Depending on who you are and where you are in the country, there are a lot of different ideas as to what constitutes a “shooter” buck. Is it age, body size, score, anything sporting antler of any size? Now entering my 33rd year hunting whitetail, things have changed a lot since I first started as a kid, at least in the mitten state. For the longest time anything with 3 inches of bone protruding from their head was fair game, and with Michigan (my home state) being a state with high hunter densities, this didn’t allow big buck hunters much to shoot at.
Honestly, I didn’t know there was a scoring system other than counting points until I was in my early twenties, which reveals the culture of the time. However, with more recent movements like QDM and APR’s gaining traction, the attitudes of hunters and the general culture has gradually changed to one of trying to shoot more mature bucks and pass 1.5 year olds and many 2.5’ year old bucks as well. TV, YouTube, and social media has also shown hunters that they can potentially let bucks reach 6 or more years old, collect a pile of sheds and pictures of this deer, and then harvest him at a ripe old age.
But with all the meat hunters, trophy hunters, and everyone in between, how do you really decide what is the ideal age to shoot a buck? Some may already have their mind made up, and that’s fine, but if you’re trying to figure that out there may be a couple factors to consider to help answer this question.
The Data
A recent interview I had with Doug Roberts of Conquest Scents and Conquest Deer Farms revealed some insightful facts that got me thinking. First let me tell you a little about Doug. He started in the early 90’s as a deer farmer, which means he has literally been living with deer for 32 years. This has allowed him to keenly observe their characteristics and tendencies far more than any hunter ever could, and he’s even called the Deer Professor due to his depth of knowledge on whitetail.
From my estimation, this gives him roughly 132,000 hours of direct deer observation over this time, and when compared to an average hunter’s time in the field, they would need 1,466 years to match this. On top of that he has a scent business, has managed hunting ranches, and has guided hunters to take bucks of a lifetime. What he found through all this experience, is that the ideal age to take a buck may not be what you expect – it quite possibly is a 3.5 year old. So why is this potentially a good age to consider taking a buck?
According to Doug, the biggest jump in antler growth is between 1.5 and 2.5, and the second most growth is seen between that and 3.5 years on average. From his experience bucks don’t grow much antler after this (although they do some), and sometimes even regress. Factors in the wild like injuries or poor nutrition definitely come into play here and are stacked against a deer many times. If deer are strained from harsh winters, general lack of nutrition, injuries from fighting or other factors, their bodies will decrease antler growth and focus elsewhere.
The Study
Further, work done by Pierce, Sumners, and Flinn from the University of Missouri backs this general antler growth trend up. Their data (HERE) shows a 2.5 year old whitetail has 60% of his max antler growth, 3.5 year olds have 80% of their max, and 4.5 year olds have typically reached 90% of their antler potential. So from 3-4 years old a buck gains only about a 10% growth only and this is in ideal conditions. Similar studies from the Mississippi State Deer Lab also corroborate this data. The number one Boone and Crockett typical whitetail in the world, the Milo Hansen buck, was aged at 3-4 years old, as well, which is shocking to most people. According to Doug, when bucks break the 4.5 year old mark, they may get bigger, but many times actually get a bit smaller in tine length and more compact in nature. Still a good buck, but not significantly bigger in the antler department. When he realized this, he started guiding clients to shoot 3.5 year olds – which they were very happy with.
The Reality in the Wild
A few factors come into play in the real world, and especially in my home Michigan (so consider your state and area, as each is very different) when considering how old to let a buck grow. In my mind, the first is a buck’s actual ability to mature more than a few years old. Even with QDM in many places now, few bucks reach an age beyond 3.5 even if a land owner or group of landowners agree to let bucks grow to this age. With high pressure on surrounding lands and enough hunters willing to shoot most any buck, as soon as these bucks venture off these tracts they are quickly taken. Also, since Michigan’s deer herd is a bit skewed to younger age class bucks, these bucks enter the breeding pool younger than in states with a more mature herd composed of older bucks.
This makes them susceptible to injuries from fighting and generally being run down from the rut – forcing their bodies to put more energy into repairing itself and less into antler growth. States like Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, and those similar with more balanced deer herds and lower hunter densities have better age structures present which keeps these younger bucks from really having much ability to breed and fight for does. This keeps them more healthy into that 3rd year and able to grow bigger antlers according to Doug. So being in Michigan puts these bucks, and hunters at a disadvantage when it comes to that 3.5+ year old mark.
Buck Intelligence
A third biggie I think many overlook is a whitetail buck’s intelligence once he hits 4+ years old. It seems like a buck becomes a different animal at this age, and there’s a good reason for this. Due to many encounters with hunters, being potentially shot at numerous times (again dependent on state), and potentially being wounded one or more times by this point in his life, a buck that reaches this age has become so smart he is incredibly difficult to shoot. Typically staying in smaller core areas, not venturing out until well after dark most of the time, and just being generally ultra cautious makes a buck of this age very difficult to see let alone get a crack at.
My Experience
Hunting in Ohio the last decade has shown me the reality of this drastically. Unlike Michigan, a hunter has a better chance to observe mature bucks and how they are different than young bucks, where here in Michigan most hunters do not have a chance to do this since most bucks are 1to 2 years old. The 4+ year olds are extremely tough to see in daylight, even in this relatively low-pressure state, and the 3.5 year olds still display a bit of the “dumbness” of a young buck, making them much easier to see and shoot. For example, last season I had two cracks at a 21 inch wide 8 point, taking him the second time in broad daylight, while a 4+ year old brute I was after never even allowed me to see him on the hoof, and I only had one set of pictures of him in daylight. There’s just something different about a buck once he gets past 3.5, and that should be considered.
Putting It Together:
Some would make the argument that an older buck gives more meat, and they may be correct, but the above factors point toward an interesting conclusion or consideration for most hunters – that a 3.5 year old buck may be the ideal age to harvest. With 80% or more of their max antler potential, unlikeliness of reaching another year in most areas of Michigan, and still being just this side of an ultra wary 4.5 year old, it seems like the nexus of all the right factors to taking a good buck most hunters can be proud of. Ultimately, keep track of your own deer herd and make good goals for your area, but it’s definitely something to think about as you analyze trail camera pictures and hit the woods this season.
High IQ Takeaways & Challenges:
- What’s your criteria for considering a shooter, and should this be challenged given the info above and your particular hunting area?
- What’s the age class health of your area and state? What is the reality of taking a 4+ year old every year where you hunt and are you comparing to TV hunting too much?
- WATCH the full podcast interviews with Doug Roberts of Conquest Scents for in depth details on this interesting topic HERE!
- Download our FREE Journal and follow our curriculum based podcast to up your game and Deer IQ HERE!
