Old bucks going downhill

[squirrel]

For 50+ years I've been told that "He's an old buck on his way downhill" as they hoisted a 2 yr old 3x3 without a grey hair on his snoot.

I have many examples of the folly of this in my stack of horns but this guy was one of my all time favorites. I've always favoured massive NT antlers but its inarguable that the perfect typpy is the rarer of the two highly coveted beasts. Of course the most necessary component is they have to actually grow big... then grow old... In todays world a tough task with tooth and lead in copious quantities and all lusting after protein topped by bone.

In my opinion old bucks do go downhill, in the bed of out-of-state- pickups onto I-70.

This guys best was 201-1/2 that I matched up.

1st single (found a year late)
2nd set 201-1/2
3rd set 200-1/2
4th single (mate held by another guy who won't play lets make a deal)
5th set completely missing
6th single (found a year late)

Then I suspect he went downhill.

 

[TheTone]

I’ve got one buck that I have 7 antlers off of and of those I only know for the sure order of one set and one single. He never was anything for score. Maybe 150 at his best? I also think I have his shed out skull from after he died.

I’ll agree that the vast majority of critters never live long enough to actually see a real substantial decline with old age

 

[F250]

Saw the title of this thread… my adult nephews say the same thing about me

 

[antlerradar]

With the recent fire, finding antlers has been kind of easy. One morning I found three years off of one buck. Not much difference in the size of the antlers, so likely an older buck. Not much room for this one to go down hill. All antlers are in the 54 to 57 inch range, so maybe a bit over 130 at best.
I think bucks like this are the ones that started the old bucks going downhill myth. A buck that got old, but never grew much for antlers.

 

[wytex]

Been watching bucks go downhill for years on the ranch we work for and manage.
By about 6 1/2 they start regressing in tine length but gain crown type points.
It has been very interesting to watch.
I think in areas with ag and other better forage that regression is not as pronounced as areas without ag fields.
We take only mature bucks and have been taking bucks up to and including 10.5 yrs old.
We have them aged by the WG&F lab and have since the tooth age lab's inception.