Let Young Bucks Go and Watch Them Grow!
Every year, tens of thousands of NY hunters enjoy the opportunity to bring home a handsome 2.5-year or older buck, while about half of the antlered bucks taken in NY are only 1.5 years old (yearlings). Yearling bucks generally weigh about 20% less and have 50% smaller antlers than they would as a 2.5-year-old.
The primary reason New York doesn't have more older, larger-antlered bucks in the harvest is because many get taken as yearlings. But the good news is that this is changing and hunters are now taking more older buck than ever before. Hunters can continue to push the harvest ratio solidly toward older bucks simply by choosing to Let Young Bucks Go and Watch Them Grow.
You Can Change Your Deer Hunting Experience
For NY bucks to get bigger bodies and larger antlers, they simply need to get older.
Older bucks are more challenging to hunt and yield more meat for the successful hunter. These bucks create more rubs and scrapes and vocalize more - all things that add to the hunting experience.
As more hunters choose to pass young bucks, all hunters will enjoy the opportunity to see and take more older bucks.
Many New York hunters are already choosing to pass up young bucks.