Field judging colorado mule deer

[tydennison194]

Take this buck for example, he’s a buck i watched all last winter, come time for shed season he’d disappeared and couldn’t turn them up or someone else found them. Anyways, assume he has 22-23” ears (dozens and dozens of bucks i’ve been around in this country is what’s about average) what do you put him at for width? I haven’t seen personally any 30” bucks on the hoof but I still have a hard time thinking he is, although i bet he’s really close.

 

[robby denning]

Take this buck for example, he’s a buck i watched all last winter, come time for shed season he’d disappeared and couldn’t turn them up or someone else found them. Anyways, assume he has 22-23” ears (dozens and dozens of bucks i’ve been around in this country is what’s about average) what do you put him at for width? I haven’t seen personally any 30” bucks on the hoof but I still have a hard time thinking he is, although i bet he’s really close.

That’s what I call a “upper 20s low 30s buck“
I can’t see a side view of his face to tell if it’s rounded off or not, but he doesn’t look really old like eight, more like four or five from that angle. But I’d really need to see more.

Not sure what time of year it was taken, pre-rut or post rut but he looks kind of skinny or small, but he’s definitely an older buck.

 

[tydennison194]

That’s what I call a “upper 20s low 30s buck“
I can’t see a side view of his face to tell if it’s rounded off or not, but he doesn’t look really old like eight, more like four or five from that angle. But I’d really need to see more.

Not sure what time of year it was taken, pre-rut or post rut but he looks kind of skinny or small, but he’s definitely an older buck.

Yeah i think he’s pretty old! He had a lot of ribs showing. These pictures were taken feb 10th. Here’s a side profile pic.

 

[roadhntr]

Take this buck for example, he’s a buck i watched all last winter, come time for shed season he’d disappeared and couldn’t turn them up or someone else found them. Anyways, assume he has 22-23” ears (dozens and dozens of bucks i’ve been around in this country is what’s about average) what do you put him at for width? I haven’t seen personally any 30” bucks on the hoof but I still have a hard time thinking he is, although i bet he’s really close.

I call those type of bucks a " pushing 30" buck. Meaning I'm guessing 28-30" wide. Like Robby was saying, hard to tell how big his body is on that angle. The picture makes him look small and younger (under 6). If that's the case, probably closer to 28" than 30.

 

[roadhntr]

what's your guess on this Colorado buck?

 

[tydennison194]

doesn’t look like i can insert a video so here are a couple screen shots from one.

 

[tydennison194]

View attachment 816804View attachment 816805 what's your guess on this Colorado buck?

if i had to guess, id have to say 24-25” range? Looks like he’s right out to his ears maybe a little past. Stud buck!

 

[roadhntr]

if i had to guess, id have to say 24-25” range? Looks like he’s right out to his ears maybe a little past. Stud buck!

I will post a different buck each day for a week or so with my input. Since you replied so fast, here's my thoughts on this buck. He looks young to me, probably 3.5 yrs old. My guess on width in person was 23-24" , very well closer to 23". The buck looks to have good genes and a potential to get much bigger in a couple years. Anyone else want to chime in? Please do so.

 

[Maxhunter]

I look for the wow factor in my eyes. Good deep forks and decent width and mass is what I prefer.

 

[Marble]

I will post a different buck each day for a week or so with my input. Since you replied so fast, here's my thoughts on this buck. He looks young to me, probably 3.5 yrs old. My guess on width in person was 23-24" , very well closer to 23". The buck looks to have good genes and a potential to get much bigger in a couple years. Anyone else want to chime in? Please do so.

That's exactly my opinion also.

He has good deep fork and symmetry and decent length throughout. But lacks mass, which tells me he's on the younger side. I was thinking 24" or less.

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[robby denning]

Yeah i think he’s pretty old! He had a lot of ribs showing. These pictures were taken feb 10th. Here’s a side profile pic.

my guess is his ribs are showing because it's February.

Now that I see a side view, I'd put that buck around 4-5. Not a lot of rounding (Roman nose) of the face. Body isn't big either. Probably around 30"

But if we all think about it, unless we had a bigger known target buck or were on a very good draw tag, this buck would be going for a ride in the backpack. Am I wrong?

 

[tydennison194]

my guess is his ribs are showing because it's February.

Now that I see a side view, I'd put that buck around 4-5. Not a lot of rounding (Roman nose) of the face. Body isn't big either. Probably around 30"

But if we all think about it, unless we had a bigger known target buck or were on a very good draw tag, this buck would be going for a ride in the backpack. Am I wrong?

Interesting, so thats just the affects of winter and recouping?

Oh 10000% he’s hitchin a ride on the back of my pack whether he’s 26” or 30”!!.

 

[roadhntr]

doesn’t look like i can insert a video so here are a couple screen shots from one.

These last group of pictures make him look closer to 30". I would guess he's around 4.5 years old.

 

[Sully_44]

Better have some eye guards. Adds ~2-6in on eye guards and extra mass measurements ~10-14in and then your H1 score is gonna be a better score than if there were no eye guards because the most mass is down by the base; H1 > H2

Although you should gain a little on the mass measurement with eye guards, from my understanding a mule deer gets 4 mass measurements no matter what. You’d just take the same measurements twice for H1 and H2 with no eye guards. 10-14” bigger mass measurements with eye guards would be dang near impossible.

 

[robby denning]

Interesting, so thats just the affects of winter and recouping?

oh ya, by February on most ranges, they're getting skinny. I don't think they "recoup" in the winter. They just survive.

 

[street]

Although you should gain a little on the mass measurement with eye guards, from my understanding a mule deer gets 4 mass measurements no matter what. You’d just take the same measurements twice for H1 and H2 with no eye guards. 10-14” bigger mass measurements with eye guards would be dang near impossible.

You are right, I just looked it up. Been a while since I read that detail. So you'd gain the difference between H1 and H2 only. Which I will say, I have sheds that the H1 is over an in bigger than the H2.

 

[roadhntr]

Ok, here's another one to judge. Both pictures are the same buck.

 

[Pistolpete28]

I killed a 3x4 buck in Colorado this year. He has big front forks, but I assumed he was only 22” wide since his frame was as wide as his tip to tip spread. I was pleasantly surprised when I took him, and realized his head was very big. His tip to tip ear spread was 24” . In my experience Colorado and Wyoming deer usually have bigger bodies and heads, than deer I’ve taken in states like Utah and Idaho

 

[Rich M]

160-inch CO buck.
25 inches inside.
300# deer per biologist

A big deer shrinks the headgear. Was pretty much even w ears on inside. Could see his antlers 1/4+ mile away. Shot at 220 yds. Wasnt letting him walk by. Never saw the horns on the other bucks w him.

 

[roadhntr]

160-inch CO buck.
25 inches inside.
300# deer per biologist

A big deer shrinks the headgear. Was pretty much even w ears on inside. Could see his antlers 1/4+ mile away. Shot at 220 yds. Wasnt letting him walk by. Never saw the horns on the other bucks w him.
View attachment 817672
View attachment 817673

So was he 26-27" outside spread.