Old Warrior
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Fuzz
16-Dec-17
Sept 30 2017
Sept 30 2017
Passed up on this old fella late season last year, just couldn't do it! Almost fell out of the tree when I saw him this year because I thought there was no way he made it thru the winter. His rack last year was almost exactly the same as this years. Last pic he's looking pretty rough.
From: Fuzz
16-Dec-17
Mid November 2017
Mid November 2017
From: Fuzz
16-Dec-17
Mid November.
Mid November.
Close up....that's one goofy rack!
From: Jack Harris
16-Dec-17
would take a lot of marinating to make that old feller taste good!
From: LKH
16-Dec-17
One of things I don't think you have to worry about is the meat being tough. Don't know why, but I've never eaten a tough buck. Does, yes.
I'd shoot him. I think racks like that are great. Be sure to save the front teeth and get it aged accurately.
From: 7mm08
16-Dec-17
Bet he feels a bit "inadequate" at this point in his life. :-)
From: Topgun 30-06
16-Dec-17
" Be sure to save the front teeth and get it aged accurately."
The front teeth aren't used to age a deer. The rear teeth that do all the chewing after a deer nips the food with it's few front teeth and upper lip area are what you age a deer by!
From: ELKMAN
16-Dec-17
Very cool animal. Do you have any idea of actual age?
From: glittergoat
16-Dec-17
A friend of mine killed an old one that only had a single spike horn, no tail, and his teeth totally ground down. There are some survivors out there.
From: keepemsharp
16-Dec-17
Top: so why did the state want us to send in the front teeth for aging?
From: Jack Harris
16-Dec-17
regarding tooth aging and cementum annuli... Two bottom incisors - that's all folks
From: Timbrhuntr
16-Dec-17
Front teeth for aging back teeth for guessing lol
From: drycreek
16-Dec-17
Bottom jaw teeth for guessing, front incisors for guessing closer.....
Fixed it for you !
From: Scar Finga
16-Dec-17
Take Him, As said above buck meat is always good! Get him aged and let us know how old he is... I guess 6-7 years old.
From: Woods Walker
16-Dec-17
Honor him with a quick, clean kill. At his age and condition when a "natural" death comes it will NOT be pretty. When he can no longer chew his food adequately and has no strength left the coyotes will eat him alive.
From: Preston Lay
17-Dec-17
Reminds me of a story Barry Wensel wrote a few years ago entitled " The Hundred Year Old Man" A neat story. It's about an old buck Barry encountered and the respect he has for him. Just think of all the hunters this guy has eluded over the years. He's dodged cars, coyotes, poachers, ect. He has beat the odds to become an old man in his world. Very few will ever reach the ripe old age to one day lay down, where they want and breath his last breath. My hats off to him!
From: Fuzz
17-Dec-17
I'm gonna take him if given the opportunity... he'did make an awesome euro mount. And I'd definitely get him lab aged too!
From: The last savage
17-Dec-17
I agree with preston,,,I too have passed an old soldier ..i respect the sheer will to survive out there 24/7. 365...man it has to be tough....how many times have you watched a deer,,that as you see it should come right down that simple trail ......turn and effortlessly ,go right up a 45 degree bank through what we perceive as thick brush and never make a sound..snaking thru,around ,over everything in front of them...I have respect for animals ...makes me feel weak..
From: Zbone
25-Dec-17
Cool, thanks for sharing...
Had a similar situation a few years ago passing him during bow season and decided to take him in January... I called him staghorn...8^)... Still have his jaw to send in for accurate age, but never took the time or money to do so... (notice the grey face)
Fuzz - Mine did make a cool looking skull mount...
From: WV Mountaineer
25-Dec-17
Give him a good death. He deserves it.
From: Barry Wensel
26-Dec-17
The footage of the buck Preston is talking about above that I called "the 100 year old man" has just recently been included in my new DVD for all to see. He walked by me at 15 yds. I've already got feedback from a couple viewers saying it was their favorite part of the production. You really have to respect a buck like that knowing all he's gone through in a life span twice as long as most other old deer. Starting with the elements of heat/drought; sub-zero cold temps plus high winds; dogs, packs of coyotes, bigger cats; vehicular deaths; not to mention poachers, bow/ gun and muzzleloader seasons, etc., and we're not even factoring in diseases. When they die of old age it's very, very impressive. I guarantee they've seen me a lot more often than I've seen them. bw
From: Inshart
26-Dec-17
I watched a giant bodied old 3 x 3. He was big with a gray muzzle the first time I saw him. During the next 3 years I saw him a few times each season, I only had one opportunity to take him and that was with a rifle. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
Every time I saw him he was either in the swamp or just on the edge of it.
I'm not sure if someone else took him, wolves, coyotes or what ever but I haven't seen him now for 4 years.
