This buck lived to the ripe old age of 10!
When talking about mature bucks, you often hear serious whitetail hunters saying most deer peak around 5.6-6.5 years old. Many studies have shown that there is often a peak for antler growth in bucks. After a certain point, the racks they grow afterwards start getting smaller, and often, more atypical.
However, most whitetail deer are hard-pressed to make it to 3.5 years old, let alone longer than that. By the time most bucks hit 6.5, they are extremely smart and hard to kill. For some hunters, these old bucks are the ultimate challenge.
In this video, Jacob Miner of The Deer Society encounters a clearly older buck in a CRP field. The rut is on and it causes this wise old buck to make a fatal mistake. What's most amazing about this hunt is the fact that this deer is 10 years old!
Jacob knew the buck was old, but after sending the teeth in, it was surprising to learn this old timer had been around for a full decade. From the buck's gnarly old antlers, it is likely that this rack was much smaller than one he may have had a few years earlier. However, as Jacob said, the thing that makes a buck like this so rewarding is the age and character and not the inches of antler.
Truly, this buck was an old forest warrior. You could literally see the miles on his face, antlers and body. It makes one wonder how many close calls with hunters this buck avoided over the years. Where did he hide? How many fawns did he father?
Most whitetail deer over 10 years old that we have heard about in the past are does, so to take a buck like this is a special occasion and perhaps even a once-in-a-lifetime trophy. Honestly, harvesting a buck like this is as good as taking a record book animal. Congratulations on an awesome buck Jacob!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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