How many bucks reach 4.5?

schoolhousegrizz · Jul 3, 2023

Say there is a unit with a buck to doe ratio of 18 to 100. I would think half of them are 1.5 year olds. 5 of them are 2.5. 3 of them are 3.5 and maybe 1 is 4.5+. Of course I have no idea, has anyone seen research on this? Any opinions?

wytex · Jul 4, 2023

I wouldn't rely on WG&F for that answer. They say we have no mature bucks in our region but last years take were 6 1/2 and 7 1/2 yrs old.
Good question.
Email Mr Monteith, he may have some numbers for you. [email protected]

ridgetops · Jul 4, 2023

I'm sure your example could apply to some units but other units have a higher percentage of 4.5+ bucks.

elkassassin · Jul 4, 2023

If It's Got Nubs it's Counted on the Buck To Doe Ratio!

And They Don't Give a FF About anything That Might Live Past 3 or Years Old!

schoolhousegrizz said:
Say there is a unit with a buck to doe ratio of 18 to 100. I would think half of them are 1.5 year olds. 5 of them are 2.5. 3 of them are 3.5 and maybe 1 is 4.5+. Of course I have no idea, has anyone seen research on this? Any opinions?

ridgetops said:
I'm sure your example could apply to some units but other units have a higher percentage of 4.5+ bucks.

Tristate · Jul 4, 2023

schoolhousegrizz said:
Say there is a unit with a buck to doe ratio of 18 to 100. I would think half of them are 1.5 year olds. 5 of them are 2.5. 3 of them are 3.5 and maybe 1 is 4.5+. Of course I have no idea, has anyone seen research on this? Any opinions?

If your buck do ratio and your population is stable then at the very least 13 of your 18 bucks are 1.

mevertsen · Jul 4, 2023

The question for me would be pre or post hunt ratios.

Most of Nevada is post hunt ratios and I think the goal is 30 to 40 bucks per hundred does post hunt.

So going into the hunt, age structure should be pretty good.

ICMDEER · Jul 7, 2023

Funny thing is our lead biologist says no bucks in our area live to be 4 years old In the next breath, he says the average age of bucks killed is 4.5. Explain that to me. ????????

Our buck/doe ratio is in the 30 or 40 bucks to 100 does range. About 10% of those bucks are 4 years or older from my observations.

nontypical · Jul 7, 2023

One of the local biologists here (sw Wy) once told me they figured fawns in the buck count. 50% of the fawns were considered bucks. The same guy told me they (WGFD) considered any buck that is old enough to breed a doe was a mature buck. So...yearlings are mature bucks. I'm sure your question would be unit or state specific. It takes a lot of luck for a buck to make it through 4 years avoiding not only hunters, but cars, predators, disease, winter, etc.

For those reasons, I think the number is less than 10%. Just my professional armchair biologist observations.

ICMDEER · Jul 8, 2023

I've also heard that fawns are counted as part of the buck ratio since it is taken after the season. So if you have 60 fawns per 100 does, you have 30 bucks per 100 does even though every buck is still a fawn. (Assuming that half of the fawns are male.) Crazy way of doing biology but it makes the ratio look much better.

In other words, we could have zero antlered bucks surviving after the season and still have 30+ bucks per 100 does on the ratio provided by G&F.

schoolhousegrizz · Jul 8, 2023

I have heard they do NOT count half of the fawns as part of the buck to doe ratio, anybody have any verified information on this?

ICMDEER · Jul 8, 2023

I would like a definitive answer too. I have heard it explained both ways.

CowDoc · Jul 8, 2023

Biologist in Nebraska told me a few years ago they aim to harvest 80% of the available bucks each year. So after season ends, 20% are left at 1.5, 4% (20% of last years' 20%) at 2.5, 0.8% (20% of 4%) at 3.5, etc. Maybe my math is off, but no wonder 4.5 is a trophy. Only 1 of 125 make it there!

SS! · Jul 8, 2023

.5? Stfu those fawns drop in late may. .25 is generous

nfh · Jul 8, 2023

SS! said:
.5? Stfu those fawns drop in late may. .25 is generous

I knew this was coming

Gunnihunter · Jul 8, 2023

To the original question: not many, but they are there. There are not many real hunters anymore. There is a lust to kill an animal, but not much of will to hunt. If you say you are a meat hunter, what they all say when they kill a young buck or bull, that’s what it is. Make yourself better hunter and pass on the easy shot and hunt. A real hunter would rather have more time in the field and opportunities than any easy kill. You might surprise yourself and learn something.