Matthew,

That is a good looking buck!  His back and belly appear swayed but I believe that is somewhat due to his posture.  His chest and shoulders are fairly well developed.  His neck and chest merge well above his brisket.  Based on these indicators I estimate this buck to be three years old.

Deer have an amazing ability to store a huge amount of fat and survive for long periods of time without access to quality forage.  Deer thrive throughout the Midwest in areas where crops are harvested and no cover crops are planted. (By the way – late season food plots are often great deer attractants in area dominated by production crops.) Fortunately, more and more farmers are using less tillage and more cover crops.  These techniques are better for the soil and wildlife!  

In areas where corn and soybeans are the primary land use the doe harvest quota is often set based on the tolerance of crops being damage and not a limited amount of quality forage. Therefore the needs of society often determine deer harvest goals in ag areas more than balancing the deer population with the amount of quality forage.

Enjoy creation,

grant

October 13, 2015