I got on a new lease near Childress this year. They said they have only killed 2 mule deer in 20 years. Said
not to bother even looking for them except maybe a few does around Christmas, which aren't legal. I put up a feeder this weekend
and this is one of the first photos I got. Do you think he is legal. I have not gotten any photos of him looking at
the camera.

Dang, he's got to be right on the mark. TPWD restriction is 20" outside spread. I wouldn't shoot him without a lot of time to glass him over in person.

He’s mature and very close to minimum spread rules IMO….

Too close to call.. I think he’ll be a hair short

If you keep getting pictures of him at the feeder, mark off 20 inches on all 4 sides in dark paint and eventually he will stand where you can tell if he is 20 inches wide or not according to your paint measurements .

Is that one of those Buc-ee's game feeders they sell? shopping for another feeder.

Yes it is like the one you buy at Buc-ee's.
I have bought 4 from Buc-ee's in Royse City and were very happy with all of them. This one I bought at Lott's
in Childress and it's been up and running for a week now with no complaints. Being almost 75, the stand
and fill feeders are the only way to go for me. I paid between $469 - $499 for each, plus $20 for battery.

Velvet makes him look heavier and a little wider, wait til he sheds that velvet to judge him better.
He looks right about at it or just short to me but I don't know your MD ear width down there, it can vary a bit.
If they have big ears he will make it.

My MD mounts have about 19- 19 1/2 in ear widths, he looks like maybe an inch wider than ears?
Good mature buck, maybe old buck.

Once he sheds that velvet you may nor see him with the WT bucks anymore. Ours get solitary, mature bucks, after they strip velvet.

Good luck, hope you can get him !!

Appears Legal in those photos. post/full mature body, head..ears.

If a 3 year old I say close, but probably not

Same opinion here. Right at the edge of legal. I'd age him at 3.5. On our ranch he'd get at least one more year. Just. my .02 cents.

I'd put him at a mature buck, based on how he stands on his heels and not up on his toes, lol.
Pot belly, squint to the eyes but I am bad at judging based on pics.

Cool buck none the less.
I hope he sticks around for you til that velvet comes off.

I agree Wytex on the age thing. I actually see maybe 4 to 4.5 years old with that brisket and belly. Hope you get a good look at him when the season kicks off.

Once he sheds and it comes late nov-dec he will show his age better, the broad chest and knees show his age the most IMO

Hmm no MD taken in 20 years (before there were antler restrictions).... He'll be close after velvet and hopefully you will get lots more pics. Once wheat comes in in that territory most all move in my experience
I hunted on the Wind River just south of Turkey and when MD in rut they were cruising miles on that river bed and saw multiple bucks. Game Warden said they'll travel 10-20 miles like that.

Just make sure you stake them down so the hogs don't roll them across the pasture.

Boy that’s a close call , hard to tell with velvet. Keep watching him he has a body of a 4 year old.

I never thought hogs would turn over a feeder with 600lbs of corn in it. But no reason to take a chance and I will
use a couple of t-post to tie them down. Thank you.

Agree, that deer is 4+, maybe even 5yo. Spread is close on 20" outside, in velvet looks 1-2 inches outside ears. Have to see him in person on hoof out of velvet. If he is, think I'd load him full of lead dead...

It looks like a nice mature buck, and body size is much larger than the other yearling buck in the photo.

Here's a pic of a deer we shot at Caprock Canyon a couple years ago, on the mule deer hunt, before the 20" rule. We thought it was bigger than it was, but the bodies are much smaller than we are used to out here in the west. It only measured 18 inches outside, and would not be legal now. We actually saw larger whitetails in the fields east of the Park each day.

Well, that's a nice buck even if it would not meet todays requirements.