Body Weight, Antler size?

[Wide8pt]

I was just curious as to the the field dressed weight of some the bucks our friends in the forum shoot. I myself had the good fortune of taking two 8 pointers this year. The first was in gun season (we hunt with dogs) and it was 160lbs with a score of around 100 inches. The second I took with my exocet and it was 225lbs around 130 inches. That's a big deer for these parts. One 255 lbs entered in a contest here won a Excal. 140 inches is huge here. For some reason body weight makes the trophy standard here, what about you?

[Grizzly Adam]

I'd say the average field-dressed weight for a two-year-old buck here is around 125. They do come bigger, but if we're talking averages, I'd say that's close.

[hetichunter]

the average buck taken here in northern IL seems to be between 200 to 225 lbs.

[Grizzly Adam]

That's a big deer for these parts ... 140 inches is huge here ... For some reason body weight makes the trophy standard here, what about you?

BTW ... if we don't know where "here" is, all of that is relatively meaningless, since where the buck comes from has a lot to do with antlers and weight!

You can tell us your region, at least, can't you?

[Farmer]

During the 2008 ML season my buddy shot a 6 point that scored 132 - 133 inch 's . The buck weighed in at 275 pounds . It was the biggest bodied buck I have have ever personally seen .

[vixenmaster]

Diff states account fer fluxuation on weight along with food supplys. Where i live i never expect to find a mature 5-6 yr old Buck over 250 on the hoof. No agriculture food fer 10 miles, also the rack size is more with genitics & lots of good food than age here. I would say the avg. Buck fer my area is 165 LB & 130 class on pts.

[maxman]

Unfortunatly most of the bucks killed in Michigan are 1 1/2 year olds that weigh an average of 135 lbs dressed. The oldest buck I have killed was 3 1/2 and dressed 185 after hanging for three days, it scored 123 P&Y.

[Wide8pt]

My appologies to Grizzly Adam for being vague as to my whereabouts. I live in central ontario and we have a mix of terrian here. The lease that I have is 3300 acres, all timber, and is part of a 70,000 acre parcel which is also all timber. That is where I hunt deer,moose and bear. I also hunt a family farm which is located 50 kms south of that in a little place called Minden. There is a little agriculture there but mostly dairy farm. Funny thing is,we have bigger deer in the timbered lease than in the agri area. Must be only the strong survive thing, competing with moose for food and surviving the timber wolves, don't know.
Hope that gives some insight as to where I hunt.

[Grizzly Adam]

My appologies to Grizzly Adam for being vague as to my whereabouts. I live in central ontario and we have a mix of terrian here. The lease that I have is 3300 acres, all timber, and is part of a 70,000 acre parcel which is also all timber. That is where I hunt deer,moose and bear. I also hunt a family farm which is located 50 kms south of that in a little place called Minden. There is a little agriculture there but mostly dairy farm. Funny thing is,we have bigger deer in the timbered lease than in the agri area. Must be only the strong survive thing, competing with moose for food and surviving the timber wolves, don't know.
Hope that gives some insight as to where I hunt.

No need to apologize, Wide!

Just couldn't know how big deer really are in your area without knowing where your area is!

Of course, there are always exceptions ... I once killed a 150lb. doe here, where most does are more like 90!

[Tom]

One year my brother killed a 8 point (Perry Sound Ontario area) and I chuckled at the size of the animal until I grabbed it to move in on the ground (I thought someone glued it there). It looked so small because it was actually large all around, chest, neck but legs looked a little small. With no hide, legs or neck at the butchers it weighed 290lbs. Another deer shot in the same area, 21 points weighted the same at the butchers (less neck of coarse). This area is fully natural, no farms any where near. We had to take a boat 7 miles down a river with all our equipment to even set up camp.

Here now in southern Ontario, a good average buck would weigh about 200 - 225 lbs. But you know ........ the smaller bucks seem to taste better.