Sad day shed hunting
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Hessticles
22-Mar-21
My dream of killing a droptine was shattered, this was the only droptine I have ever seen. I seen this deer opening morning after I shot a 155" in full velvet but he never gave me a shot. Fast forward to October and he was a fighter and broke off his beam. I ended up passing him 3 times after that. The last time I seen him he looked really run down from rutting and quit getting pictures of him, and my assumption of him being dead was right!
From: t-roy
22-Mar-21
Definitely sucks when you end up finding a targeted buck dead. At least you know what happened to him (kind of). I’ve had a bunch of bucks over the years, that just seem to disappear, and never show up the following year.
A big droptine buck is on my wishlist, too!
From: Bou'bound
23-Mar-21
at least you seen one i never seen a drop tined buck in my life
better to have seen and lost than never to have seen at all.
From: The last savage
23-Mar-21
Dang what a shame,,good luck man ,finding another drop tine buck....
From: WV Mountaineer
23-Mar-21
I hope you kill one with two drop tines now.
Big mature deer are hard on each other.
From: wilbur
23-Mar-21
Still chasing this guy
Still chasing this guy
From: Catscratch
23-Mar-21
That's a bummer for sure! Maybe there's some genetics floating around your place for the future... A droptine buck is HIGH on my list of dream deer.
From: Grey Ghost
23-Mar-21
So, honest question to the OP. In hindsight, would you have rather killed this buck with a broken antler, or find him dead like you did?
Matt
From: Rth1229
23-Mar-21
Man that sucks. This was the only one I’ve ever seen. Wasn’t my target buck last year but when it feels right you gotta take it.
From: JLeMieux
23-Mar-21
I had something similar happen a few years back. I was getting pictures of a buck with a big wound or tumor hanging from it's chest. Everyone in the area knew about him and I was getting regular pictures in Sept and into Oct. Found him dead in late Oct. I went in and hung a stand to close in on him and found what was left of the carcass 20 yds away.
From: JLeMieux
23-Mar-21
From: APauls
23-Mar-21
JLeMieux interesting how that buck is obviously gaunt in the photos, but you figure he must have been decently healthy to grow the big rack. Otherwise the rack usually suffers as well. So that tumor deal must have come on somewhat quick or how long had you seen the tumor on him?
Sucky deal Hessticles. A big dropper is on everyone's list I imagine.
From: Cheesehead Mike
23-Mar-21
Bummer Hessticles!
Gotta love drop tines!
From: tobywon
23-Mar-21
That tumor must have been hard to run with when it got moving. Nice deer everyone and sorry about that Hessticles . Mike, I like the old barn wood look.
From: Hessticles
23-Mar-21
Grey ghost I'd rather pass him hoping he'd survive, I'm the type if I kill something all broken up he stays that way the way I killed him. I don't get tines repaired. I kick myself for not being ready opening day when he was in velvet, but I was in shock I had just killed my first velvet. Then I would have been tagged out first hour of opening day which would have ate at me all year also.
From: t-roy
23-Mar-21
There’s worse things than being tagged out early, Tanner! ;-)
From: JLeMieux
23-Mar-21
Adam, word around the area was that he had that for a couple years atleast. He looked a little worse early-mid summer but was starting to put some weight back on. One theory/story was that he had been shot by a youth hunter with a .223 3-4 years prior. The shot was hard quartering away. It never penitrated the cavity and got stuck just under the skin. I only got pictures of it that year so I really don't positively know how long it had been like that.
From: Stryker
25-Mar-21
We never saw this deer on the hoof until my wife shot him at 8 yards with her bow out of a blind. Saw these pics after we retrieved the cameras a couple days later.
From: sjj
26-Mar-21
most days shed hunting are sad days shed hunting in NY. Our bucks get shot up.
