Thanks! They really aren't big enough to actually worry about measuring. I mean, 130 class deer are not uncommon. It's when you start getting up past the 160's that these boys really get impressive. In this scenario I am trying to get them past that 4 1/2 years. That is my magic number. The oldest to date was 7 1/2. The jump in antler size from a 3 1/2 yo to 4 1/2 yo is significant in my area; and when you get over that magic number, you start getting the mass on the antlers too. I want to harvest mature bucks! It usually stands to reason that a mature buck on my property will weigh at least 200 lbs. as long as we don't have a significant alteration in food supply. This guy was 204 lbs post rut! Take into account the 20-25% body weight they ALL may lose during the rut and this guy was probably a true pre-rut stud.
The next phase of herd management will include culling younger bucks with mediocre antler development by age and size. That, my friends, is a whole different ball game.
