Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Young funky bucks?

There are probably more of those than you think. I have 2 cameras up in a mile square and have at least 3 like that on camera. Not legal bucks, but 1.5 years old.

There very well may be but I haven’t caught any of them on camera.

Our typical 1.5yr olds will be 4-8 point about 10” high. Very rare to see spikes. This guy is atypical for sure. If he makes it to next year and does not come around with a more normal rack he’ll likely be a legal buck then and no one will be willing to burn their buck tag on him leaving him to freely breed as a 2.5yr old. I would rather take him now than a doe who’ll pop out a fawn or two.

I don’t normally advocate the shooting of young bucks but also won’t begrudge a man for shooting what makes him happy. I’m very fortunate to be able to spend pretty much as much time as I want in the woods and completely understand those weekend warriors taking what is offered them.

Good links thanks
I know people that just like to kill any deer they see and make up a reason as to why. then they try to convince people they are a good hunter and when you see their years of hunting has all been young deer.

Do they taste worse than "good" bucks? I think not.

[quote=10gaugemag]Not a funky rack but I did pass this one opening day.

Neighbor kid got him this Monday AM. Glad I let him walk.


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That'll put a smile on ya.

Good on you.


Jerry

J. - I've read pros and cons on the subject and no where I've been able to hunt can I/we control what others shoot or
neighbors shoot. So I am a definite 'Don't Know'.

However in 2016 I saw this guy in Oct. our Antlerless Only season and I named him Freak !
In Dec of '16 He was pushing a Doe pretty hard, for his last time.



He was an older buck, 4 1/2 (imo) about 150 # He was gray faced with a long nose.
On the left side of his neck was a gore wound, less than 1 1/2" deep. That was recent so did not affect his rack that year.



There was no other sign of injury or deformation except that freak rack. I took him out. I haven't seen any other buck similar since 2016.

Jerry

I shot a young buck this week that had a funky rack. I originally passed on him but decided to take him out when he got within 30 yards of me and I saw the funky rack. It was my first buck with a pistol and I’ll process all of the meat. I like to pass on young bucks normally and prefer to take a doe for meat. Anyway I shot him as a “cull buck”. Maybe he would have grown to be normal and maybe not. Either way he didn’t go to waste.

bama

Right or Wrong.... I don't know but....

I'd kill it or similar too.

Congrats

Jerry

Had a strange racked 7pt come in yesterday morning around 10. Kind of palmated on the left side with 3 points on the end of the beam and the right brow looks almost like a 3rd beam. He hung around for 6-7 minutes. I hope he makes it.

I killed one with a funky rack Saturday. He had 4 on one side out past his ear a couple of inches. Other side was a long misshaped spike with a brow tine. I shot him through the ribs with a 300 Wby. He ran off with his tail up like a miss. No sign of a hit where he was standing. Looked for blood walked a grid pattern and found nothing. My son text me he had killed an 8 point. So I left mine and we worked his up and got it on ice. I shot my rifle at camp to see if my scope was on. It was so I went back for another look. I spotted my deer and he had gone straight in. Don't know how I didn't see him. He was shot well had holes on both sides and didn't bleed until he went down. He was missing an eye on the 4 point side and his back leg opposite the spike side was about4" short. He had a club foot the size of a softball that was trying to grow a new hoof. I have always heard a wounded foot affects the opposite side of the rack. He was smaller than I wanted for my last buck but I am glad I shot him he was blind and crippled. And we got a Father and Son buck the same morning.

I never feel bad about shooting a bum buck like that, and it's always memorable when you and your family members take game on the same hunt.

My son shot this funky guy, a few years ago;

You should have used enough gun.

I was at a check-in station in Oklahoma when a fella brought a deer in similar to that. It had 14, or maybe it was 16 points, on a tiny little rack. You couldn't have squeezed a softball between the beams and tines. Heck, maybe not even a tennis ball.