I've killed several over the past 10 years or so, but only a couple (maybe?) were on "genuinely public" land like a WMA. I kill most of my deer on a military base, where the harvest is very restricted, so you just get a chance to see more mature bucks (the density is apparently higher). But it is "public" land where anybody could hunt. I killed one last year that the biologist said was 6.5 minimum, but he thought the deer was 7-1/2+.

I killed a 4 1/2 yr old 8pt on Choccolocco on Thanksgiving morning of 2008 that only field dressed 100 lbs. Smallish rack, maybe 14" wide and not much mass, but he did have good tine length. Doubt that deer would score 100 (or not much more anyway)

I killed this deer on that military land, biologist said he was 5 1/2, dressed about 120, and again just average old 8pt for Alabama.

Are you asking why so many bucks score 120" or less at maturity?

That is the case just about anywhere you go. Gross B&C scores have been taken all over the country at managed farms and properties, showing similar results. The average mature buck, even on some of the best properties in the best soils, is still in the 120s. It's like a bell curve. The majority of deer are going to fall in the 110-130" category at maturity. The farther you get away from the 120s the fewer number of deer make up that score class. Only 2 out of every 100 bucks born even have the genetic material to produce a 150"+ rack at maturity. The odds of those two surviving long enough to express that potential is very low. I have tried for years to get people to realize that there are a lot of mature AL bucks running around with 100-115" of antler that NEVER get killed because they don't meet criteria on the property they are on. It's unfortunate, because they need killing. Lot of people aren't going to do it because they assume they are young deer, when in fact, they are not. I've taken 7 years of data from the same property, and dozens of bucks, most of which were 4 or older (very few 3 year olds), and the average score is less than 120". The range is like 87"-149". That's on a well-managed property.

I also hunt on military land here on ft bragg nc. Do you hunt on ft McClellan? If so I thought it closed down.

Are you asking why so many bucks score 120" or less at maturity?

That is the case just about anywhere you go. Gross B&C scores have been taken all over the country at managed farms and properties, showing similar results. The average mature buck, even on some of the best properties in the best soils, is still in the 120s. It's like a bell curve. The majority of deer are going to fall in the 110-130" category at maturity. The farther you get away from the 120s the fewer number of deer make up that score class. Only 2 out of every 100 bucks born even have the genetic material to produce a 150"+ rack at maturity. The odds of those two surviving long enough to express that potential is very low. I have tried for years to get people to realize that there are a lot of mature AL bucks running around with 100-115" of antler that NEVER get killed because they don't meet criteria on the property they are on. It's unfortunate, because they need killing. Lot of people aren't going to do it because they assume they are young deer, when in fact, they are not. I've taken 7 years of data from the same property, and dozens of bucks, most of which were 4 or older (very few 3 year olds), and the average score is less than 120". The range is like 87"-149". That's on a well-managed property.

I also hunt on military land here on ft bragg nc. Do you hunt on ft McClellan? If so I thought it closed down.