velvet, they always look bigger in velvet.

[muskiemanAD]

What that Buck is lacking in tine length it makes up in junk around the base. Would be cool to see how many scorable points that thing has come hard horns!

[sticknstring]

My guess is 7!

[JBone]

Sweet buck none-the-less!!! I would be lifting the bow on him if he was on my farm;)

[B. Amish]

a couple thoughts on why he appears to have slowed down.

1. could be a different deer. characteristics make it look like the same and you probably have more pictures that make the case. but clean 8's are hard to follow from one year to the next imo.

2. is your area experiencing drought?

3. he could have really run himself down during the previous years rut and spent the next years energy adding body fat instead of building antler.

[slimngrizzly]

I really hope my wife gets a crack at him! Id probably shoot him as well, hes got a much larger body than a lot of the other bucks too. Hes a trophy to me because hes made it to that 4 1/2 mark. Im not much for "culling" deer until they get older... but im pretty confident that we dont want this guy to be the primary gene spreader!

Weve had the best easy winter, early spring, early crop, good rainfall. I will "bet the farm" this is the same deer as the previous two years. Other than if the individual deer is suffering from an illness (which should make him stay in velvet later, and this buck historically has not)I dont think a person can find a reason this buck and other bucks like him dont peak out better. Just a genetic dud! Offer them the best supplements, age, etc. Some of them just aren't cut out to have big antlers.

[slimngrizzly]

Well got another nice shot of Junkman again and with another buck for some reference. Im actually starting to like him... I think his brows are looking good with that kink at the top. It seems hes looking heavier with more charchter now that its later, still has a couple weeks too