Zone 8 Bucks

[ithaca10]

Have this piece of property in zone 8 have cameras out showing 8-10 different bucks but biggest 8 point no mass the rest are all smaller bucks with shitty racks with no mass. Private property surrounding properties on all four sides not hunted. I'm thinking no minerals for bigger racks and mass. whats your thoughts.

[stratocaster]

Zone 8 has the same genetics as most any other zone and great soil as well.   There is only so much you can do with supplemental feeding, the rest is up to nature.  Research as much as you can about deer supplements so you are not misinformed by what others tell you or misled to believe that just feeding will lead to massive bucks. 

[Buck154]

Maybe to many deer and are over browsing. Thin them out.  You said there is no hunting on surrounding propertys

[Tarhunt]

Welcome to Zone 8. I've been hunting here since 1981 and this year seems to be very plentiful for small bucks. I have three private properties that I hunt and all that I have on the trail cameras are small fours, sixes and basket rack eights. Very few does. Don't know why.

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[Livesintrees]

What area of 8 are you in?

[Tarhunt]

29 minutes ago, Livesintrees said:

What area of 8 are you in?

Tewksbury, Clinton and Chester.

[3Blade]

Sounds like they are all young bucks including the 8pt. 

[Nomad]

Young bucks

[Tarhunt]

One of the properties has literally 15 to 20 bucks and the biggest is a 125" 7 point.

[SPEARFISH]

I usually have 1 or 2 good bucks on my property in zone 8 each year.  Sometimes I kill them and sometimes my friend does.  I haven't seen a shooter yet this year.

The farmer next to us kills a bunch so we only get the leftovers. 

Haven't seen a lot of does in years.  30 years ago we would see 40 deer in a sit.  Now we're lucky to see three.

 

[Liv2huntnfish123]

2 minutes ago, Tarhunt said:

One of the properties has literally 15 to 20 bucks and the biggest is a 125" 7 point.

Same here I’m huntin Black  river  in zone 9. A lot of small bucks 

[Tarhunt]

2 minutes ago, SPEARFISH said:

I usually have 1 or 2 good bucks on my property in zone 8 each year.  Sometimes I kill them and sometimes my friend does.  I haven't seen a shooter yet this year.

The farmer next to us kills a bunch so we only get the leftovers. 

Haven't seen a lot of does in years.  30 years ago we would see 40 deer in a sit.  Now we're lucky to see three.

 

People say that it's impossible in NJ to have a higher buck to doe ratio but, I always see more bucks than does.

[3Blade]

8 minutes ago, Tarhunt said:

People say that it's impossible in NJ to have a higher buck to doe ratio but, I always see more bucks than does.

My z13 spot is like that. I only have a few doe around but a lot of scrubs and a couple of up and comers.