0% here.

Some of you saying "most" or "40-60%" need a reality check. That is NOT the case anywhere in AL. Heck, it's not even the case in most of the Midwest. Having a bunch of 140+ deer killed in a particular area does not give anyone a glimpse of the actual average score, or percentage of score breakdowns. I can guarantee that there are more mature bucks under 140, than over. Way more. You may be selecting the 140+ bucks to kill, but you're leaving a lot of mature bucks in the population.

I'd say in our area it's probably 5%, maybe less than that. And we are in a good area with good genetics.

gotcha, in that case none of the bucks I have on camera that are 4-6 years of age would hit 140

I'd say you don't know what kind of deer I have where I hunt, cause you ain't ever been there and never will. But you're welcome to assume all you want. I don't care what percent I have, all I know is I got quite a few 3 y/o bucks that are close to 140 or right at it, and they get a pass, so I'd say that only raises the %

I've seen you post on here. You're young, and still have a lot to learn about deer. You have a great place to hunt, but that doesn't mean you know as much as you think. I don't mean that ugly, just being honest.

Considering I have access to data from the worst to best places to hunt in the entire state, and other states as well, I can confidently say that the majority of your deer walking around on the hoof will not hit 140". I am not making my decision on assumptions.

Seems like I read a report from the King Ranch that stated the average score for 5.5 year old bucks was around 115". I bet our Bama bucks aren't far from that. CD.

You are correct CD. I thought I remember in the article it was closer to 120', but either way 115-120" is the number they came up with on A LOT of deer.

This thread is all one needs to adequately determine that a whole bunch of people don't have a CLUE how to age a deer. The number of people that assume a deer is 3.5 years old because he doesn't weigh 210# and only has 110" of antler is mind boggling to me.

Please keep in mind this is on the Faith Ranch and not in AL. This ranch is amazing! A friend of mine is the biologist out there and they do some great research with multiple schools. This shows how the Bell Curve is represented in the buck population.

Research Paper

Yep. There are more 140" deer in the Midwest because there are more that make it to maturity. They still aren't the norm even though many southern hunters think they are behind every tree up there. I used to believe Jackson County was full of them until I realized I was hunting as fine a property as there was and putting in massive hours just to kill one 140" deer every other year. The majority of the 4.5 year old deer I killed were in the 130s and I'm sure I passed on quite a few mature deer that didn't have the kind of antlers I wanted. A 140" deer is a trophy any where in the world. More common some places but not the norm anywhere.

I love this....

The predominance of average individuals is a powerful force in nature. Nature tends to punish extreme outliers. With respect to deer, fighting the bell curve—and Nature’s continual efforts to reward the averages—is very difficult to do. Yet deer managers want more trophies, and they particularly want to produce extremely large-antlered whitetails—or outliers. But the quest for outliers runs up against a powerful tenet in nature: “Nature abhors outliers as much as she does a vacuum.”

On the private 5000+ acres I used to hunt in Jackson County, I don't remember any 8 point that broke into the 140s. I'm pretty sure it took a mainframe 10 to break into the 140s....what is the percentage of the occurrence of main frame 5x5s? In 8 years, I believe there were 4 deer killed that were 150s.

The vast overwhelming majority of 4.5 year old Alabama bucks will not reach 140. Especially if they aren't at least 10 points. This is especially true outside of the good soil regions.

Well, here's some stone cold rock solid data. I don't know the exact number of 4 plus bucks I've killed, but I know the top number in the equation of exceeding 140 is zero. Easy math.

Maybe one out of 1,000 maybe. In other words not even once in a lifetime for most people do they even remotely have a chance at a buck like that in Mobile county maybe in a few areas in Baldwin county and that is the only reason I did not say never.

My dad killed one in Washington county back in the 70's when there was agriculture growing everywhere so they at least had one once upon a time there lol

We have killed 300 + bucks on our lease in the 25 years and only 1 was over 140. 147 inch 10 point.

I reckon you had Satellites watching my property to make sure My deer weren't breaking what some study said about some deer in another state. Really you have to argue with anyone that gives there $.02. I knew my age structure I knew my Buck to doe ratio, Fawn ratio, And weights.

Just out of curiosity and for edification, what soil type and soil region do you have?

What kind of habitat?

And what percentage of those 300 bucks were legit 4.5 year olds?

Thanks.