Texas Hunting Forum

Generally Speaking

Posted By: DQ Kid

Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:30 AM

Hunting on a smaller tract of land, < 100 acres with decent deer density and average hunting pressure around you, what would you consider to be a nice, scorewise realistic buck that you'd consider harvesting, assuming maturity of buck? 120/125/130/130+? Or do you just hold out year to year in hopes of a 150+?
Posted By: Pittstate

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:33 AM

Depends on your area. Hill country about 120. Grayson county about 130 to 140. Panhandle probably 150 in a lot of areas.
Posted By: DQ Kid

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:33 AM

Cross Timbers area?
Posted By: Pittstate

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:34 AM

I arrowed a 130 class buck in Fannin county a few years ago and consider it a trophy...probably more proud of it than some of my 150 class Kansas bucks.
Posted By: Pittstate

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:35 AM

You Northwest of DFW?
Posted By: DQ Kid

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:35 AM

yup, SW Young county..
Posted By: Pittstate

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:37 AM

I would call 140 a trophy there. Of course there is potential for 180 class bucks, but 140 would put you in the top 10% of bucks harvested in that area. I wouldn't sneer at a 130 from that area either. Anything under 130 would be a management or too young to harvest.
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:50 AM

It really will depend on location and the ranches around that 100 acres. I know of a 100 acre tract of land in southern Medina County that borders or was very close a 3000 acre LF well managed ranch. They would kill a 160+ buck every couple of years. They were picky about what they shot. That area was not known for those kind of deer until the past 15 yrs or so. I know of smaller places that size of 100 acres + or - and some that are bigger in Northern Live Oak county that have never had a deer over 130 killed in the past 50 yrs now. Lot of hunting pressure back through the years and now not so much. So it will be interesting to see if the age will get a buck over 130 in that area. You would think being South Texas brush country it would produce an occasional buck that big or bigger but it has not since the 40's or earlier.
I think looking the minimums for a Typical buck for your area in the TBGA program is a good indicator of what you could consider a trophy for your area.
Posted By: Sneaky

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:50 AM

Originally Posted By: Pittstate
I would call 140 a trophy there. Of course there is potential for 180 class bucks, but 140 would put you in the top 10% of bucks harvested in that area. I wouldn't sneer at a 130 from that area either. Anything under 130 would be a management or too young to harvest.


You have some high standards.
Posted By: Sneaky

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:52 AM

I shoot what I like. I don't hold myself to certain standards.
Posted By: DQ Kid

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:58 AM

Don't worry Sneaky, I too shoot what I like, was simply posing a theoretical question related to score, nothing more.
Posted By: 4Weight

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 02:07 AM

Originally Posted By: Sneaky
I shoot what I like. I don't hold myself to certain standards.


Sneaky, maybe you should try it sometime. You may like it.
Posted By: 8pointdrop

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 02:10 AM

I'm in a county that produces at least a few 180's every year. It's a 1 buck county so if I pull the trigger, that's it. For 5 years now I've held out waiting on a 160+, it hasnt happened and every year I either eat a buck tag or shoot a spike, big 6 ect.... Past an 8 last year that was in the 140's and I've kicked myself everyday since.

Not happening this year, I'm looking for something mature and something I like......boom.
Posted By: SniperRAB

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 02:14 AM

Had a few more standards be a lot more quality Bucks strollin around...pleanty of meat walking around out there
Posted By: txshntr

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 02:18 AM

I look for a good mature deer and score comes second. But to answer your hypothetical, in your area, a 130+ would be a good deer IMO. Not to say they don't get better and there are some great deer that come out of the area, but they are not typical. Very few places consistently produce 150+ deer year after year, I don't care what you read. Even the large ranches (4k and bigger) that produce them, only produce a handful each year.

Of course there are exceptions and certain areas that a 150 is average, but those places are minimal when you compare it to the entire state.

I hate it when I see someone post a good 120" deer on here and they always say "it isn't a monster, but". A 120 is a monster is some areas and on some ranches. Ain't nothing wrong with em IMO.

I will get off my soap box now...
Posted By: wisco-hunter

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 02:18 AM

I'm in that area, 130 and up are good deer out there. I go by my own scale when I hunt, I only take something bigger than what I've previously shot. I shoot does for meat. I imagine if I ever take a buck over 160 I will prob use that as my standard and shoot only bigger than 160 even if I've taken bigger, but to me it's ok if I don't take a buck every year. I also have buddies that go by the rule "only shoot it if I'm going to mount it", but to each his own.
Posted By: 1860.colt

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 05:08 AM

scratch do people realy eat the antlers confused2 flag
Posted By: Hirogen

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 07:22 AM

Originally Posted By: colt.45
scratch do people realy eat the antlers confused2 flag


I think that they eat them to treat erectile disfunction in certain Asian countries. taz
Posted By: Erathkid

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 12:17 PM

roflmao
Posted By: N-Rut

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 12:57 PM

OP, IMO, if it's a legal buck that you would be proud to harvest, take it. The only person it has to impress is you!!
Posted By: EddieWalker

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 12:59 PM

I don't hunt my own land for trophy caliber animals. I only have 68 acres and they travel onto too many other properties to be able to wait for them to get older. I wont shoot a spike or something that is barely legal, but if it's a mature buck, then I'll shoot it regardless of what it scores. I also have tons of hogs here and we shoot them year round, so meat in the freezer is never an issue.

Eddie
Posted By: 1860.colt

Re: Generally Speaking - 10/17/14 01:06 PM

Originally Posted By: Hirogen
Originally Posted By: colt.45
scratch do people realy eat the antlers confused2 flag


I think that they eat them to treat erectile disfunction in certain Asian countries. taz


scratch heard they rich in calcium flag
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