Some Big Whities For Ya...

[Imdone]

I'm putting my chips in SSs pile.

He's very knowledgeable and experienced on this , I hope he gets the Giant WTail he.is after��

[Ourea]

SS, that buck (IMHO) he aint going to get any bigger maybe just nastier. Mature for sure. I have passed on some dandies only to regret it thinking they needed another yr or two only to disappear to predation or illegal harvest.

[Skull Hunter]

SS, that buck (IMHO) he aint going to get any bigger maybe just nastier. Mature for sure. I have passed on some dandies only to regret it thinking they needed another yr or two only to disappear to predation or illegal harvest.

I tend to agree here, but you never know. I think he's probably in his prime (for antler size). Although a good buck I don't think he has the genetics to become great. With that said, he could develop into a heavy gnarly fella in the next couple years which would be pretty sweet.

[JoeSixPack]

Found an active trail with a scrape this weekend. Sat and waited. This guy came by just after lunch time chasing 2 does. This is my first whitetail.

[TheObserver]

Found an active trail with a scrape this weekend. Sat and waited. This guy came by just after lunch time chasing 2 does. This is my first whitetail.

Congrats buddy, right on heck of a first!

[HarryToolips]

Right on nice one Joe6pack!

[Sitkaspruce]

Wow that's a nice one to pass on, looks like he's got solid genes so in a year or 2 he should be a stud... any idea how old he is?

That new buck may have already peaked antler wise.
He is not a young buck.
No sway back yet, but he has the short heavy face of an older deer.

I agree with WB. I think that buck has hit his prime and will likely only go down from here.

Oh I agree, no doubt a mature big WT buck and he is in his prime. BUT, he is not like the buck I am chasing in this spot. The buck I am chasing is a 6.5 or 7.5 yo mature buck the we share a history together since 2019, when he walked in the camera one day as a 3.5 or 4.5 yo old buck. He is nick named One Eye as he only has his right eye. His is unique, we have history and he has a bigger frame and is heavier than Splitz. Its the chance we take when we hunt a particular buck, whether they will survive to next year. The good news is that it seems they have been surviving in the area as One Eye has been around since at least 2019 when I first got a picture of him. The other interesting thing about this spot is that it is 95% 4x4 bucks with the odd young 5x5 showing up like this year, which my buddy quickly removed for his freezer. I have been running this spot since 2013 and have killed only one big 5x5 in 2017.

Here is one eye in 2019

https://youtu.be/vesEK-dZLCo

Here he is in 2020

https://youtu.be/ORWwEZzDWsY

Here he is in 2021. The buck at the end was the buck I took last year. See the trend of 4x4 bucks??

https://youtu.be/cTSdRV126ZE

Here is a short video of One Eye and Splitz, you make up your mind on what buck you would shoot

https://vimeo.com/776829114

Of the other two, one is a nocturnal bugger who shows up once every 7-10 days, always in the dark so I decided to leave him alone. He is the biggest of the three bucks and we also have a history. The other one was my focus for my last three days and he did show up, but the doe he was with was frisky and would not sit still, so when he took a couple steps she took off and took him with her. Him and I have been playing tag since 2020, when he fully matured as a a big NT. Will do a little history report on him later.

The season ended today, but with work and a -40 wind chill today, I will be eating tag soup this year; I had my choice of bucks for the freezer and am happy with letting Splitz (and other bucks) live for another year.

Cheers

SS

[pescado]

I like Splitz. Lets hope he makes it through the winter and you have another chance at him next year. Was nice to follow your progress and thanks for posting! It has been a cold SOB this year, makes hanging out a lot more difficult.

[Walking Buffalo]

Love it SS, whatever and whichever makes you happy.
I get having history with an animal.
I don't have any connection to these deer, no basis to pick one over the other.
If I had to, I would target Splitz, he is a Beast!

I've been hunting a small, quite isolated area for 20 years now, about 4 square miles, and have seen several swings in the predominant antler configuration.
I've seen how a single smaller antlered but dominant buck can quickly spread his genes to the local population.
And I've seen how removing that buck and letting others go can shift the typical antler configuration expressed.
This area went from mostly typical 5's, to mostly 6's, to mostly 4's, and now back to mostly 5 and 6's.
A single 4 point buck with smaller than average antlers. a huge bodied beast, quickly became the father, grandfather to several generations of bucks after I took out the previous boss, a big typical 6x7.
Almost nothing but 4's for 4-5 years until acougar took out the big 4.
Now a new boss has been in charge, a tall tined 5. It is obvious those genes are now dominant in the herd.



IMO, and of course there is a good chance I am wrong, and this probably is nothing you don't know.
Splitz looks to be the Boss of the hood. He seems to be much larger in body size, and older, than One Eye.
Want more five points, get rid of BOTH of these guys asap.
They could easily be breeding almost all the does.

[HighCountryBC]