Yep. I need to come to shed school and take some Sheddin' 201 coursework. Solid finds. That is pretty crummy he is losing inches at 4, you would think he would have stretched out some more until possibly next or the year after. Do you think this is typical of your bucks or just this guy?
Swamp whitetail are a different breed of bucks Bols. Due to these bucks habitat they usually will reach the mature stages of life.. but consequently to the deer hunter they also get very poor nutrition. Unless of course they are able to acquire some nearby. I have 2 swamp 4 yr olds to my credit.. 1 at a solid 120" maybe.. the other at a mere 112" (shot this year). I have another buck that I took in 05' but did not find til shed season 06' that would go maybe 125ish as a likely 5 or 6 yr old. It's much more common than hunters think.. many more whitetail NEVER see 150" or more in there entire life than do. It's a bummer about this buck.. cause I really though he'd become an anomaly. Guess not.
Duke, nutrition is what I expected might be the biggest limiting factor for your situation. That really is a bummer too, since you are seeing the mature age structure there. I guess you can only hold onto the fact that age structure is still important. Of course, that is really how I want to attack hunting, by age structure, rather than solely being dependent on inches. The bucks I have killed with my shotgun have been too young. For that reason alone, I am starting to open my eyes to mature animals and what they truly represent. I'm gonna try and set aside inches, I want to aim for the mature ones. Of the two bigger sheds I found this year (3 1/2 and 4 1/2), neither one was packing a lot of tine length or extraordinary main beam length, just good solid mass for their age. Probably similar to what you are seeing, maybe not attributed to poor nutrition here at my place, but more of a lack of strong genetics. The shed buck I found dead very well could have been the biggest buck around my area (possibly the 12 point my dad and I both saw this year), only time will tell if I am able to find his sheds and match it back to that buck. I have the cropland in my area, so I consider myself pretty blessed. And the best part, we control the cropland on the property we hunt. :D That means, I know what is planted where, and about the time we will be harvesting the crop as well.
Genetics are certainly a strange thing Bols.. they really are. Go 30 minutes another direction and you might find whitetail who average 140" by age 4.. makes you wonder why. Perhaps the idea of whitetail hierarchy is greater than just a buck getting first choice and ultimate choice in breeding.. perhaps it also deals with bedding rights as well?.. Home ranges even? Which is why so very many of the world's largest whitetail bucks live in un-huntable regions or parks.. perhaps what 1 buck started years ago with his superiority continues with his genes and the deer of that region.. while subordinates are forced to move onto other grounds to "have a life" so to speak and ultimately continue their subordinate genes. This very thing is actually happening with salt-water crocodiles in Australia as we speak. Too often I think we hunters look at our herds in too small a scale.. as though the deer we see are only apart of the herd we see. Whereas in reality it's MUCH larger.. traveling the entire countryside.
Duke, I really couldn't agree with you more. It's a large series of chain events. With an ultimately infinite scope of sequences being carried out over miles. At some point though, like you said, the nutrition is a limiting factor, even moreso than the genetics at times. Hence, in your situation. I am more and more intrigued by genetics when I found that shed last time out. When it (being a 4 1/2 old buck, year old shed) matched a freshie from a 3 1/2 year old buck like a glove, it ma
You are having a nice season thus far Duke.... What is your shed count for the year so far? Congrats. *Edit* I just saw your shed count in your first post.
It's been slow lately for me.. I've been busy. But here's a few.. Dope Ear.. the buck Justin missed.. made it. Revenge my good friend. Big Rob.. made it too. He makes 2 cameos in Full Circle by White Knuckle Productions.
I've been a little lazy as of late.. but my last 2 outings had some success. This small 4 point half actually came of a buck I do remember seeing back in November. Not more than 125 yards from the small 4 point shed above.. I found this buck dead just inside a small woodlot. He likely was hit by a car.. and Justin and I have never encountered him.. whether in person or with a trailcam. This 55"ish side I actuall almost tripped on. I don't know how I ever missed it. And finally... some Sandhill cranes. Cause frankly.. I love these birds.. for those who don't get to see them everyday.. they're like 4 feet tall.
Ah, but have you ever seen them @#$%!@# things work over a field that you just planted, going row by row picking all the seed you just put down? Nice finds, once again
A short walk on Saturday April 4th revealed 2 lonely sheds. The first one a real good one.. just over 62" for a 4 point side.. my biggest of the year. It's been rough. Unbelievably I passed by this shed in a field twice during this same short walk.. once within 8 or 9 yards. It wasn't til I came back into the field from another direction.. hitting the spot a 3rd time..that I spotted it.. whilst talking to Graf on the phone no less.:d I don't know how I missed it. Sadly I did not take a ATL.. I was so surprised at the find and still on the phone.. that I just completely forgot. I suck. And this little guy.
Good stuff Mike! What's your count for the year so far? I think I made my last trip of the season this weekend, capping out at an even 20. If I find anything else, it's gonna probably require a little bit of luck in the first week of turkey season, before the weeds grow in too thick.
Nearly 100 hours wasted walking through the woods.. and 21 shed to show for it all. I still have a few more outings planned and honestly I think I could have another 10 more at least by now.. but I've been busy around the house painting.. and putting in new light fixtures.. cleaning the garage etc. So that's held me back quite a bit lately. I'll likely hit another 10 hours or so before my legs say enough is enough..
The 10th of April and I decided to hit up an old favorite of mine. Less than 2 hours... 4 sheds.. not too bad at all.. including my largest of the season.. a oldie.. but a big beamed close to 24" big massed antler. After a phone conversation with Justin.. he believes he has a trailcam photo of this buck from 2006.. which would make sense since I believe this shed to be about 2 or 3 years old. Enjoy... I know I did.:d Can you find this near 65" side? Swamp whitetail sheddin' at it's finest. Sorry pic I took kinda sucked.. A messed up right side.. actually have a pic of this buck in velvet not more than 50 yards from where I picked this side up. Better view of it. Left side of matched set. Right side of matched set.. found about 60 yards away.
The April 10th matched set from above belongs to this buck. Pics taken by Justin and his trailcam.. near 1 mile from where I found the matched set.
Nice finds. Any chance of showing that shed with the mass outside of the swamp grass? That how close you were to the bone when you saw it first? or did you walk up on it for a better view/picture of it?
