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Age and score Coke co bucks #5930115 09/15/15 09:45 PM
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Kactuskiller Offline OP
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Here is two that have shed. Give me an age and score guess on both.





Every potential trophy buck needs "another year";)
Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5930132 09/15/15 09:57 PM
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Top buck 4yr old

Bottom buck 5yr old

Both mid 130s

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5930134 09/15/15 09:59 PM
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Was thinking the bottom deer would have a edge over the top one on score but think the top ones MBs and extra couple inches of extra tines will keep him right there with the other.

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5930135 09/15/15 09:59 PM
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Hard to tell from just those pics. I'll say the first deer (10pt) is 3 and scores and scores 132. The nine point is 4 and is 136.

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5930156 09/15/15 10:10 PM
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I seriously doubt either of those bucks will break 130.... seen a lot of Coke county bucks, and a 130 8/9pt would be a whopper. Our 10's sometime get into the 130's. Mid-teens to low 120's is my guess.

Both mature deer, but not real old. 4-5 yo

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5930223 09/15/15 10:46 PM
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4-5 year old, low to mid 120s


"everyone that lives dies but not everyone who dies lived..."

~PMK~
Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5930244 09/15/15 11:02 PM
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Both are 4 year olds, biggest will be in the mid 120's

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5930269 09/15/15 11:19 PM
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Sorry for the ambitious gross scores, OP. Never hunted Coke Co. I guess those deer are smaller than I thought. I've only hunted deer up there in Jack Co. Both places had mature bucks over 200lbs on the hoof. Both were low-fenced and well managed.

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5930470 09/16/15 12:47 AM
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no older than 4.5 and 115 on top buck maybe 120 on the 2nd.

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5930616 09/16/15 02:04 AM
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1st 3/5 and 112
2nd 4.5 and 120

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5930745 09/16/15 03:12 AM
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Ok here is where we think they are.
10- I have posted this deer on TBH and have shown to several other very experienced on the hoof agers and we still can't decide, he is either 3.5 or a small bodied 6.5+!
He has characteristics of both. I think he is about 122-124"

9- I was unsure earlier in season between 4.5-5.5, no he is starting to bulk up a little since he shed. I'm really starting to lean on 5.5. I've had anywhere from 127-133 but I really don't think he will crack 130. Leaning heavy on 128.

Two different body types on these deer.


Every potential trophy buck needs "another year";)
Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5931160 09/16/15 01:54 PM
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Bottom 4.5, top 3.5 but with some other pics may could convince me he is older than that just from his nose appearing shorter. I hope you get some more pics of him and hopefully in daylight.

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5931248 09/16/15 02:38 PM
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I wouldn't get hung up too much on age and score, cull or not. In our neck of the woods there in Coke county, those are pretty decent, average bucks. Shoot or not shoot as you desire. I'm sure there are a few 140-150" deer out there somewhere, but not very many - and in that country, I severely doubt if feed/culling is going to have much effect because the area is so large and the deer are so plentiful.

For example, on our lease - which is like 10 guys on 5500+ acres - I used to think that we should be shooting some culls, and was worried about taking too many of the larger deer. That changed after I talked to a few VERY knowledgable deer breeders/people. They all said the same thing - in order for culling to make a difference, with our deer population, we would have to take like a HUNDRED deer off the place for several years in a row - before we would BEGIN to see a change. Furthermore, we would have to be feeding something like 10,000 lbs of protein a month for feed to make a difference. And taking a 3-4yo deer isn't going to make ANY difference in the overall quality of the herd good or bad.

Sooo, now I just enjoy going and seeing whatever shows up. Feeding because I LIKE to. And shoot a deer that I like (within lease rules, of course) and not worry about anything else.

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5931374 09/16/15 03:50 PM
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It's not the culling or even genetics I get tied up in as it pertains to the overall herd. I look at an individual buck. If he is a buck that has certain traits like tine length, width, mass, 10 pnt plus or extra points. Then I try to decide if he will have true potential to be a real trophy(say 135+)the following year if I let him walk. I do this with any buck 4.5 and under. My first thought is always, Will he be drastically better next year??

I will always let a deer walk if his age is questionable and he has true trophy potential for the area. I made an exception to this last year and have questioned myself all season wondering what he would have done with the wet year we had and another year of supplemental feed. He was a borderline 4.5-5.5 but still a mainframe 9pnt. This is a shooter by our rules but he had a great frame and character.


Every potential trophy buck needs "another year";)
Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5931399 09/16/15 03:58 PM
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Probably would have been much better with the conditions this year but a good deer none the less. You never know what each year will bring, he made you happy and you put an arrow in him. I say good job.

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5931400 09/16/15 03:59 PM
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3 year old and 4 year old. Both 120's. Live weight is probably no more than 130 lbs.

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: esnow74] #5931408 09/16/15 04:03 PM
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Originally Posted By: esnow74
Probably would have been much better with the conditions this year but a good deer none the less. You never know what each year will bring, he made you happy and you put an arrow in him. I say good job.


This^^^

They will always be better next year right?? It's in your sig grin

We had a crab claw 10 the year before I got on in 2012 and he was basically a 15 with kickers on his bases. The next year a clean 10 the following with great conditions he went down slightly a was a 9 pt. you just never know and like said above if he makes "you" happy that's all that matters.

The pics you post are great deer for our area.

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: dlrz71] #5932021 09/16/15 11:14 PM
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Originally Posted By: dlrz71
[quote=esnow74]Probably would have been much better with the conditions this year but a good deer none the less. You never know what each year will bring, he made you happy and you put an arrow in him. I say good job.


This^^^

They will always be better next year right?? It's in your sig grin

You got me! I had a moment of weakness and had several guys urging me to drop the hammer. He equaled my best ever and first trophy buck to shoot since '08. I just really liked his frame.

Bottom line is I just love to grow deer and like the anticipation of the growing/offseason almost as hunting season.

I love discussing age and score on deer with others. Best way to learn.

More than likely I prob won't take either deer, they are just too close on age and no history with them.

Last edited by Kactuskiller; 09/16/15 11:16 PM.

Every potential trophy buck needs "another year";)
Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5932030 09/16/15 11:18 PM
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This dude will prob be my main target, he is a no doubter 6.5-7.5 and really big bodied deer.


Every potential trophy buck needs "another year";)
Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: John Humbert] #5932105 09/17/15 12:04 AM
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Originally Posted By: John Humbert
I wouldn't get hung up too much on age and score, cull or not. In our neck of the woods there in Coke county, those are pretty decent, average bucks.


I hunt on the same place as John and I will both agree and disagree with the above quote.

Culling free range deer I agree will have little to no effect on the overall herd, but I also believe that by taking a genetically inferior deer out of the breeding does absolutely NO harm at all to the herd and in fact can be a positive just by leaving that much more food for other more desirable deer to eat if nothing else.

Score has never been something I get hung up on either. Sure I want to kill a really high scoring buck but I have passed on higher scoring bucks in the past and took lesser bucks not only because they were more appealing to my eye but also because it might be a mature buck versus a non mature buck. And that brings us to the part I disagree on.

In my opinion age is the single most important factor in getting the best out of the bucks on your property. Sure Coke county is not the trophy capital of Texas by any stretch of the imagination but if you want the best that there is to offer on a given property (no matter where its at) you are going to need age on those bucks! I don't think you will find many (if any) breeders, biologists, or game managers that will disagree with that. Fences, supplemental feeding, culling, etc in my opinion are all secondary to age. You can build the highest fence, feed truck loads of protein, and cull every ugly deer inside that fence but if your desirable deer are not reaching maturity you aint getting the most out of your deer period. And I think that's what most of us are after.

Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: Kactuskiller] #5932259 09/17/15 01:17 AM
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Well said JCB, We got our place in NW coke knowing what our avg "Trophy" type buck will be. I always take pride in squeezing every ounce of potential out of a deer herd and majority of time you won't see their full potential until 5.5 on your avg low fence property that isn't highly fed.


Every potential trophy buck needs "another year";)
Re: Age and score Coke co bucks [Re: John Humbert] #5932324 09/17/15 01:41 AM
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Originally Posted By: John Humbert
For example, on our lease - which is like 10 guys on 5500+ acres -


More like 4500 acres on the main lease and 17 hunters grin Land owner also has another 800 acres with 6 hunters that borders my area of the main lease. They have their own camp and entrance to their lease.

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