What's the average size of say a 3.5-4.5 yr old buck in your neck of the woods? What's above average? For me? an average 3.5-4.5 year old deer is going to be somewhere between 100-120 inches. They are VERY rare in the woods I hunt. The absolute biggest I've layed eyes on would probably be in the 125" range.
There is usually quite a bit of difference between a 3.5 and 4.5 year old buck in my neck of the woods. Then again quite a big jump after 4.5 to 5.5. 3.5s here usually measure from 115 to 130 depending on their main frame. 4.5s start pushing into the low to mid 140's, a few make the 150 gross mark. The 5.5s put in on.. mid 150s to who knows.. depending on their genetics and how wet of a summer we have.
Don't see too many 3.5 year old deer per season. The few that I have seen and or have trail pics of I would say go 120-130. I have seen one deer that I know would go 4.5 year old or better. He scored just over 110, an ol mountain road.
AVERAGE 3.5 being 135 inches. C'mon.. you don't expect anyone to believe that.. do you? The KEY word to the question was average.
Gee Duke, you busted me. I benefit greatly by lying to the folks on this forum and now you went and ruined it. Actually, I'm quite surprised. Being as good with the written word as you, how did you miss the "in my area" part of my post? I have shot a 1/2 dozen 3 1/2s IN MY AREA that have scored between 130 and 140. Maybe math isn't your strong point but that averages to 135 in my book. If no one believes it, I'll lose no sleep over it.
I would have to say from video and trail camera evidence that typicaly 3.5 year old bucks are in the 130" range... This 3.5 taped out at just over 135" from last year: Trail cam of him: FD was "possibly" a 3.5 IMO last year and he was probably in the 180"s...just going off shed and trail camera/video evidence...thats ABOVE average without a doubt. Most 2.5's are around 80-100"...
Matt/TN....you must be hunting with ME! That is exactly where I am. Very rare to get one over 110" here, and I've only seen 2 in 25yrs that I know for sure would go P&Y. Our area has dinks, but lots of deer and its still fun!
Nobody is calling you a liar.. calm down. And I'm certainly not attacking you. I think Siman is UN-realistic too. But I think it's just more of a misunderstanding what average would mean. But this fact that a average 3.5 yr old is 135" is likely an unreal estimate. Very unreal. And fantastic that you have a few 3.5's (you say) who score 135 or better.. but they are likely NOT-average. Average would mean that their are MORE 3.5 yr olds that score 135" rather than 3.5 yr olds who would score 120" or 145". You're basically saying.. that majority of your 3.5 deer score 135". I doubt that.. not because it's you.. but because their are VERY few places in the world this would even happen.. and since I know you hunt free-ranging real world deer.. it's not likely where you hunt. Otherwise Racine or Kenosha county WOULD have the LARGEST number of P&Y's in the book.. So forget Pike county, Illinois.. or Buffalo county, Wisconsin.. hit up Racine.. where our average buck at 3.5 scores P&Y. No... no it does not.
I'd have to agree with Duke. You're averaging the deer that you have shot. How many dinks did you pass up? These would have to be averaged in as well, bringing the average size down.
the property i hunt is 1400 acres of managed, Prime deer habitat. I go off the deer i have seen. The average 3.5 go's 125"-130" Its what happens with great food sources, great cover and great area. And good Lord u should see the doe's!! O_o
The only norm I "know" for my area is the 2.5 year old bucks population. I have killed a bunch of them and have let a bunch of them pass. The average 2.5 year old buck between my kills and from what I have seen, would be around 70 inches. That is why I always say that many bucks around here don't get to 110 inches until they are 4.5 years old. The average buck is not going to put on 40 inches in one year, from averaging 70 inches at age 2.5 years old to 110 inches at 3.5 years old. And people know how hard those 4.5 year old bucks are to find and kill. That is why I have such a tough time arrowing a buck over 100 inches.
I would say bucks in my area typically will fall near these ranges... 3.5 yr old 110 -130 4.5 yr old 125 -150 5.5 yr old 135 - 160 Of course there are bucks that grow bigger or smaller racks than I am showing
The last time I spoke with the wildlife biologist for my area, he told me roughly 50% of 4.5 year old bucks would score 125" plus in Michigan. I have no idea about 3.5s...don't see enough of them to even make a guess.
Depends which part of the State I'm hunting. Near my farm. On the higher end: 2.5yo - 100-120 3.50yo - 115 - 140 4.5yo - 130-160+ 5.5yo+ - They're in the parks, who knows. But BIG !! Near my mothers- Around the same, but its rare to find a buck 4.5yo and older. Decent genes, though. Closer to the coast- the numbers drop DRAMATICALLY. I will attribute this to lack of crop food, lock of natural foliage and high numbers of gun hunters. There is no lock of habitat, though.
typically 1 1/2's for my area....eveything that moves during slug season out here gets shot! Piss poor management out here also!!!!!!!!
