New pics of Hill Country stud

I posted earlier this week pics of this guy from back in July - I went and picked up camera cards this morning and it looks like he is growing all the way out - 300 acres LF near Marble Falls -

Daaaaang!

He done swole up some more, dang good one for sure.

I know you know a lot more about deer than i do, and i love the look of that deer. What do you think his spread would guess at given these pics?
I see this as a little deceiving given the antlers angle outward, so the spread looks bigger than it is (its plenty wide), plus we dont get a great shot at the right side in these pics. But i see at least 2 inches outside each ear, could put the spread somewhere north of 18-19”, possibly 20”

Where u at on this one?

Sure is a pretty deer! Hope one of the troop can get him!

Good question - understand that I just spent 20 plus years in South Texas and the deer were live weight 230-250. So I am having to adjust my brain to a smaller bodied deer in the hill country - I have many more pics of this guy than what I posted - if I downsize the body to Hill Country standards my guess would be at least 19 but most likely 20 inside - he is in velvet so of course looks bigger than what he will end up but I am guessing he will go 150-160 range -

Here is a pic from behind for a little more perspective - no matter what his spread is I am pumped to see a buck like this with ZERO management - of course the challenge will be if neighbors shoot him first but I can tell from my cameras that for now he is living on this property - he as at our corn feeders on a regular basis so he is a corn hog -

Good luck, hope y’all get him before the neighbors do. Will y’all be bow hunting?

it has crossed my mind! If I were after him then yes I would be all over bow but my grandkids are all rifle hunters so we will see

When I left south Texas I was consistently off on my hill country judgements by 1-2 years and 10-15”.

Hill country deer ground shrink. I think that deer is 150-152”. Hell of a nice buck, especially for the area

Post the originals if you can, as I have learned that photos or screenshots make them look differently or distorted. I am only seeing around 52-54" of tines on him and he may not be done growing. I used a 7" ear length but they may be shorter than that. Hard to judge spread but if he has 15" ear tip to tip spread then he is around 18 or so inside...giving him around 96-98 on MB, mass and spread. He is definitely a mature buck and his stained hocks for this time of the year show that...would not be surprised if he is 7 or older. Beautiful buck not matter what he scores. He would not get a pass from me, as I have never killed a 6x6.

Yeah he would not get a pass from me either

That's a shooter buck in any part of the state. Hope you get him.

I got a new computer and was having issues getting pics to download - figured it out and here are the camera pics

Look forward to putting a tape on him when the time comes -

Dangit man , good stuff

He’s a beauty.

That head down pic makes him look closer to the STX estimate of width.

Still think he is a great buck and for a smallish hill country lease he’s a keeper. Hope one of yours gets the shot!

Stud for sure!

Dream buck!! Good luck!!

Wow!

Looks to be the product of an extensively well managed ranch with top flight genetics with natural browse high in natural protein with hunters all on the same page supplementing diets with protein and worming the deer each spring.

Buy the grandkids a cross bow!

Sir you are correct - I have had this place for 6 months and my management program is already paying dividends!!!

Just corn and good rain so far -

no kidding!

I’ve shot smaller haha

How do you like that gringo feeder?

Dang good buck for the area for sure, those shots from the back always seem to make them look wider, I am thinking 17.5 to 18 as well. Looks abut 2 inches less than a 19 7/8 inside spread I killed a few years ago in Wastland county though this one will outscore that one by a good bit.

Beautiful deer. 6x6 is my dream deer.

Good luck.

Man never heard of these feeders before this year - bought 5 of them used and they are solid for sure -would buy them again in a minute

Agreed......off the top of my head I can only remember seeing 2 mainframe 6x6's when I was hunting. My hunter killed one ( not an impressive buck, scored right around 140" ) and the other was a 3 year old that another hunter could not help himself on shooting.


My buddy has killed 4 mainframe 6x6's......some peoples luck

Your in luck..I checked my schedule and I can free up all of archery season if needed... New pics added shows him a lot better. I think I shorted him a bit on tine length....he looks more 54-56 on tine length. If he keeps growing he may could push 160.

Imagine that!. STX "cleared up" some time so he can hunt.

great deer for that area!

THIS^^^^

STX - you are welcome to come but my 7 grandkids may take you out if you tried to shoot him! 😂

How you gonna let the grandkids decide who gets him TLK?! Imagine that could be a battle in and of itself! Good luck to ya

Houston, we have a problem.

a drawing for the stand and not for the deer - each will get to pick a stand based on how they draw but whoever sees him can take him - fairest way I know to do it

Absolute STUD!

Ive been at the lease for 4 days so Im late to this party. Several comments, but I guess first should be that big deer follow tlk around. He leaves one of the very best LF Ranches in Texas as its getting overrun by illegals and grabs a small, unmanaged, beautiful, Hill Country place close to home and, boom, heres a big beautiful buck. He knows better than anyone that its not likely to produce a buck like that every year and that the neighbors could easily kill it. It will be interesting to hear about it play out.
The system on who may kill it sounds like a sound one.
I havent had time to study the deer real close, but I would say low 150s. Hard for me to factor in the body size of the area.
My only hesitation would be that I dont think I would want to spoil the grandkids with a buck that big and beautiful. I have always felt that way about young ones but many disagree.

my grandkids (like my own kids had to do) go through a process with deer hunting. They all begin with shooting a pig or javalina when they are younger. Next they get to shoot a doe. Next they get to shoot a cull buck and last, but not least, they graduate to a nice buck. They are between ages 10 and 16. I agree with you totally about letting a youngster start off with killing big bucks so that is the reason for our little process. They can all handle a rifle well believe me. With the pictures below the bottom picture below is from some years back but one of my favorite.

Thats a great way to start them out with that progressing process. You left out the BB gun as the early step, but the pic tells the story.

Whomever my grand daughters end up getting married to some day better know how to shoot and how to hunt and fish or they will not have a chance with them! Lol

I don’t think your grandkids could get any cuter! It looks like they are extremely lucky to have you as a grandpa, not because of the big buck but from the looks of it yall have been making memories for years. Hats off too you, your doing it right

Great looking buck for sure TLK but I think you may be using your S TX eyes on him score wise.

I know your deer where you used to hunt would weigh easily 220+ when mature and this one is probably more like 150-160 tops.

I think right now he has 50-52" up
18 IS
48 beams
30 mass
is 96 down & he may be closer to 90. 100" frames are much harder to get in the HC due to shorter beams and a lot less mass.

my guess right now would be around 142-145.

may be but I will bet you that if and when we get him on the ground he will push well above that - my plan is to try to sit in a stand in the next month and get video of him and see him live - will get back to you on that

Take some stills of him also I know a "guy"

You may be exactly right and I hope you are.

no matter what it is a good problem to have!

Beautiful deer and I hope one of those kiddos whacks him, my moneys on him disappearing the day before the season only to reappear the day after it closes. Or the neighbor that’s also drooling over him right now ramming an arrow through him lol, I’m just saying out loud what would happen if I had pics of him on 300 acres. Hopefully your lucks better than mine because he didn’t get that old being stupid in the hill country

Oh I agree totally - odds of him being there at start of rifle are slim - I do think that not alot of our neighbors feed corn year around so my hope is he is settled in on our place - we shall see

I would suggest you stay away as much as possible till season. No hog hunting, no fishing, no skipping rocks in the creek, no tree climbing, target practice etc. But that would kind of defeat the purpose of a fun family place for the grandkids....... Of course I know that you know that.

tlk, is this big fella still coming in regularly?

Great photos of the g-kids. Hope one of them is all smiles soon!

I would not change my routine one bit from what I am doing. The day to day or week to week routine would be exactly the same for me if it were my lease.

Yes sir

Nice buck, hope he stays around for someone to get a crack at em.Was studing photo of him, in pen with head down. my guess close to 16in. wide. a bucks spread usually looks bigger when walking away/ facing away from ya. Also when lookin at same pic i tried to remeber the size of opening in hog panel, which would be a good gauge for width. So get a pic like that after he rubs out, there ya go!! Good luck

Nice!!!

Real nice