Great video. yes he might gain some more mass or longer tine length next year if he's still around but i think most people, myself included would have shot. there's definatly some older deer in the video and more than one shooter in my book. unless your seeing these kind of deer on a regular basis and can pick and choose. on our lease we have some bucks of this caliber running around, mostly caught on camera, rarely seen when hunting and even more rare to have one hanging up at the skinning shed. Cudos to you though for having the patience and nerve to let them walk! hopefully your buddy and anyone else hunting that property and neighboring properties has the same patience and you get another crack at him next year. also i found it interesting that these bucks still seem to be in a bachelor group at the end of the first week of december. we hunt in S.W. Miss and our deer started showing signs of rutting (rubbing, scraping, bucks chasing does in food plots, dark hock glands, swollen necks etc....) the last week of november and 1st couple days of december. if you wouldn't mind sharing w/ us what part of louisiana were you hunting in? again great video and good luck!!

LC

Can tell it's not south Louisiana No pines.
Amazing that it's mid Dec and those bucks were still feeding in a group and not posturing for does.
most reports i'm getting say the deer are activly fighting about now.

Yes it was odd to see them together but we do see them like that on a regular bases. They are showing sign of rut as I watch them chase and scrape and just some light fighting. Now with that being said. Letting him go yes that is a chance I took worried about him crossing the line but ther is one I let go 2 years ago and man he's a really good one now. But he kept his 8pt frame added length and mass with a drop tine. Hunting in the eastern central La. It just a well managed private land.

Id still be driving him around on the hood of my truck!

Personally i would be tagged out for the year concentrating on duck hunting.

Yep, another way we hunt there is by bringing the bow and the rifle. If we can shoot it with the bow that first choice and you wouldn't believe but it's pretty affective. No gun shots.

It truly is amazing how they act when there is limited pressure on them. This video says it all. Great deer herd!! This video should be sent out to all leases on how to manage your deer herd!!!!

I am working with trying to get Tony Taylor to do a TV Show on this property with the owner to give out the tips and tricks of how he manages it. It would be a great show. That way if people want to manage there place they can learn a few things. It works. I see deer there on a regular bases. My last hunt was a little slow only seeing 7 and killing a doe.

Really odd that they're still in bachelor groups?

It is a trick question for me because I haven't rifle hunted since the '97 season - bow hunting only. So, given those parameters, I am slinging an arrow. For the most part, none of us commenting have a place like that to hunt nor do we have stories of passing a 3 or 4 year old to tell how he turned out 2 years later. Our perspective is skewed toward what is reality for us, which means shoot NOW!

This video is a great example of the differences in what looks to be a 1 1/2, 2 1/2. 3 1/2, 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 look like all in one frame. Great learning tool.

Keep us posted on how it turns out.

Ed

As long as my buddy wouldn't have been pissed off at me I would have definitely dropped that monster buck.

could also have something to do with the 25' box you were hunting out of.

Excellent footage, and i am a strong believer in the pressure, too much pressure and stress can also cause bucks not to grow to their fulol antler potential.

Well, there ain't nothing like trying to get the max growth out of your deer heard. If you have to watch them for a few years then that's what you have to do. But low pressure is a big key. We hardly hunt the same stand in a weeks time. We hunt the wind only. If I get in a stand and the wind is wrong. I'm out of there. Just a few key factors makes a big big differents.

Good luck catching up to a big 5.5 year old this season. we were able to harvest a few in my area but far too many 2.5 and 3.5 y/o's showed up this season, sucks watching 1/2 dozen 8pts at the feeder at the same time but boy will 2013 season be spectacular if they stick around