What do you think?

Think he needs another year or so or has he reached his peak? I like him even if he isnt super wide. Just curious if he deserves some more time.

He looks like he could still put on more mass with good groceries. If you like him choot'em.

Depends on if he's standing in an AR county.

It's your decision. If you have something better around, I'd suggest you wait. If you're in an AR county, he's probably not legal.

Lot of things can happen from one year to the next...not all of them are good but in some cases it does help to give them one more year.
This buck was from an AR county so he was a pass not matter if I had the tags to take him.
2018

2019

2020

He looks like a fat 4 year old to me.. ...

Replace the corn in that protein feeder with a high quality protein and give him a few years. Pretty basket rack on a fairly young deer

Thanks for the info and thoughts. Wikk hold off. I thought he was younger but didnt know if I was correct. We are MLD so no AR worries. I dont trust myself sometimes

I have to agree. Still wouldn't hurt to give him at least another. But, like stated above, if you like him take him.

If you are MLD and have the tags...that is a different ball game when it comes to making decisions on culling. If he is in the lower end of his age class then I would consider taking him...the only way I would leave him is if you have older bucks that are worse than him and tags are needed there. There are a lot of LF ranches that have the tags that take out the low end of the age classes and are very happy with their long term results. Of course you won't read or see their results in any publications...yet.

For sure High grading can be a detriment to the deer herd as much as low grading can be a benefit to the deer herd. The problem with each is the number of deer tags needed to make the difference. With MLD and enough tags, you can certainly weed out the low grade bucks in each age class and get overall better deer. It needs to go along with doe management, habitat management, and nutritional management as we all know.

This is the exact opposite of the person on small acre property that uses his place as a day lease and every buck gets shot out and before you know it its just spike and forks every year....

With enough tags (and acreage, and money) almost anything is possible. The problem for the 95+% of us is the tags and acreage...

You said you "liked him". Im curious how he stacks up against other bucks within the same age class. Curious if you been on there long and how long on MLD. If MLD there should be records of previous kills. I would guess at 4 yrs.

Nice one

We have had the place about 12 years. We don't have super giant deer like some people on here. Probably our biggest this year are a few close to 140. I think the biggest we have ever shot off of it was around 165. We have had a couple times in the last 6-7 years where the river flooded and knocked down the fence and we lost some mature deer so have had to start over a little. I guess we more manage it for quantity than quality. I kind of enjoy seeing a lot of deer even if they aren't super giants. This guy is probably the 8-9 biggest I've seen this year but I just liked his rack for whatever reason. But if he may get bigger I don't mind him waiting another year or two. I just wasn't sure he was only 4. If he was a lot older might change my mind.
That's what I like about this forum you guys know a lot more than me and
You learn a lot

There are ways around this and it is being done successfully in many areas of the state. Those people tend to think outside the box and not get caught up and what is written in publications. Their are groups of landowners and hunters working together in those areas that are producing really great deer for their county...year in and year out. You just need to get out and actually visit with these places to see how successful things can be. They are doing this with license tags and not MLD. Years ago Texas set the bar in wildlife management for a reason. They are starting to gain back that standard of great wildlife management that had dipped off. It is creative groups like I posted about above that are taking management of small acreage tracts to a new level...by thinking outside the box. They are just following the lead of what larger land holdings were doing in this state.

Is this place HF or LF?

You have a nice main frame 10 with real good brows and t would not surprise me if he was only 3.5. I would let him walk for another 2 years and shoot older main frame 8's or spikes and does.
He might be a real dandy in two more years

I’d shoot it

It's high fenced. Precious owner high fenced it before my grandfather bought it. He passed several years ago so now it's mine to deal with mostly.

Someone is bound to ask so it might as well be me. How big a place is it? You have been forthcoming with a lot of details which is important if you really want advice. This forum is a great place for advise. You have to sift through it sometimes but the good stuff is there. A high fence property carries a lot of responsibility with it. Those deer cannot get out which is great if you manage it right but if not then it can be a death trap. It sounds like you kind of fell into it so we all hope you are up to the task. Keep asking advise and you will get it on here. Best of luck with it.

We are pretty small place. Only about 300 acres. My grandfather bought it when he was close to 90 so we were both learning on the fly. He probably knew less than me but since he lived on the place he was able to really do a lot as far as maintenance and providing for the deer. He was a good farmer( I am not) so he planted a lot for them. We have about 50 acres for foot plots. I have a friend who plants wheat now, that he harvests , that helps with the nutrition for them deer. I do a lot of protein in the spring / summer and corn in the fall. The deer population is coming back now after the fence issue. I'm learning a lot on here. I know I need to shoot a lot more doe than we do and am working on it. Having the biologist has helped too. Deer seem healthy and fat for now. Appreciate all the advise

Not knowing the harvest rules of the ranch, but where I hunt he would get a pass...