8 point to 10 point

Question, if I have a big 4 year old 8 point is he always going to be an 8 point after this age or could he(is it probable) he will grow more points? I am primarily talking main frame points. I understand that as they get older they throw sticker points, drop tines, and flyers.

I had a sow of a buck that is either 4 or 5 last year with tall tines and good mass. If he blows up this year and adds a lot of inches it would have to be adding more main frame points. Just curious at what age do they stop growing additional main frame points? Is it 2 or 3 or 4, or ever? This is the buck I am most curious about.

Good question.
Unfortunately for me and the area I hunt, I don’t know if I’ve ever actually seen a buck that has reached the age of 5. Grouse would lead you to believe that is the result of hunters of Finnish heritage but I would add predators and winter to the mix. Something I call the “gauntlet” every deer must face to survive the year. Zone 1 can be a bitch.

Does anyone know the age of the Cannon Falls buck? If I remember correctly it was an absolutely monsterous 8-pt. It wouldn’t surprise me if there are some bucks out there that never grow beyond 8-pts.

tegg wrote:

Does anyone know the age of the Cannon Falls buck? If I remember correctly it was an absolutely monsterous 8-pt. It wouldn’t surprise me if there are some bucks out there that never grow beyond 8-pts.

I never saw anything official, but initially they thought 5 or 6.

I have definitely seen them grow more typical points, but I would say more often than not remain a main frame 8. Would not surprise me one bit if he grew an additional 1-2 points though.

Either way that’s a cool old buck with those bladed g2’s!

To me he looks to be 3.5 or 4.5 in those pics. And like Pat said they can definitely add a G4 but it’s usually nothing sunstantial. They can put a lot of inches on and stay a main frame 8.

Jeff Schomaker wrote:

They can put a lot of inches on and stay a main frame 8.

They had the poaching trailer at our local fair this last weekend. There was a very clean 8 that was at least in the 180s. May have been in the 190s. I don’t remember exactly what it said.
DT

From the few articles I read on antler growth, most main frame is complete after 4 years. There after it’s mass and anomalies

Randy Wieland wrote:

From the few articles I read on antler growth, most main frame is complete after 4 years. There after it’s mass and anomalies

That’s what I was thinking

deertracker wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jeff Schomaker wrote:</div>
They can put a lot of inches on and stay a main frame 8.

They had the poaching trailer at our local fair this last weekend. There was a very clean 8 that was at least in the 180s. May have been in the 190s. I don’t remember exactly what it said.
DT

Was this the “Cannon Falls” buck? It is an incredible creature for sure. Too bad some chumbalone poached it and didn’t take it fair chase.

Not to take away from the original discussion but here is the “Cannon Falls Buck”. I was told it green scored 192 Boone and Crocket with a spread of 28 and some change! Sad deal, I know there were a few people chasing that deer.

That is the buck I was looking at. I love those big 8s.
DT

Going thru some old pics and I think I found Tank in 2015. Here are both pics. He looks 3-4 years old in 2015 making him 4-5 in 2016

Here he is in 2016. I think he will always be an 8

From that angle it almost looks like they could be different deer. Mainly because his g2’s on the 2015 buck go straight up and g3’s angle forward. Also looks like longer beams.

2016 buck both g2’s and g3’s angle forward, and almost looks like he would’ve lost beam length. I could be wrong, but that’s my opinion on the two pictures without knowing anything else.

From my experience the angle of the points and shape of the beam tend to carry over from year to year. I’m still not saying they can’t be the same deer though. Sometimes the angle of the picture and the way they have their head positioned can play tricks on you.

Pat, take a look at the left side main beam. At the end in both pics it looks to be split. Could be a coincidence but more than likely the same deer.

Good points Pat. I’ll have to keep looking thru photos and see if it’s the angle of the pics.

I agree with Pat. IMO those are different deer

All of the pics I have one has the G2 going straight up and one has the G2 going forward. They must be related though with the G4 starting on the left beam and the bladed G2 on the right.

I found him again in 2014 as a 2.5 year old. Now I am thinking he just got the G2 pointing forward as he got older.

Yeah if you don’t have any other pictures of possible candidates it’s more than likely same deer.

I got pics of Tank in 2012 as a 4.5 year old, and he was a main framed 9 point from the only picture I got of him. I never saw him that year but he returned in 2013 as a main frame 10 with a sticker off the base.
I hit a buck last year and he was a main frame 9 pt as a 3.5 year old. This year he’s a main frame 10 as a 4.5. he added a g4 on his left side.