According to the just released 2016 Whitetail Report from the QDMA, 34% of the bucks harvested across America during the 2013/14 season were 3.5 years old or older. That is the highest number on record for older bucks in the national harvest.
The trend of hunters holding off and passing younger bucks continues. In 1989, 62% of the annual buck harvest was yearling (1.5 year old) males; that number has dropped to 33% of yearlings in the overall harvest today.
But back to the older bucks in the recent harvest data. I assume that the vast majority of that 34% were 3.5 years old on the money. I bet less than 5% of the bucks were 4, 5 or 6 years old.
While spikes and 2.5-year-old bucks are easy to size up, the 3.5 year olds, which are mature but not fully mature, present a dilemma. Most of the 8- and 10-point racks are framed up well and looking good, but they are typically a bit on thin-antlered side.
Everybody talks a good game about judging a buck by body size, not his rack, but with a fit, muscling-up 3.5 year old that is not so easy. It’s tough for most hunters (even the so-called “experts”) to tell a 3-year-old buck from a 4 year old.
Of course you should shoot a 4- or 5-year-old buck if you see one, but what about a 3 year old? Depends. As a rule I believe the vast majority of whitetail hunters, who hunt either on public land or on private land where other people hunt and pressure the deer, should be very happy to shoot a 3.5-year-old buck. That’s a trophy on most lands.
For the far lesser number of you who have access to more tightly controlled private land where establishing a more intensive deer management program is feasible, you hold off on the 3 year olds. I have hunted on a few places (not many) where any buck less than 5 years old is off limits, unless it’s a poor-racked cull. That’s okay, but it’s not practical for the vast majority of hunters across America.
And even on lands like these, there is nothing wrong with shooting a 3 year old once in a while. Maybe a hunter is having a hard season, or a hard time in his life; if shooting a 3-year-old buck helps, do it. And on these lands many people make a “mistake” and shoot a 3-year-old buck they thought was a 4 year old. So what?
Anytime and anywhere and on any type of hunting ground, a young or brand-new hunter should shoot a 3.5-year-old deer and be happy. Abby in the picture above was proud of her first-ever buck she shot in Virginia last December, and I was proud of her for doing it.
Thoughts? Did you shoot a 3 year-old buck last season?
have to agree. it should be up to the hunter and what they want to accomplish.
We made a gentlemen’s agreement to let young bucks walk. it certainly paid off
this year, however until this year, we only killed 1 buck over 3.5yrs old in the past 5 years, we too had Tag soup on our tables… So we decided to change our self-imposed rule, now each of the 6 members can take 1 buck of their choosing thereafter, must be a mature buck… works for us, may not work for others? it doesn’t have to “score” well to be a “trophy”… each deer I harvest will always be a trophy to me, even a doe.. KCLAP
I think the look on that young lady’s face answers the question! If it isn’t going to have that effect on you, then let him walk.
Excellent points gentleman. Last year I ate tag soup after passing up what I believe to be a 3 1/2 year old mule deer. I was hunting out of state, did not own the land, the land owner did not practice QDM, my friends would not have cared one bit if I shot that 3 1/2 year old muley, it was an easy 30 yard shot with a rifle and I have never shot a mule deer in my life and wanted one badly. Although I still think about passing up that buck almost everyday and question whether I did the right thing, I know deep down that I did the right thing for me or some other hunter in the future I will probably never know. I plan on hunting there next year, maybe I will get a crack at him again or at least the way I would like to imagine it, a new or young hunter will take that mature muley next year and will be overwhelmed with happiness about their harvest.
The 4 points on a side and the QDMS guidelines used by some states has really impacted the overall herd in many states. Larger bucks but maybe less total herds. Always brings on interesting and enlightened conversations- depending………………
I pass younger deer and/or deer that score the same or less than what I have on the wall. That’s my decision.
Does that mean I wouldn’t shoot a 3.5 year old buck? Nope……
I’ll shoot whatever legal buck I choose to and I think every other hunter should do the same.
One last point….When the focus was put on killing trophy bucks, the mantra was pass a young buck and kill a doe or two. Now you’ve got hunters feeling like the herds have been reduced too much and many aren’t willing to shoot does right now.
So where does that leave the bucks? I have a feeling more young bucks are going to start taking a hit in areas that have lower deer herds as hunters pass the does to try and build the herd numbers in their areas.
Mike – I did shoot a 3.5 year old buck this season, and it made me sick. This particular property is 220 acres and I’m the only one who hunts it. I can and do pass younger deer and don’t have to worry about any others shooting them, unless they get shot off of my property. I heavily manage this ground with both protein and minerals. I killed a 5.5 yr old 147 4/8″ buck last year and a 5.5 yr old 156 5/8 buck this year. These are good deer for SW GA. The 3.5 yr old I killed by mistake this year was a 10 pt that scored 135 6/8″. That deer would have been special by the time he was 5.5. I agree with you that new and young hunters should be able to shoot a 3.5 yr old buck, but after that they should hold off for older deer if their goal is to grow and kill bigger deer. It’s all about what you want to get out of deer hunting. If you want trophy deer then you have to let them get older. If your goal is to just kill a nice buck, then shooting younger deer might be what you want to do. It’s all about what you want to achieve with your hunting ground.
I did not shoot a 3 1/2 last season, but I would!