Whitetail Dreamin'

[Spikebuck]

My post several months ago of three big Tom Turkeys titled "Dreamin'" didn't bring me much luck since it thunderstormed through my five-day season...so thought I'd try again with this growing 8 pt. For June, he's got a good start.
Looks to have some nice width going.

Of course...as bigger bucks do...no daytime pictures!

 

[jamesthomas]

Nice pictures!! he's gonna be a big one come hunting season. I hope ya get him!. I'll be doing a lot more hunting this year, both hog and deer. It also reminds me that I have a bunch of venison in the freezer that needs to be eaten!. 93 degrees down here right now, do ya think it's to hot to go shooting? I want to find out a good hog load for this year.

 

[wattlebuster]

By the time seasons rolls around he should have a bit more horn to reward you with. Hope you fare well :hatsoff:

 

[smo]

He's a nice one Good Luck gettin'him :thumbsup:

 

[bowkill]

here is a cool one i got today..

 

[chance]

Great Pics good luck!!

 

[VTdeerhunter]

Nice Pictures, looks like you have some good animals in your area....good luck :hatsoff:

 

[Spikebuck]

Here's a new one to dream about. Basic 10 PT, but technically an 11 PT with the sticker at the base of the right antler. Good mass and well outside his ears. And he's got over a month of growing to do yet!

Anyone else got some good trail cam pics? Bucks, Does, or other animals?

 

[roundball]

Nice one for sure...and I understand the far northern states have a slightly different strain of white tail...usually much larger over all aren't they?
For example, from everything I've seen a good 2.5 -3.5 year old 8-10 pointer here in NC might average in the 140-160 lb range...

 

[Spikebuck]

The butcher I take my deer to says he mostly sees the biggest racks on the bucks under 200# up here. Not always true, but he seems to think some bucks put nutrition into the body while others put it into racks. Of course, bucks can loose significant body weight in the rut.

But, I have read that whitetail body sizes get bigger the farther north simply because that's what genetics are needed to survive cold winters.

Here's the biggest bodied buck I have ever personally seen. My dad shot this (shotgun) in 1975. I call it the "refrigerator buck" because he is about as big as one. That clothes line is a little over 6 ft high. He officially weighed 287 pounds field dressed on a meat locker scales. His antlers were a little over 170 gross as an 11 pt. He carried a broadhead in his backbone that didn't penetrate, several .22 caliber bullets, and bird shot..so one unlucky bowhunter and probably several small game hunters turned wannabe poachers.

Sorry to post a non-traditional ML kill, but shows the size of what we can get up here. Delete if it's too much of a violation.

 

[roundball]

That's the kind of thing I've always heard...by contrast, this pair of NC bucks are decent enough for most hunters, but probably only weigh 160, 175.

 

[Spikebuck]

On the other hand, watching the Brian Beckum videos showed me that there can be some pretty hefty bucks and does even in the deep south (not counting Texas which I believe has a lot of "imported" northern Whitetail genes. I also remember reading Roger Rothaar articles in Bowhunter Magazine and he had numerous bucks well over 200# dressed...big hog bucks...from Southern Ohio, which is probably less than 300 miles north in latitude from NC. But I imagine the average across the board goes up the farther north. I've watched hunting shows filmed in Northern Saskatchewan and at first the rack looks small, until you figure out it's attached to a 300 pounder! :shocked2:

 

[hanshi]

Sure that's not an ELK!? I've killed maybe three bucks in that magical 200lb range. The last one was several years ago (deep South) about 180lbs. But he gained even more weight as I dragged him; go figure. :idunno:

 

[Spikebuck]

about 180lbs. But he gained even more weight as I dragged him; go figure. :idunno:

Dragging deer is the point where 200# dressed doe stories come about! All deer weigh in excess of 200# when you're dragging or loading them by yourself! :grin: