How big are your deer

[Masboy]

I've hunted since 12 years old an never killed a two hundred pound deer an my heaviest so far is 167 dressed but last year my sons had two that went in the 170 s dressed an I guess they were a little over 200 lb live ? our heaviest so far is the one my son got yesterday that went 191 dressed . My sons an I have many years of hunting around here an 200lb deer are rare for us. I guess they average around 150 here for a mature buck ? I know other place have some large deer an 200lb is not big in other places. how heavy are your deer?

[Oppie]

A subject of much debate!

I hunt with a small group of neighbors during Pa rifle season, usually tagged out so I just wander about an chase deer out for them and eat their food.
Anyway every deer taken is weighed before it's skinned, most does are 100 lbs or less, bucks 100-140 1 1/2 old. Biggest one I've personally seen was a 9 point 3 1/2 yd old my wife killed, dressed 175.

My neighbor has kept records for probably 20 yrs of all the deer kills.

[colouredchameleon]

I am bested with the property I have hunted since 2000 my average for the past 13 year has been just over 200lbs dressed. With the exception of one year when Ia doe presented itself that I could just not pass up on. It dressed at 167 .
The Archery season here runs from the start of October ending Dec 31st so I take my time passing on a lot of opportunities until the right one presents itself.
One year it wasn't until Dec 31 st before I took the shoot. That year I passed on 187 deer. Then out of nowhere the biggest I ever shot slipped infront of me without any indication it w as near.
The big ones very seldom show themselves during the day and tend to not follow any set trail.
I also believe big deer produce big deer so the longer you wait the more Does that are bred ensuring a continued supply for years to come.

[vixenmaster]

I don't knowed about the weight of Mo. deer, about like Ms. deer i spect. I killed 2, yrs ago that were fairly heavy, 10 pt went 226 lbs field dressed on the cotton scales & a nice 8 pt that went 207 lbs field dressed on the same scales

[steve rodo]

If i had to guess average weight of buck ,it would be 125lbs up to 180lbs from 1.5 to 4 yr's old.
Nanny's will come in at average 80 to 140lbs.

Course these deer are on the hoof.
Not hanging weight.

Git that ground shrinkage when you kill one too.It was big when i shot it .now It's smaller.

[vixenmaster]

Weren't know ground srinkin wid this one fer sure!

[Masboy]

That,s a fine looking big buck! mabey if I live long enough someday I will get a 200lb deer

[Oppie]

That,s a fine looking big buck! mabey if I live long enough someday I will get a 200lb deer

Me Too! Nice buck man!

If I could only convince my neighbors to give up the brown it's down routine....
But they're freezer filler's, so what can I say

[Amrap]

Most does are around 120-140 dressed. Shot one that was 157 dressed. Bucks are typically 140-180 and my largest was 196. Nice buck there Vixenmaster!

[steve rodo]

Weren't know ground srinkin wid this one fer sure!

Sweet Mr.Deer .

[Lake shooter]

The more deer in your hunting area the smaller their average size. It's a QUALITY food, water and space thingy. It never ceases to amaze me how many long time deer hunters don't know much at all about this: they seem to think that as long as things are green there's plenty of food!!!

[nchunterkw]

I shot 3 big bucks in OH when I liver there that went over 200lbs dressed, and my son shot one that was right there as well. In Iowa I shot a 2 1/2 year old that was over 200. I weigh about 180 and I was trying to hang the carcass (no head, hide or anything) by myself. I couldn't do it. Even if I put a loop in the rope and stood in it, it kept lifting me up. Glad I didn't have to drag him. Now I moved to NC from OH, and the deer are really small. I passed on the first deer I saw down here because I thought it was a fawn. I was wrong. I'd say the "big doe" I shot this year weighed about 100 on the hoof. She was the biggest of the group of 3. But I can shoot as many as I want, so it doesn't matter. It all tastes great!!

[nchunterkw]

The more deer in your hunting area the smaller their average size. It's a QUALITY food, water and space thingy. It never ceases to amaze me how many long time deer hunters don't know much at all about this: they seem to think that as long as things are green there's plenty of food!!!

Average temperature has something to do with it as well. The further north you get, the bigger they are. They have to be just to survive in places like Canada, Minnesota, etc. But I get what you are saying about food. In OH and Iowa the deer had endless supplies of corn and soybeans, and they really packed it on.

[maine hunter]

Most does are around 120-140 dressed. Shot one that was 157 dressed. Bucks are typically 140-180 and my largest was 196. Nice buck there Vixenmaster!

same here in maine, my biggest one was a 8 point at 165lb.

[Lake shooter]

nchunterkw,

I figured that was a given! Whether or not folks know much about whitetail management, land carrying capacity and so forth, most do know that the farther north one goes the larger the average body size becomes. Even with that, a given geographical area can have fairly sharp differences in average body size depending on how this zone or that is managed.

Here in Arkansas the "Real men don't shoot does" philosophy was ingrained by the Game and Fish Commission until not too many years. In 1998 they finally stepped into the modern world and instituted a three point rule and the harvesting of does by more than bow hunters. I started deer hunting in '82, and back in that time you could hunt for days and never lay eyes on a buck while every doe you saw was the size of a Labrador Retriever and there was basically nothing but does! Such is not the case anymore, luckily, but my point is that the climate and latitude haven't changed, only the management.