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Florida buck
- Thread starter FlGunner
- Start date
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Floridaboy123
Well-Known Member
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
Very nice buck. No question he'd get ventilated.
Heck yeah! I tell people all the time that we got good bucks in Florida. When we go out of state to hunt people always ask about hunting in Florida and some are quick to judge because the vast majority of what's killed is less than 100" deer. But what they don't understand is that killing a 100"+ deer here is way harder than they think. We don't have the agriculture and they're just a smaller deer in general and I personally believe they are the hardest in the country to hunt and kill. From my experiences, they're smarter and more pressured than anything I've seen in the Midwest where I go annually.
HRM Johnny
Well-Known Member
Nice buck. I hope you get him. Please post pictures when you do.
Johnny
Johnny
john k
Well-Known Member
Good buck. I'm sure he has spread his seed over the last few years which is great. He knows how to stay alive. Good luck. Get him before he goes nocturnal!
John Klingenberg
Well-Known Member
How old would someone guess that buck? He looks young to me but I dont know Florida deer. Texas they can make it to 10 or more. Here in Michigan a 5 year old is ancient.
I believe he's 4. If I am lucky enough to get him I'll look at his teeth and report back. Same here as far as age. A 2&1/2 year old has seen a lot in their short life and ones that live longer than that are lucky to be honest.
yobuck
Well-Known Member
A visit to a busy taxidermy shop is apt to give more information than talking to a biologist.
Given enough time they get big everywhere.
Given enough time they get big everywhere.
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
Buddy of mine retires to Florida 6 months per year. He's near Ocala. He has lots of buddies that are resident hunters in his area. They have food plots and great management areas for deer. Some have killed nice southern bucks while others are just average bucks for Florida. The common denominator is definitely food source and age. Sure genetics helps but southern deer typically do not have excellent genetics for growing huge antlers. It's food and age that matter. Not too far from Florida north offers bigger body/antler deer. Those deer being derived from the northern strain of whitetail, not the Florida Key deer. I've heard there are a strain or mixed version of the northern whitetail in Florida also. Not being from there I do not know but the buck in the OPs pics look like he could be a candidate.
Supposedly years ago they released a bunch of northern White-tailed deer here. I can't prove that but that's what a lot of old timers say. We just don't have the food like you say. Around here folks grow pine trees. We feed supplemental feeds and food plots but it's hard to generate enough to do a whole lot when most all of the ground is planted pines. I'm guess his age based off of other deer I've killed that i had aged by taxidermist and FWC. Deer on the left was a 3.5 year old killed in a dog hunting club where most deer don't live very long. I was sitting on a bunch of hot sign when he chased a doe by me.
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VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
After looking at both those deer, I have no doubt that those deer have genetics of the Northern whitetails. Bigger bodies and heavy antlers. Sure even Key deer can grow a bit bigger in both antlers and body but that harvested buck looks to be the larger species. Not huge in body size but probably bred with the sub species. Nice buck
john k
Well-Known Member
Your absolutely right. They brought in a number of Wisconsin white tails in the 40's or 50's. My father's first 8 was one of those in the Ocala National Forest. That is a fact. I started hunting there with him in the early 60's as a youth. Great memories. wish I had that mount. He had it redone twice thru the years. That was special to him.
