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Post by Catscratch on Jul 12, 2020 15:56:32 GMT -6
Interesting to me how antler characteristics change from time to time. I'm not a guy who names bucks but with 3yrs of watching him we've taken to calling him Inside Kickers. 2 years ago his left antler had 2 inside points and 4 regular points. He broke both the inside kickers off (probably on trees). Last year he made a huge jump in antler size and went from 2 inside on his left to one... but this single kicker was longer than the previous two put together by quite a bit. He didn't break it off. He had 5 regular points on this side last yr. This year it looks like he may go back to 4 regular points and a sticker on the left and a much stronger right side. It's like the sides alternate every yr.     |
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Post by benmnwi on Jul 12, 2020 17:42:40 GMT -6
That's a great buck. How old do you think he is? Based on those sheds is assume he is at least 5 or 6, but That's based on mn deer.
You should definitely shoot him.
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Post by Catscratch on Jul 12, 2020 17:49:29 GMT -6
I haven't put too much thought into aging him, just want him to live long enough to be spectacular. I passed on him last year a couple of times (but was tempted enough I put my hand on my bow instead of my camera). I didn't realize how much he had grown until I found his shed this spring... it's hefty! Not sure what I'll do if given a chance this yr, might just hunt other properties.
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Post by sd51555 on Jul 12, 2020 17:57:24 GMT -6
I can't believe you even bother bringing the little sheds home like that.  |
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Post by Catscratch on Jul 12, 2020 18:08:16 GMT -6
I can't believe you even bother bringing the little sheds home like that. I find them in the yard... might as well bring them in.  |
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Post by batman on Jul 12, 2020 18:44:05 GMT -6
I never found enough wild deer sheds to compare year to year, but bucks carry horn characteristic forward big time. Small bumps at one are 8 inch kickers at 3. Almost without fail.
I also believe nontyp deer in the wild are at risk of blood infection etc and die more often than typical deer. Natural selection.
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Post by Catscratch on Jul 12, 2020 19:13:05 GMT -6
I never found enough wild deer sheds to compare year to year, but bucks carry horn characteristic forward big time. Small bumps at one are 8 inch kickers at 3. Almost without fail. I also believe nontyp deer in the wild are at risk of blood infection etc and die more often than typical deer. Natural selection. Really (about nontypicals)? I've seen very few nontypicals in my life either big or small. The only notable was a young buck I kicked up while scouting a new property. He had a mess of points on his head that was truly nontypical. I never ended up hunting the place but several years later a rifle hunter shot a nontypical there that went well over 200. I may have missed out on that one! |
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Post by batman on Jul 12, 2020 19:29:23 GMT -6
I never found enough wild deer sheds to compare year to year, but bucks carry horn characteristic forward big time. Small bumps at one are 8 inch kickers at 3. Almost without fail. I also believe nontyp deer in the wild are at risk of blood infection etc and die more often than typical deer. Natural selection. Really (about nontypicals)? I've seen very few nontypicals in my life either big or small. The only notable was a young buck I kicked up while scouting a new property. He had a mess of points on his head that was truly nontypical. I never ended up hunting the place but several years later a rifle hunter shot a nontypical there that went well over 200. I may have missed out on that one! I am in enough deer farmer groups to know how much time they spend a lot of time fixing broken drop tines/etc to prevent infection and maggots from killing growing bucks. Tourniquets/toothpicks/blue kote/antibiotics. Mother Nature culls nontypical deer. |
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Post by Catscratch on Jul 12, 2020 19:48:50 GMT -6
So a deer like this is high risk... makes perfect sense as there is an added entry point for bugs and infection. How does mineral play into these farms? With cattle we have less sickness and problems in general when they have access to free choice minerals.  |
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Post by Sandbur on Jul 13, 2020 2:47:00 GMT -6
Really (about nontypicals)? I've seen very few nontypicals in my life either big or small. The only notable was a young buck I kicked up while scouting a new property. He had a mess of points on his head that was truly nontypical. I never ended up hunting the place but several years later a rifle hunter shot a nontypical there that went well over 200. I may have missed out on that one! I am in enough deer farmer groups to know how much time they spend a lot of time fixing broken drop tines/etc to prevent infection and maggots from killing growing bucks. Tourniquets/toothpicks/blue kote/antibiotics. Mother Nature culls nontypical deer. We had a non typical around here with a cluster of points near one brow time. He was killed and had broken the entire cluster off. Rumors are he field dressed over 230 pounds. |
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