Let them grow?

[S.Clancy]

A little better picture. The left antler is hard white and found the end of September the year it was shed.View attachment 794448

The thickness at that G2/G3 split is wild, like palmated.

 

[WTFJohn]

My buddy shot a 200" NT in Eastern MT a couple years ago that was aged at 4.5 yrs old. They found one of his white sheds (hard white) the same trip that would have scored in the low/mid 170s as a 2.5 yr old, which is insane (obviously there is some error in the tooth aging, maybe they missed a ring and he was 5.5). I know they also track bucks that are in the 160's or bigger as 2.5 yr olds in Region H and G in WY, as well as 3.5 yr olds well into the 180's+, so it can happen. I trust the WY stuff more because they are collaring them as fawns, so they know the exact age. Pretty crazy.

@robby denning Didn't you have a podcast (or multiple) with tooth age data that corroborated this for the most part? I feel like you may have even done batch tooth testing for a few years?

 

[robby denning]

@robby denning Didn't you have a podcast (or multiple) with tooth age data that corroborated this for the most part? I feel like you may have even done batch tooth testing for a few years?

Yes, on all that. I had Kevin Monteith on the podcast and he was talking about Lab age versus antler size. I cannot remember the episode but it came out last spring.

And yes, I ran a service that collected tooth samples for Matsons Lab for almost 20 years. And what I learn from that experience is that a deer only needs to be about four or five years old to grow great antlers. They definitely can get bigger after that, but if they’re gonna be big, it often shows up earlier than I thought.

Travis Hobbs killed a 220 buck that we lab aged at 3.5 years old. Incredible.

 

[S.Clancy]

Yes, on all that. I had Kevin Monteith on the podcast and he was talking about Lab age versus antler size. I cannot remember the episode but it came out last spring.

And yes, I ran a service that collected tooth samples for Matsons Lab for almost 20 years. And what I learn from that experience is that a deer only needs to be about four or five years old to grow great antlers. They definitely can get bigger after that, but if they’re gonna be big, it often shows up earlier than I thought.

Travis Hobbs killed a 220 buck that we lab aged at 3.5 years old. Incredible.

220" at 3.5 yrs old.......sweet baby Jesus.

 

[AHayes111]

I should have specified further and said hard white/chalk. It was definitely not a 7-8 month old antler.

interesting, I would like to see it.

 

[S.Clancy]

interesting, I would like to see it.

I don't know if I have a picture of the shed, but I do of the buck. It was officially scored, 200 5/8" (obviously gross).

 

[AHayes111]

I don't know if I have a picture of the shed, but I do of the buck. It was officially scored, 200 5/8" (obviously gross).

great buck

 

[waspocrew]

I don't know if I have a picture of the shed, but I do of the buck. It was officially scored, 200 5/8" (obviously gross).

Very nice buck!

 

[MuleyBuck]

We’ll never know if they’ll get big if they get shot young, or if they’ll get giant if they get shot big, young. Shoot whatever you want. Buck quality has significantly decreased across the landscape though.

I killed a deer that jumped about 29 inches from 4 to 6. He was upper 160’s at 4, so not super big at the “mature” age of 4, but my god was he something special at 6. At 5, he was in the 180’s. Makes me a little sick to wonder what he would’ve been at 7 or 8.

Passed a 4 year old with about 71’s this year hoping he’ll make it through the season and that I’ll get a potential chance to see him again at 5 and what kind of horn he puts on. Maybe he’ll get whacked this week though. Never know.