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What is considered a trophy Axis?
#8124546
01/11/21 02:44 PM
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Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 8
scout30763
OP
Green Horn
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OP
Green Horn
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 8 |
What is the general consensus of what is considered a trophy Axis buck?
What clues/techniques do you use in the field to judge antler size?
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: scout30763]
#8124600
01/11/21 03:26 PM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,096
Creekrunner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,096 |
Others will be along shortly with a number for a true trophy. I'm guessing at 30" and over. Since I don't see that many, and never in a herd scenario, I seem to have only two classes in my mind - "Young. It's good meat if you want it," and "Oh dam! Shoot!!" They roam a lot, so "give him another year" really doesn't apply like it does with WT.
'Just my opinion.
...and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. 1:28
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: scout30763]
#8124883
01/11/21 05:42 PM
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,383
huntnguide83
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,383 |
Generally for us on our ranches it’s 33”+ bucks with good tine length. A 36”+ buck would be considered a top end trophy. But there’s more to the trophy than just beam length. We get a lot of hunters that get to caught up in just beam length. Over the 20+ years of outfitting I’ve seen 36”+ bucks you couldn’t pay me to shoot. We’ve also taken 33-34” bucks that would outscore others with longer beam length.
Biggest piece of advice I can give you is shoot for 32”+ with good length on brows and caudals. But, if you like him shoot him.
__________________________ Texas Elite Outfitters (979) 587-1024
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: scout30763]
#8125113
01/11/21 07:55 PM
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Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 173
Abe77901
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 173 |
A trophy buck is like a trophy wife, it is open to interpretation. One mans junk is another mans treasure!!!!
Don't look for a wish bone where a back bone is needed!!
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: Abe77901]
#8125123
01/11/21 08:03 PM
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 737
LeonCarr
Tracker
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Tracker
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A trophy buck is like a trophy wife, it is open to interpretation. One mans junk is another mans treasure!!!! Agree. IMO a freezer full of axis meat, regardless of what it looked like alive, is the best trophy there is. Just my .02, LeonCarr
"Whitetail Deer are extinct because of rifles with telescopes mounted on them." - My 11th Grade English Teacher
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: scout30763]
#8125188
01/11/21 08:40 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 48,821
BOBO the Clown
decoy
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decoy
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 48,821 |
I look at axis like I do pronghorns. Shoot the look you want not score. In the end you will be happier
I like mass and fronts, don’t care about beam length and cottles as much
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: scout30763]
#8125731
01/12/21 01:32 AM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 313
Exiled
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 313 |
I haven't seen a good consensus on what constitutes a "trophy" axis deer; does mass come into the equation when scoring an Axis? What about overall width? I know SCI has an axis scoring form but most people don't score axis beyond the length of the main beam.
"Who Dares, Wins" Instagram: @HCConnected
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: huntnguide83]
#8125874
01/12/21 03:11 AM
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 695
RHutch
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 695 |
Biggest piece of advice I can give you is shoot for 32”+ with good length on brows and caudals. But, if you like him shoot him.
This is good advice for generally accepted trophy quality IME, although I’ve seen some strong 30” deer that would look nice on a wall.
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: scout30763]
#8125949
01/12/21 04:05 AM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 361
esnow74
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 361 |
Been on one axis hunt and went looking for 32". I did see longer but the one harvested was just over 32" but was a great looking rack.
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: scout30763]
#8125950
01/12/21 04:06 AM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,810
sparrish8
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: huntnguide83]
#8126934
01/12/21 11:04 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 436
HandgunHTR
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 436 |
But, if you like him shoot him. This, right here. I have killed three Axis bucks now. All of them are trophies for me. The first one was over 30" on one side and had a tip broken off on the other (29.5"). He looks great on the wall. The other two were shorter, but much cooler in my opinion. One is only 28" but has extra points right above his eye-guards, and he was in velvet. The other had a messed up side with super palmation and a really long eye-guard. ![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2021/01/full-54683-274825-img_2353.jpg) ![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2021/01/full-54683-274826-img_9028.jpg) ![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2021/01/full-54683-274827-img_9045.jpg)
#FighttheNoise
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: scout30763]
#8127221
01/13/21 02:26 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 27,047
txtrophy85
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 27,047 |
Interesting to see how axis hunting has developed. When I first started guiding back in the early 2000’s, anything over 28” was a shooter and 30” was the trophy mark. Now a lot of people pass on 30” deer looking for a 34”+
I’ve seen a lot of big axis, they can be hard to field judge and really any buck over 30 looks good on the wall. Like bobo said shoot for the look not the beam length. I’ve seen short beam bucks have great brows and caudles and long beam bucks be narrow and not look great.
For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: scout30763]
#8127269
01/13/21 03:12 AM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 963
Reloder28
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 963 |
Both of my BEST trophy Axis are 28”. Trophy to me is perfectly symmetrical, bowed from the base uniformly with good mass. One of the two is flat bladed to boot. Love looking at them. The bladed one I shot from a seated position after having crawled into & sat down in a bed of those giant Texas red ants. I hoped they would wait to bite until after I had my quarry. That was a most memorable stalk. That bladed 28” Axis had two +30” buddies with him.
A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in expressing his own mind....Proverbs 18:2
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Re: What is considered a trophy Axis?
[Re: txtrophy85]
#8127733
01/13/21 04:32 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,684
Black02z28
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,684 |
Interesting to see how axis hunting has developed. When I first started guiding back in the early 2000’s, anything over 28” was a shooter and 30” was the trophy mark. Now a lot of people pass on 30” deer looking for a 34”+
Took the words right out of my mouth. I always tell folks that anything 28" plus is a quality deer and if you like him, put some lead in him.
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