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Old buck?
Old buck?
This buck just appeared tonight. I never saw him before. Trying to figure out if he’s super old or just has deformed antlers. BTW, he’s not busted.
Any thoughts?
Hard to tell. He doesn't have that sway back, but sure looks "thicker" then the other deer.
Could that be a doe with antlers? The body kind of reminds me of a healthy doe for some reason.
Dang Pat, that is a cool looking character rack buck... VERY unique and would absolutely take no hesitation using the only buck tag on him, personally I'd stick that dude in a second, especially this time of year with only about 2 weeks left... Man, he'd make a great looking skull mount and great conversation piece, you'd have people guessing he was some kind of a European or Asian deer or something...8^) If you do decide to kill him, please get him cementum aged, so we can know...
Curious if you have any video of him if he limps or anything... He's definitely mature with heavy mass at the bases, he's big, thick and sleek yet he really doesn't look that old, with no pot belly nor sway back but can't tell with night photo how much graying around the face... I'll guess him as a damaged rack during spring/summer growth, 4-1/2-year old...
Amazing how they just show up out of nowhere...
doesn't look like an old deer to me. looks like a younger deer that has been eating well.
I’d say a fattened up 3-4
First pic I’d say an older deer, but the 2nd pic has me in agreement with everyone else. 3-4 is my guess.
Maybe an escapee from an amish pen where they trimmed his horns during growth...8^))) (sorry couldn't help myself...8^))
In all seriousness, if he survives wonder if the antler memory thing will happen with next year's growth... Hmmm...
I heard somewhere that some deer grow these types of antlers after surviving EHD. Not sure how accurate that is though.
I don't think he is super old either, a 4 yr old. Most deformed antlers are caused by injuries during velvet. It looks like he ran into something after his brow tines had grown out. Only a guess on my part. BC
This was Mr Twister here in Dayton Wy in 2015. He was similar for 4 or 5 yrs until someone killed him and a couple of his friends with a pellet gun. They all took several days to die. Never caught the asshole that did it, but I turned in 2 people that admitted to shooting deer with pellet guns, $820 fines for each. The pellet gun used in deaths was rifled. We believe that one of Mr Twisters sons or grandsons is in the yard right now, he still carries the "twist".......Mike
Nice! Look at those hams! My instant guess is not elderly just odd. I'm an expert on both those states of being
Pat - Have you seen that buck in daylight yet?
Daytime pic this morning
Daytime pic this morning
Just this morning. I was on the fence whether he was old or deformed. This pic changed my opinion. I’m gonna sit this stand and if he comes in, and he’s ancient, I’ll shoot him.
Beautiful afternoon to hunt with this snowstorm.
That is one funky character buck. I would guess he is old enough, but hard to say off photos alone.
Good luck
I’m calling this decrepit, old buck “Brandon”
screwed up rack. I get one a year.
“C’mon man”
Should be able to hear him coming a long ways off, stumbling the whole way in. Definitely looks like an older deer in that last pic.
Is that ice cream on his antlers? :)
Odd configuration for sure, looks like he doesn't know if he's coming or going. The name fits for sure.
Careful Pat, he might fall down before you shoot him. You may want to wait for his son, does that then make the Hunter the hunted?
Good luck Pat! Yeah looks old but who really knows.
Pat,
That face is looking old in the daylight and his coat, on the left side, is disturbed as though he may have been shoved by that bachelor group he's hanging with. His ears are down in all photos as though he is too tired to lift them, maybe cowded?
Brandon must have called a lid after this morning. Never showed.
I would say he's a older buck with an injury on his left side. Definitely going down hill.
Older deer IMHO.
Let’s hope he doesn’t stumble and cant get up on his way to your stand.:)
Mark
How much longer is season Pat?
Fuzzy, February 6 archery ends.
You've got time, get him!
Ohio archery season ends February 4th. Don't get yourself in trouble now Pat. :)
Yeah, February 4th this year, it's been the first Sunday of February for a while now... We're fortunate to have one of the longest bowseasons in the nation, beginning the last Saturday of September through the first Sunday in February...
With his messed up hair probably been sparring, but still I don't think he's ancient, there is no gray in his face... Most get grayer with age, but maybe he's an exception, he certainly has and exceptionally different rack... Curious to know his age...
I’d guess 4 or 5 based on those photos. Keep us posted and good luck on that freak show.
I didn't realize the season went so long in OH. Pat, do they typically keep their antlers through that time? Where I hunt in MN they occasionally lose an antler before the season ends the last day of Dec, but typically they have both. Where I hunt in ND, less than 100 miles away, they usually drop by the end of the season, which is the first Sun of Jan (so basically one week longer than MN). This year I didn't bother hunting the final weekend because all of the mature bucks had dropped their antlers.
Anyway... I was just curious if you can expect that goofy buck to still be packing over the next couple weeks?
I keep opening this thread waiting on Pat to kill that dude...
Scoot - I've been keeping personal notes and some stats for years, early shedding in December is uncommon in our area of Ohio, (Pat's county borders mine) even a few bucks will carry their racks into April, but peak shedding is usually late February through mid-March around here but they may shed anytime from December through April... Our statewide muzzleloader season just ran from January 6th-9th this year and kill stats statewide was only "304 (2%) bucks with shed antlers or antlers shorter than 3 inches"... Although some bucks in this area have shed, but the percentage is low... As you mentioned it differs from one area to another area 100 miles away and a reason I believe area genetics has something to do with it...
Check out the annual shed thread posted...
Brandon was here last night in daylight at a different location of the farm. I didn't hunt last night, I'm going this afternoon. I'm still not sure if he's just a deformed buck, or is really old. I need to see him in the flesh to determine.
I'd look for graying like this dude may help, just don't see any in the photos...
Anybody else anxiously awaiting Pat's hunt? No news last night, maybe today?
Maybe he's bloodtrail 48?
Thanks for that response, Z. I imagine genetics plays a role in it, but I'm guessing diet/nutrition also factors in. The two areas I hunt are pretty different in that regard- one is in the Red River Valley (rich, fertile soil) and the other is out of the valley by a good bit and in much poorer quality soil. Interesting that your deer hold their antlers that much longer than ours. I wonder if that trend continues further North and the deer in Canada to the North of us drop their headgear sooner than we do here?
Shot this one many years ago. Didn’t think he fit in the gene pool:)
Cool buck Charlie. Also checking to see if Pat lets the air out of this one.
I’m in the final stages of a room renovation. It should have been easy but nothing is easy in a 1904 house. Nothing is plumb, level, square. Finishing up the flooring now and will be done today. Then I’ll hit it hard. Charlie is coming here Friday and we’ll both be hunting hard.
I had daylight pics 3 days ago and night pics 2 days ago. He’s around.
Unfortunately, I have a really good buck here but he shed. Lots of bucks are starting to shed.
Charlie - Yours is bigger than mine...8^)
I shot this old dude with a smokepole a few years ago in January during our 4-day statewide muzzleloader season... He was running with another bigger mature buck with a real nice rack but opted to take him out of the gene pool also and figured I could bowhunt the other later... Had seen them together before and had plenty of time to choose... Then both broadside under 25 yards looking at me as I moved to aim, made the choice to take the old stage out... Kinda been kicking myself since, never seen the big racked buck ever again... Go figure...
I was going to have him cementum aged, but never got around to it, but we was really gray faced...
Good luck guys...
Zbone that buck is COOL. Everybody has a big buck or two but that's a unique animal.
bad choice there Z
an amish hunter shot him 15 minutes later and you ended up with that thing LOL
"an amish hunter shot him 15 minutes later and you ended up with that thing "
I know,,, right...8^)
Hey, that big buck was my target that year, I actually missed him early in the season when I had him under my tree... He got nervous I rushed the shot and arrow zipped right over his shoulder if I remember right... Shot was kinda like the current bloodtrail challenge shot except he was looking at me, but I never hit him, but thinking about it now may have cut hairs... Heck, I was looking at the pix date, it was exactly 10 years ago, my memory fails me now days but do remember there being snow (why I remember the hairs) and he being like a 150" class 5x5 with a forked brow and a sticker giving him 12-points... I looked for him the follow summer and season to no avail... Ya always wonder what happen to them when they just disappear... There was some amish in the area though...8^)
Thanks fuzzy - Yeah, I like my unique trophy, with skull bleached kinda looks like a devil thing...8^)))
The old buck went MIA during the warm-up but he showed up on cam last night for the first time in a few days. He's still carrying and I am hunting him now. Unfortunately he's screwing up my doe slaughter since I don't want to kill does if I'm trying to kill him! I'll be hunting here again tonight.
Cool Pat, wish you the best! Would luv to see pix of this buck on the ground...
Me too! He's a cool buck for sure! Pat, is he daylighting at all?
I have a few daylight pics.
"I have a few daylight pics"
Luv character bucks, can we see them please?
February 1st,,, tick tock...8^)
My prediction, Pat will get it done.
No daylight action at all, still seeing pics of him at night.
I'm killing does now. I have 3 days left. Killed 2 does in two days - filmed them for bloodtrails so look out!!
My Ohio ground is in a 3-deer county. So I can kill three does, or 1 buck and 2 does.
I have 3 days left and I think I'm gonna hold out until Sunday afternoon and then if don't shoot Brandon by then - or another shooter buck, I'll fill my 3rd tag on a doe.
I filled my two doe tags on Wednesday and Thursday last week. One was very healthy and had a lot of fat. The other was somewhat run down and the little fat she had was more yellow than white. I wonder if the run-down doe had late fawns. I gave the healthy one away and kept the other one. She was alert and healthy looking just not filled out and fat like the deer usually are on our place. She tastes just fine.
No sign of Brandon in a few days. He may have shed.
Season ends today so I’m gonna take the first doe that I can and fill my 3rd tag. I hunted really hard this late season but I really only had Brandon on the list and he was very inconsistent. I’ll recap the season later.
Hopefully you spine shoot a doe tonight, and do another blood trail challenge…
No Fuzzy. I’m hunting now. Last sit of the season. I’m very optimistic I’ll shoot a doe. I have zero confidence I’ll see Brandon or any other shooter buck. It’s like September weather right now.
Warm here too. Don't count him out yet. I REALLY want you to get him for some reason.
As Troutman to Rambo would say - "It's over Johnny"...8^)
Tag soup for me this year... Urrrr...
Well Pat- did you sleuse a doe to finish the year?
Yes. I filled all 3 of my tags on does. Pretty good buck showed up last night but I let him walk. No sense in killing a nice buck that survived the last evening of the Ohio season. Maybe a 3-4 year old??
Nice way to end the year! Congrats!
Did you have to chase a coyote off that doe Pat? She looks a little roughed up . I was hoping the weird buck would show up for ya.
Yes, I let her sit overnight. Not 100% sure of the shot at last light. Ass end gone.
Got a good bloodtrail game on this one. But I’d rather have all the meat!!
Dang, and I thought I had a coyote problem...
Congrats on filling your tags Pat!
Would be interesting to learn if that freak rack sticks around and what he develops into throughout the summer...
something to look forward to for October Pat!
Yup, so long as he's not dead from old age. Got several pics of him last night. His timing is impeccable.
Is he still carrying both sides of his rack Pat?
Pat - Did you find that freak rack bucks sheds? Are you getting any photos of bucks still carrying their racks now in April? Thanks...
No and no, Zbone. I’ve stopped feeding and I have not found his sheds. I did find a buck that was either killed by coyotes or they ate him after he died naturally. Could be him.
