Lifecycle of a Booner

http://www.realtree.com/deer-hunting/galleries/photo-gallery-from-buttons-to-booner

Some great photos and information on New York state deer thru his entire life. From a spike till his death. Very intresting I thought. If this link has been posted before then will the mods please delete. Baker

I've seen that before. REALLY interesting.

Thanks for sharing!

Exactly why we don't shoot spikes on my ranch. Thanks for sharing.

Where is Texas Dan???? Where is Kerr????

Lol

Nice post!!

Crazy how it went from an 8 to a 11 to a 10 then back down to an 8

cool link

Dang, guess I better stop shooting spikes!

Yep. That one deer just blew every management system all to hell. All these game ranches taking out spikes, 7 pointers, 8 pointers and the lower end of age classes are just shooting all their future Booners

Wait for it....wait for it...... Hell I'll get it out of the way.. He is the exception

According to most research IN TEXAS, he would be...and not just the spike part. But still, one deer to destroy all management practices. I am impressed

I love the "quite typical" explosion that happens from 3-4YO where the deer went from an eh looking 8pt to a WOW! looking 11 pt.

That's the part that got me too. Typical? Ain't nothing typical about that bucks life. He's all over the place, only characteristic that stayed year after year was the brows.

Don't really see anything appearance wise that tells me it's for sure the same buck from 1.5 to 2.5, not that I don't believe it. Either way it's a cool read and great post.

He ain't the only one.

Get that when dealing with probablity numbers, and high densities you have can take those chances because you can't feed them all. Something has to give for others to gain.

But I'm sick of the Kerr references that mean nothing. It drives me but when someone posts a 130-150 deer that the are very very proud of(and should be) and state this is why we kill spikes to grow deer like this.... Umm you sure he wasn't a spike at 1.5 years old...

Excellent. Never seen that before.

What makes it not typical? Genetics, densities, food, etc?
His frame did change much, just like a deer adding NT points one year and not having them the next year.

I love that, not so certain same buck through all pictures and how they guess the score, still a great set of pictures.

Sheds. His frame pretty much never changes. Read fine print it's an 2500acre estate

I concede I don't have a stock pile of 10 year old bucks to look at but non of the 4+ year olds we have made a jump anything like that from 3-4. I also have never hunted up north, much less been up north, im Texan tried and true, but most reading I have done and bs'ing I have herd on here indicated the northern deer have a somewhat shorter life span than their southern counterparts due to the harsh winters.

The whole thing seems just a little off to me from knowing what deer he was as a spike to the next year and then tracking a deer for 12 years etc. Sounds like he may be more of a pet than a good example to learn from.

There is no such thing as a perfect example in growing a big deer...they all differ. You just have to go by probability. Or what gives you a better chance to gamble.

Some blow up at 6.5 some regress, some max out at 8.5 some 7.5 some 6.5

They may have had awesome rain one year sub par the next year etc.

Great article

On most ranches here he would have hit the ground as a 3 year old 8 point

Oh I know there is no perfect example... but I don't think that a deer where they have the kind of captivity/control to follow him for 12 years is it.

He lives on a farm that greatly exceeds his core area. No different then any large ranch in TX.

Knowing the age each year it would be fun to post those pics up without the age showing and see who could score them the most accurately.

I got them all wrong! I had the fork at 0.75.

they can have their Booners. as for me, the scene from The Way at restrant whin asked how he prefured his stake. as papppy always say's: ya'll can chew on de antlers. i'm gonna sleep good tanight, no nightmares bout some credit adviser telling me bout bad investment. know i need more theropy. need ta go wonder about the woods, keep hearing voices as pappy always say's: person with open mind, has a wider point of view how can one hunter put down another for shooting a legal deer? i got cheap posts.

No way they know that is the same deer in the first 2 or 3 pics.

Does he have a tracker on it???

You of all people bought into to this HE is the exception even if the pics are legit. Why don't they post pics of the spikes that never grew anywhere that close to that. They post one buck when the next 99 won't even get close to that.

Funny, they could also post pics of 1.5 yo 6's and 8's that never get close to that either. I just pass all spikes because to me if 1 out of 100 make it to that stage it's worth it for me (but the probability is probably greater than that). That's why I let nice 8's go to, because to me it's worth it. If I pass every big 8 I see in my entire life and they all get shot by others except 1 makes it to my wall as a bigger buck, then its all worth it...for me. I think this is a "to each his own" argument that will never be won by either side, but the argument is sure fun. The scientific research goes both ways on this subject and I have seen multiple studies that support both sides of the argument. From what I read I could not make a definite conclusion from either side so I tend to let them walk, but that's just me...I think the only thing that's a for sure in this debate is the deer is going to change year to year, be it good or bad, so take your chances or take your meat, whatever makes you happy!