Old age

[ncboman]

Thinkin about all the big ol bucks I've seen over the years that got away and have to wonder how many die of old age or yotes taking them down because of age or injury.

Once a buck reached maturity, what percentage would you say never get killed by hunters?

[campkingmd]

Ive wondered the same thing over the years. Funny you never find them. I guess between the thickets and the swamps they just go off like an old dog and die. We don't even find old does for that matter guess its one of those mother nature things not ment for us to know.

[hatracked]

Seems to me you hear every year about a giant buck that some old lady creamed with her car round the creek bend. I do believe for some odd reason alot of these older bucks end up road kill. I also believe that after 5 years of age its far more likely they will die of any number of things rather than a hunter.I would also suspect more old bucks die fighting each other than get taken down by yotes in most places. The reintroduction of wolves and the continued reclaimation of range by the yote will probably change that before to many more decades go by. I se more and more yotes every year.

I have only ever found four old bucks dead in the woods that I couldnt account to a lost deer. One hung himself in green briar vines swimming the river during a flood. One was apparently killed fighting, the other two were either unrecovered hunter kills or road kills couldnt be sure.One things for sure you dont find them often.....but then again being that in a perfectly healthy heard they make up less than 5% of the population there aint many out there dying to begin with.

[Buckfever]

There was a spot in Iowa on my buddies property, at the top of a bluff. 15 years ago, I was still in school and wasn't hunting then. There was an Oak flat there. Real tough to get up there and no way to get up there undetected. He knew of no one who'd gone up there and no one hunted that property for years. At the top of that bluff I found at least 20 skeletons, and the place was littered with skulls and racks and sheds. It looked like a cemetary. I've never seen anything like it since. Never got back there before he sold it.

I think that's part of the mystery of deer hunting. You can hunt a property for years and then discover a small spot that you would of never figured, that never has human intrusion and the buck will claim it.

It's a magical thing to observe and I believe that mystery, will always fascinate me.

[Twanger]

I read in Maryland that mature bucks (3.5 YOA or older) make up about 1% of the deer population. Since I sendom find any deer dead in the woods (from the other 99%) it seems that the odds of finding the remains of an old buck are extremely small.

[davep]

Exactly.I spend alot of time in the woods,and rarely come across many dead deer,big or otherwise.We did have an outbreak of hemmoraghic fever some years ago,and I found probably 8 or 10 dead,but all young or does.Guy behind me found a 25" inside 11 point dead 3 or 4 years ago,but too far gone to see what did it in.Since it was in March,I suspect gunplay. Vehicles take a lot of them. Helped a county road crew guy lift a HUGE buck off the road near my house,a few years back.Would have dressed in the 200# range,and the 1/2 a rack it had was impressive.(Other side must have still been in the car that hit it).Another big bodied deer was dead within 1/4 mile,and someone cut off the skull plate. Have seen some monstrous freaks in late summer,sometimes 2 and 3 years running,and NEVER heard of them being killed around here.And they were of such quality,I would have heard of it.One particular buck had almost a 3rd antler growing out of his right pedicel,and forking UNDERNEATH his lower jaw.Sort of a low rider chin guard. Old age I suspect.Or,car strike that lets them get off the road,and hole up in some hell hole and die.

[ncboman]

I've read that early spring is the most stressful time for whitetail bucks in particular. By then most of the bucks have lost their antlers and I'm sure all the scavengers are very hungry then also so that may explain why we don't find many of them.

I wouldn't be surprised if well over 50% of the mature bucks that make it thru hunting season die of natural causes.

[txm]

Most Whitetail bucks continue body frame growth until 4.5 ages a small % mature at 3.5 and a small % at 5.5.
In most areas of the country few bucks live to the 3.5 age.
In our area we can control things tighter and on extensive managed properties we try for 15% -20% of the bucks to be in the 4.5+ age group.
On intensively managed areas we shoot for 20-25% to be in that age group.
We try for a 25% kill on the extensive areas and 20-25% kills on intensive areas.
On unmanaged areas of the state most bucks are killed before age 3.5 and a kill rate of 40-45% is not uncommon.
In most years about 35-45% of the bucks over 4.5 will die post rut and before spring green up.
This is due to predator kill and poor body condition due to food supply and poor body condition due to the rut.
In extremely sandy areas the teeth wear out early so the death rate is greater.
These condition vary in different parts of the state, so the die off can vary.