Can't help on the post but after 60+ years of bowhunting (I actually started in 1956) & taking a wide varity & sizes of Whitetails (never a 170) I can say this. I set a personal goal over 10 years ago of my next Whitetail Buck being a 170 minimum (field guessing of course). I was born & raised in Illinois & now a resident of Iowa over 20 years. I've also bowhunted 13 other states in that time.. I have been eating that tag each & every year. I hunt private that is gun hunted brown & down & not managed other than a farm & another public spot. I have "seen" a couple that I felt would fill the bill but never even close for a shot.. Even in the "big buck states" there is a "reason" they grow old. Unhunted area or some type sanctuary + those who are privvy to good management of a property . The largest Whitetail I have seen personally was on public & an archery only area.

 

Ahunter, always appreciate your advice. Please tell me you've shot some does in the last 20 years. I can't believe you haven't dropped the hammer on an old knarly buck that has no hopes of reaching 170. Or shot a 150ish buck. Some just don't get bigger.

 

Last years buck. only velvet pics i have on this phone, would have to dig into my home computer for more gross 174 1/8 net 170 3/4 . early June vs July growth rates seem about the same. tails off quick at the end of July in my experiences. I have been fortunate enough to arrow 2 non typicals over 200" and it was amazing to watch how much they would grow in a weeks time!







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Last years buck. only velvet pics i have on this phone, would have to dig into my home computer for more gross 174 1/8 net 170 3/4 . early June vs July growth rates seem about the same. tails off quick at the end of July in my experiences. I have been fortunate enough to arrow 2 non typicals over 200" and it was amazing to watch how much they would grow in a weeks time!


Illinoisred, that's a pretty buck, I don't see the June picture.




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as i stated thats the only velvet pic of it i have on my phone, id have to dig through my computer when i get home and try and find a June pic. If its a 170, you would know it was by June too. lol.

 

I have seen a lot of big bucks grow over the summers. The bucks can have pretty dramatic differences on when they are growing. We have seen bucks in June that we thought would be the top buck on the ranch because he was already sitting about 180". However, that buck only put on about another 8" in all of July. Another buck on the ranch on the same day only had brow tines and 9" beams. That buck finished out over 200" growing all the way through mid August. Some grow early, some grow late, and some are in between, so June vs July can vary greatly.

 

I agree with this completely. I have seen so many big deer that are almost FINISHED growing by mid July, and the big deer standing next to them hasnt really STARTED. It varies greatly from one deer to the next. Once you see the tips starting to point off you can start to assume its a short tined deer IMO, but if they stay big and bulbed they can keep growing at an exceptional rate right into the end of August. If hes not big by about August 10.... hes not gonna be.

 

2009
June 10 June 18 June 20 July 28 Aug 3 Aug 30 and Sept 4

 

2009
June 10 June 18 June 20 July 28 Aug 3 Aug 30 and Sept 4
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If those trail cam photos were taken in the mitten, that is a stellar buck. The bottom pix is dated 2009....is that accurate or your cam was not set to the correct date? I've seen some really nice bucks over the course of 45 archery seasons, but that one would put me on the verge of a mental meltdown. Hoping to see one like that in KS over Halloween this fall.

 

You really won't know for sure until the end of August in my experience what a buck might be.

 

By the end of August the more mature bucks are displaying black in the velvet indicating the blood flow has stopped, the velvet is dead and the growth period is over.
You”ll know by mid-August at the latest, perhaps even earlier what you have, at least here in Michigan.

 

Last year.Top was end of July. Neither seen in hard horn or during season by "anyone" including bordering ground & hunters there.

 

goodness gracious that’s a shame. Both of those are good looking deer!

 

Hope it works out for you, there’s definitely the potential to have some good deer on that property if those 2 were on it.

 

Me too but it just wasn’t meant to be. Just the same it was an exciting summer for me and i thoroughly enjoyed sharing his pictures on the M-S forum.

 

It was fun to follow as well. Maybe this year!?

 

Anything and everything is possible.

 

It all depends on the deer. They all grow at different rates. Ive seen bucks that are pretty much done in July. And others that are only half done at that same time but end up bigger.