I read a lot of threads about the south being full of deer, just not known for big bucks over and over again...I think some people are in the dark on this. The Va deer classic is coming this weekend and as always there will bucks entered that would make you think they were shot in the midwest.. In my area, a 150" buck is a dandy, many bucks are taken in the 125-145" range everyday. The tidewater region all the way up to the Blue Ridge has quality bucks...now, they are not on every plot of land, but they are thick in some areas....year before last John Price killed 193" 12 pointer at my club 25 min from my house. That was abnormal I will say, but we do have them here and I read about bucks like this from Miss, LA, KY, etc...the deer do not usually have huge bodies, it is not uncommon to see a 150" deer weigh 135 lbs..
Nope no big bucks, they don't exist, haven't seen one in KY....only basket racks and spikes...so don't waste your time here!
Jeff, like I said they are not everywhere for sure, if they were in your area, no doubt you would have at least seen a buck that big.
It all depends on where you are talking. Certain areas of AL a P&Y is nothing hugely exciting to guys, while others a P&Y is an AWESOME buck for the area. Same with a lot of states across the south. KY is a border state. Plenty of numbers, but plenty of big bucks too. People north of us view us as a southern state. People south of us view us as a midwest state. It is a nice blend of both. Antler size isn't as prevelant in FL as it is say in IL. There are good representative deer to be had in all areas, but the average or top end buck won't be exactly the same....but this is all VERY specific to location. I just think summing up an entire state can't be done by hunting in one area. I can drive 5 minutes in one direction and be in an area where 110" is huge and does are like flies...or I can drive 25 minutes in the other direction and be in an area where 140" is common place while big, and a much better buck:doe population can be found. BOTH within (gasp), the same state lines. Big or Not, I hope to eventually have hunted ALL the states across the SE.
The coastal area that I live in can grow some big ones, 100" is an average nice deer, 125" isnt out of the question, and 140-150" is a huge deer around here. We get a few that big in our area every year, an about once a year you hear of one over 160". We have big bucks, but if you are gonna hunt for them I sure wouldn't come here to do it.
Are you talking the south or "da dirty south?" Either way, I know the south has big bucks because I've seen them. There are not as plentiful but we do have them. I've often wondered how come a deer that lives in the same habitat (corn fields, etc) in Virginia doesn't get as big as the ones in the Midwest? The racks can be comparable but the bodies aren't. I've seen TONS of big racked deer with small bodies. Here's a pic of a Franklin county buck I took today while at the Roanoke Outdoor classic. Didn't get the score. BTW...I just moved to Franklin county a year ago.
I have seen them both alive and dead. The biggest I have ever seen alive would go well over the 100" mark. I have seen several over the years that reached that caliber, dead. Every year there are some from the 150" to 180" class killed in Louisiana and Miss. If half the people advertised what they killed each year, the numbers would be higher. I have noticed the consensus of hunters in Louisiana and Miss really don't brag that much about what they kill, except to friends, family and locals. They are out there. And when you least expect it, you will be face to face with one. Lot's of people around here get rattled when they do see one and can't pull off the shot. I guess if you don't see them often it might have that effect on you.
Jeff I agree. Im not saying that the south has the amount od big bucks as the midwest, but we have some of the same caliber bucks, just not as many..With a gun I have killed a 145" 8 pt and a 140" non typical 15 pt...so they are here in Va..In fact I have a magazine here that has the top 10 states for producing P&Y deer as of recent, and NC made the list!!! I was shocked.
The biggest deer I have ever laid eyes on in MS was a 140 class 8pt. There are areas of MS where they won't even shoot a 140. But for 99% of the state that is a once in a lifetime deer. The big difference for me between hunting Illinois, which I have done 4 times, and hunting MS is that in Illinois they have a well defined rut and the bucks are very mobile. Even during the rut in MS you rarely see a mature deer. 2.5 months of gun pressure make surviving much more important than mating.
DC, I know in my part of Va, it's deer hound country and if we didn't have the hounds and huge hunt clubs, lots of bucks would make it to 3.5-4.5 yrs old, what in your part of Miss? Dog hunting there?? talk about pressure, gun hunting at a whole notha level bro...100 walker hounds chasing 20 deer every day of the season, that's pressure...
Its those walkers that keep the deer here nocturnal, along with the three month gun season. I personally wouldn't mind seeing it go, but I have a lot of friends that love to dog hunt, so I don't mind it to much. It is exciting and all, but I personally don't like the impersonal feeling I get when 10 to 15 people shoot at the same deer as you from 10 to 200 yards away. I also think it is quite hard to believe that NC made a top ten list, I'm not saying it isn't in a magazine or isn't true, just hard to believe. I have personally only seen around 10 deer that will top 125", and only half of those have been alive. In 5 days in Illinois I easily saw 10 over the 125" mark. If we made it, either deer hunting across America is going downhill and fast .
Va, Yes, MS has a tradition of dog hunting. Our biggest problem though is that our gun season starts 3 weeks before the rut and last until 3 weeks after. We also are allowed 3 bucks, so there really isn't much incentive to pass up young bucks. We have all the ingredients of being a big buck state, except for age.
Also, I believe the top 10 list you refer to was recently in the Field and Stream. Can't remember but I saw it and yes it was top 10 states in the south. Arkansas, Tennesee and MS were top 3 I believe.
oh the hounds of the south, many on here cannot even imagine the dynamics that are involved with dog hunting here in the south...DC, I can't remember what mag it was, it may have been the last NAW...I don't think it was F&S I don't have it here now, can't remember...
Top 10 Vabowman, You might be referring to an article in the July 09 Buckmasters magazine. The article is about the Top 10 states that have the most entries in the BTR (Buckmaster Trophy Records) from 2005 to 2007 ONLY. I think they are trying to tell hunters what they consider to be the "Go To" states right now. I'm not sure that I agree with them but... Here they are. 1. Illinois 2. Ohio 3. Louisana 4. Indiana 5. Kansas 6. Mississippi 7. Kentucky 8. North Carolina 9. Arkansas 10. Texas
