QDM Naturally...

[swamp hunter]

So... I hunt in a Sandhill Club..Planted pines for Miles.. No Agriculture anywhere but yet..
A Buck scoring over 200 Inches was found dead in my County.
1950's ,But how did this happen ?
Over 200 inches in sand and pines in North Florida , land of Scrub Bucks and small 8's
200 inches without Minerals , Feeders , QDM , Salt licks and Trophy let them walk rules.
Freak of Nature or just age on that Buck ?

 

[buckpasser]

I can’t answer your question but would like to add one that’s related. I’m on the FL line in SW GA. It’s said that we have better bucks than SE GA based mostly on soil and ag. Have you been to the land of giants - central Kansas? The dust bowl left it grassy sand dunes and crappy sorghum fields. Shouldn’t be more than a rag horn out there if they need good top soil to build a rack.

There is wild marijuana everywhere out there though. Maybe it’s like 56% protein or something.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Freak of nature and age in one.

 

[swamp hunter]

Bya...My dad caught a bunch of them Jewfish that big. I catch a bunch today.
We Got them...But 200 inch Deer..not so much..

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Swamp I know you catch a lot of them that’s why I posted it but none that big. That one is 680lbs and the world record.

 

[kmckinnie]

I thought it was a bream.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

I catch alotto deers myself but not 200 inchers just yet.

 

[antharper]

I’d say just a freak can show up just about anywhere

 

[antharper]

I thought it was a bream.

I was thinking largemouth

 

[tbrown913]

Was that monster a relocated deer from restocking? Seems there are several Georgia counties where a top 10 is from back around the restocking times.

 

[howboutthemdawgs]

What is the point of your question? That management doesn’t work? Hopefully you aren’t implying that...
Without knowing all the factors how do you expect anyone to answer that question. Maybe the deer was a relocated one from up north, maybe the landscape was not all planted pine plantation and offered something nutritious, maybe the deer was just a genetic freak, maybe with some proper management y’all can see deer of that size again once in a blue moon.

Ps got any pics of pops with some world record grouper?

 

[Jim Boyd]

There will always be outliers in nature.

No more and no less.

If you want to catch big bass, fish in a pond that is known to produce them.

Pretty simple.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Some people try growing all deer, some try culling, some let too many walk. Most if not 99% are shot waaaay too young to be that rare freak and very very old at the same time.

A freak of nature deer is probably common on everyone’s land except it is still young and yet VERY OLD is very hard to find.
Whitetails can live twenty years but we pop them at six or less nearly every single time. The one freak of the bunch barely has his chance to age enough EVER. We all shoot the freaks of nature too early.
And only a rare select few freaks of nature make it through the long run. To break the record it takes all three or more to get there.

 

[sleepr71]

Maybe that 200” deer lived in a swamp..lots of topsoil & moisture there to grow good food? Could have migrated from Atlanta suburbs?? Rich landowner had deer brought down from up north? Lots of possibilities..

 

[Jim Boyd]

Some people try growing all deer, some try culling, some let too many walk. Most if not 99% are shot waaaay too young to be that rare freak and very very old at the same time.

A freak of nature deer is probably common on everyone’s land except it is still young and yet VERY OLD is very hard to find.
Whitetails can live twenty years but we pop them at six or less nearly every single time. The one freak of the bunch barely has his chance to age enough EVER. We all shoot the freaks of nature too early.
And only a rare select few freaks of nature make it through the long run. To break the record it takes all three or more to get there.

Pretty sure a buck is as big as he is ever going to be (full prime age) in the 5-7 yo range.

Past that, they begin to lose some of their majesty (if they are ever going to have it in the first place) and start to go downhill.

Think NFL running back - most don’t make in the league past about 30 years old.

Here is a great link, that many have seen before, that illustrates the life of a Booner:

https://www.realtree.com/deer-hunting/galleries/photo-gallery-from-buttons-to-booner

I believe there are freak _________ (fill in the blank) in most all areas of wildlife.

They are exceptions to the norm.

15 lb bass

1000 lb Marlins

200” deer

You name it.

They did not have to be nurtured or “grown” - they just exist.

Now, can land managers make a difference?

Of course they can and IMHO, anyone that believes different may not have completely researched and understood the entire aspect of deer in general.

Best of luck.

 

[Jim Boyd]

BTW, I think that one of the biggest drivers of deer survivability is tooth wear (specifically, the lack thereof).

Take away or reduce his / her teeth and they cannot feed as well and go downhill, a cycle that we be nearly impossible to reverse.

Deer do not like sand in their mouth. Instinctively, they may know it is not a good thing. You can see this in a young bean or pea field. After a hard rain, when sand has been splashed up on the small plants, they tend to stay away from feeding in that field. Behavior varies, obviously, but if they have alternative, good food sources, they will seek them out.

Best of luck.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

“MOST” peak at 5-7.
Rare Freaks grow and peak when they darn well ready.

 

[Jim Boyd]

We all have opinions, which is great, but very few animals can defy the laws of nature.

Yes, rare freaks grow but I do not feel they have an option (or choice) as to when the peak occurs. This is largely predicated by, again, the laws of nature.

Little doubt remains that there are variations in the process (like a quarterback that plays into his 40’s or perhaps, as you say - a deer that peaks beyond 7 yo or so) but regarding statistical data and the laws of nature, very few specimens are exempt.

 

[buckpasser]

BTW, I think that one of the biggest drivers of deer survivability is tooth wear (specifically, the lack thereof).

Take away or reduce his / her teeth and they cannot feed as well and go downhill, a cycle that we be nearly impossible to reverse.

Deer do not like sand in their mouth. Instinctively, they may know it is not a good thing. You can see this in a young bean or pea field. After a hard rain, when sand has been splashed up on the small plants, they tend to stay away from feeding in that field. Behavior varies, obviously, but if they have alternative, good food sources, they will seek them out.

Best of luck.

That’s the mystery of it to me. The deer around me seem to always go noticeably downhill at 7.5. When we’re lucky enough to take one of these bucks at 6.5 or 7.5, their teeth are worn but serviceable for browsing. As a matter of fact they look about like the scientific chart jaw pictures labeled as 4.5 or 5.5. They seem to just get old and die in SW GA with a mouth full of teeth. I’m not in real sandy ground. Loamy and clay mostly. Maybe the heat? Maybe the bugs?

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

We all have opinions, which is great, but very few animals can defy the laws of nature.

Yes, rare freaks grow but I do not feel they have an option (or choice) as to when the peak occurs. This is largely predicated by, again, the laws of nature.

Little doubt remains that there are variations in the process (like a quarterback that plays into his 40’s or perhaps, as you say - a deer that peaks beyond 7 yo or so) but regarding statistical data and the laws of nature, very few specimens are exempt.

Yes Sir 100% on that one my friend.