White-tailed bucks have the most successful weight-loss program in existence.
QUESTION: Our firearms season doesn’t start until December. It seems like the bowhunters kill more big deer, and I think it’s because the bucks get run down during the rut and lose a lot of weight before gun season. Is there a way to tell how much a buck would have weighed before the rut?
ANSWER: There isn’t any fixed formula, but as a general rule of thumb, a buck can lose somewhere from 20-30% of their body weight over two month of breeding behavior.
What that actually amounts to in pounds depends on several variables. Older bucks start out bigger. For example: 25% of 200 pounds is 50, while 25% of 150 pounds is about 38 pounds.
It can also vary with available food and individual health. A well-fed, healthy deer can lose more weight and still be heavier than similar-age and size bucks in areas of poorer nutrition.
Individual bucks also have unique personalities. Some might be lazy and sluggish, while others may be more aggressive and active. It also depends on when the rut occurs compared to when the deer is harvested. Bottom line: You’ll never know for certain but can feel comfortable multiplying post rut weight by 1.3 to get a rough approximation.
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