How common are mature bucks?

[Hippie Steve]

That is a loaded question with so many possibilities. In my experience with most people scoring antler size is they always over score. This is the typical situation you see in the archery community, they take a 140-150" buck and think it's 180-200" in velvet or something. Most people will never see a 170"+ NET buck because they only live in certain micro areas of any given habitat they prefer and they are so tuned into their surroundings they are usually gone before you see them. The best way to kill a really big buck is to hunt in an area that produces really big bucks, not every area will have all the ingredients to grow big bucks. My suggestion is to talk with @robby denning on this site. There are only a few guys like myself and Robby, that use horses and are dedicated to only chasing really big bucks in the nasty, goat country they prefer (big buck mule deer is all I crave and hunt, 365 days. It's a dedication most can't comprehend). Big buck hunting is a lonely game of cat and mouse and is unique only to big buck mule deer hunting. Keep at it and good looking out.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

A podcast I recently listened to said that on public land the average for a mature mule deer is 160. First of all, how many bucks on public land even make it to maturity. Second of all just because the average is 160 for the mature buck doesn't mean that is the average of the ones getting shot. The average of the bucks actually getting shot would be much much lower than 160. Harvesting a 160 buck on a general unit is top tier.

Most bucks are not reaching maturity and once they do reach maturity they usually die of old age, going off the research I have heard. I would venture a guess that a 160 buck on a general unit is in the top 5% harvested. What do you guys think?

 

[huntnful]

Looked at over 120 bucks scouting a good area last year. Maybe 10 bucks were at or over 160” and only 3 were over 170”.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Looked at over 120 bucks scouting a good area last year. Maybe 10 bucks were at or over 160” and only 3 were over 170”.

Interesting, it's probably more around a 160 buck being in the top 2% of bucks harvested on a general unit. I would love to see the stats on that.

 

[NickyD]

Wow a lot of great responses! Seems like I need to be covering a lot more ground that anticipated. I’ll have to adjust my scouting plans significantly. For those of you scouting 100+ bucks a year, how are you many bucks a day are you seeing? I think average for me is 2-3 bucks a day

 

[huntnful]

Interesting, it's probably more around a 160 buck being in the top 2% of bucks harvested on a general unit. I would love to see the stats on that.

Oh for sure. Seeing 160" bucks in July while while scouting is a lot different than killing them in October once season rolls around. Also, most people aren't doing what's necessary to intentionally kill 160"+ sized deer.

 

[huntnful]

Wow a lot of great responses! Seems like I need to be covering a lot more ground that anticipated. I’ll have to adjust my scouting plans significantly. For those of you scouting 100+ bucks a year, how are you many bucks a day are you seeing? I think average for me is 2-3 bucks a day

It is absolutely 100% dependant on the area. There is no correct answer. I've gone days without seeing a buck in some units and states.

 

[Deadfall]

Most of the harvested bucks I see are not anywhere near decent whitetail size.

160 has no business in big buck conversation

 

[Deadfall]

Or mature deer conversation

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Or mature deer conversation

Are you saying that a 160 buck was most likely not a mature deer? That would be absolutely false. Maybe it's not a giant Buck but it most certainly has a great chance of being four and a half years or older.

 

[huntnful]

Or mature deer conversation

They may not fall into big buck category. But absolutely they fall into mature buck category. I have several 5+ year old lab aged bucks that aren’t 160”

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

They may not fall into big buck category. But absolutely they fall into mature buck category. I have several 5+ year old lab aged bucks that aren’t 160”

Agree, there's plenty of 7, 8, or 9-year-old deer that will never hit 160. At 4 and 1/2 years old they've hit 95% of their potential. By 5 1/2 they have pretty much maxed out for all intents and purposes.

 

[Deadfall]

They may not fall into big buck category. But absolutely they fall into mature buck category. I have several 5+ year old lab aged bucks that aren’t 160

5 yr old mul deer are not mature.
Mule deer don't mature at same age as whitetail!

 

[Deadfall]

Are you saying that a 160 buck was most likely not a mature deer? That would be absolutely false. Maybe it's not a giant Buck but it most certainly has a great chance of being four and a half years or older.

I'm saying mule deer do not mature at same rate as whitetail. 4 to 5 yr old mule deer have not yet matured.
I've never seen a 160 inch buck that was mature. Guess they could exist, I've just never seen one

 

[huntnful]

I'm saying mule deer do not mature at same rate as whitetail. 4 to 5 yr old mule deer have not yet matured.
I've never seen a 160 inch buck that was mature. Guess they could exist, I've just never seen one

Respectfully, you have no idea what you’re talking about

 

[Deadfall]

I do agree that in some areas buck won't ever hit that mark.

I also know areas where bucks hit that mark early and fairly often

 

[Deadfall]

Respectfully, you have no idea what you’re talking about

No worries. Lots of people over the years have said same thing. Until I show them...
I'm not offended

 

[huntnful]

No worries. Lots of people over the years have said same thing. Until I show them...
I'm not offended

Here’s a lab aged 10.5 year old 130” buck. There, now you’ve seen a mature buck that wasn’t 160”. I have quite a few more too.

 

[Deadfall]

View attachment 724839
Here’s a lab aged 10.5 year old 130” buck. There, now you’ve seen a mature buck that wasn’t 160”. I have quite a few more too.

I've seen and have harvested lots of mature bucks that are small. Which is not what I said earlier.

 

[Deadfall]

Pretty easy to tell that's a old buck on his way down. Not on his way up. Talking about bucks on way down and bucks on way up are entirely different conversations.