How Common are 10 Pointers?

[Shortbow]

I finally got around the loading a bunch of my trail cam pics onto my Office PC so I had them here rather than my Laptop that I keep at home. I have taken more trail cam pictures this year than I ever have in my Life. (2 Reconyx, 1 Bulk Buy, and 1 homebrew) have allowed me to get 1000s of photos in short amounts of time.
Anyhow, it hit me while I was loading all this pictures that I only have one 10 point deer on camera all year long. I have set cameras out in Llano and Sabine County. I have several great 8 point bucks and one very nice 9 point but am kinda surprised at the lack of 10 point bucks that I see every year.

I realize that genetics are the key to this answer as well as Food/protein. How common are 10 points or more in the areas that you guys hunt? For those of you that have started feeding protein, did you see a big jump in 10 points or more after you started?

[MEsquivel]

I think it's just the lack of rain.
I noticed that last week as well. Many 8 points.

[coachk43]

The avgerage Whitetail deer in Texas has 8 points and scores 120 points. If you have several great 8 points that are 4 1/2 year old deer then you have several management deer in need of taking. A 3 1/2 YO or younger 10 point is thought to be a significant deer! at 5 1/2, a ten point scoring roughly 140 points or less should also be considered for management.

[coachk43]

The more 4 1/2 YO 8ts you allow to walk will increase the amount of 8ts you will see in the future.

[DFA]

At my lease in Paducah we have some 8's that need to go. I would say the percentage of 8's vs. 10's is 20% 10's and the rest 8's and smaller. The smaller one's being young deer.

[Shortbow]

In all truth, I think the AR in Sabine Co. has probably helped in seeing more mature deer than in the past.

[Txnrog]

It really depends on your area, and what you try to promote. Somewhat reverse natural selection, but it's probably true that most people in recent hunting history (last 30-50 yrs) IF they were being selective at all in what they harvest, they were shooting the 10pts and letting the 8's walk - if they were 'culling' at all it was big 6 & 7 pts, hence, 8pts are pretty darn common. It's only recently that we've started to go the other way around and shoot more of the 8s and let the younger 10's walk, and you can see the results on many places that have been under management for a long time.

Completely based on anecdotal observation thru my hunting years - in the hill country - 8's are the most common by a long shot. In south texas - 8's are still the most common, but you have a higher % of deer that are 10+ pts.

[Coup de Grace]

The more 4 1/2 YO 8ts you allow to walk will increase the amount of 8ts you will see in the future.

Out of all the trail cam pics i have since aug, i have only 2 ten points out of a 50 or more bucks.

[dustoffer]

Spent 5 yrs on a S. tx lease and we persecuted the mature 8's and after 2 or 3 years, we hardly saw an 8 other than a youngster. We did have gobs of 10, 11, and 12-pointers though. I think shooting mature 8s work.

[coachk43]

Spent 5 yrs on a S. tx lease and we persecuted the mature 8's and after 2 or 3 years, we hardly saw an 8 other than a youngster. We did have gobs of 10, 11, and 12-pointers though. I think shooting mature 8s work.

Amen. If you had a property, and for 5 years, you shot nothing but 4 1/2 YO or older 8ts, you'd darn near see nothing but 10s or better from year 7 on


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[ANTLER KING]

Shortbow,
I see you hunt in Llano.I have a place in Fredricksburg.We have a ton of 8 pts,young and old.We harvest 5-6 8 pts each year along with doe harvest.I have been on this place for 6 years now and have let alot of nice 8pts walk hoping they will grow to 10's the next year.Year after year,they are 8 pts again.We don't protein feed.I believe the area can produce bigger deer,but,I am puseled also why we can't get 10 pt genes .

[13MWZ]

Only 10 point I've seen at our place was on the tv. There use to be a lot of good big deer there. Proof is on the walls. Now days it's a blessing if we see an 8 point and a little 6 point gets our blood pumping like crazy. We are surrounded by bigger ranches and have been fenced out for the past 10 years or so.

[jrad1967]

i think the AR is working in smith co. i left my lease the last year before AR and just got back on this year. i have pix of 3 different 10's, some 8's and only one pic of a 3pt. the 1 camera i have was set up on oct 1 and i pulled the card 4 times. when i was on this lease 3 years ago, i saw only two 8's in 3 yrs. and the deer i'm seeing now have no problem makin the 13" spread !

[a3dhunter]

I'm hunting the panhandle, over near Oklahoma and I have only seen five or six 10 point bucks in three years of hunting. Last year I was out there every weekend from November through first weekend in January. This year, every weekend so far and Saturday saw my first 10 point of the year.
Even the buck in my avatar was only a nine point. Eight points seem to be everywhere. A couple of 8 points are on the hit list right now....but I have passed on at least 5 smaller 8 points this year that are young deer.