Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Young funky bucks?

So the following two statements seem to be true around here:

A 1.5yr old spike usually won't always be a spike (common knowledge).

A funky-rack 2.5yr old (or older) buck will most likely always be a funky buck, usually just being a larger version of the same. This refers to tall/narrow racks. super-short tine bucks, forever-fork bucks, no browtines, and those with one side that really doesn't match the other.


So what about oddball 1.5yr bucks? If you're looking at something with one nice 3pt side and one long, crooked spike sticking off into outer space, might he be prone to outgrowing the condition? Is year 1 mostly just a write-off year as far as looking at genetics? I'm not afraid to shoot an oddball 2.5yr buck that likely needs killing, but I've been passing the first-year bucks for a long time, even when they are ugly.

Have a 1 1/2 buck on my buddys land small rack 3 points on one side and spike on the other, we decided to let him grow and see if he's the same next season.

We have this guy running the farm, we believe he’s a 1-1/2yr old, definitely not a fawn. There can’t be a total of 4” of antler on his head. Legally he doesn’t qualify as an antlered deer here in Indiana. If given the opportunity he may get a ride in the back of the truck. I watched him hounding does, hopefully he didn’t do any breeding.

I’ve never really worried about it. We can only kill one buck a year with a rifle so I have no interest in burning my tag on a half rack dink in the interest of “maybe” stopping his genetic line. How often have we read of some ranch in TX where someone or another killed a couple “management bucks”? I’ve never heard of anyone running out of management bucks, which means to me that it must not be working.

I don’t know, one place of ours we get bucks with one normal antler and one stub about 2’ tall. They’ve been there my whole life and we’ve killed some over the years to no apparent effect. I assume does can carry the genetic traits as well? No way to know which one of them is which. The same place also has bucks with perfect symmetrical racks too.

I also have a skull I picked up of an ancient old buck with a typically formed side with 7 or 8 points and a huge bladed spike with a big split brow. I would have considered him a trophy if I’d have had the opportunity to shoot him. To me any old heavy buck that’s a challenge to outsmart is a trophy. I love to hunt deer but I kinda like to let nature do it’s thing with the deer herd.

The 80 we own east of town has way too many with one side normal, the other a couple messed up points. Lots of older forks too. Haven't talked to the neighbors about it, but it must be the same way for some miles around.

I hunt a long narrow property bordered on each side by ranch owners and over the years I consistently kill deer with 180” left sides and 140” right sides. As many as I have shot you would think the genetics would change but I can’t find the doe that carries them

Why in the hell are you guys even thinking abut shooting 1.5 year old bucks?

You will learn a lot about deer and deer hunting by letting them go, give it a try

There's lots of reasons a person may want to shoot a 1.5 year old buck, even beyond the culling principal the OP describes.

Not everyone is a trophy hunter. Some people just like to shoot the first legal critter they see, so they can get back to the bar. Some people just want meat. If it's legal, I have no issue with those reasons.

Amazing what good nutrition would do for some of these "funky" racked young deer.

I like deer meat and the bar myself!!

I have killed those little phaggot racked bucks and now I just hold out for a decent mature buck.

Let the neighbor kids, my nephews, younger cousins and my cousins wife work on the smaller bucks.

I pretty much do the same, though sometimes the death mood strikes me.....and something dies regardless of size. It happens.....

A buddy of mine shot this one the other day. He looked to be a 1.5yr buck. You guys think he'd outgrow this kind of rack, becoming a more normal 2.5yr basket-rack buck? Does seem like I see a lot more odd racks like this on the 1.5yr bucks vs the 2.5yr bucks.

Interesting links there Bearcat. That helps for sure.

I have killed two odd racked bucks. One was an old 5.5+ year old. He has normal right side and a left side about 4-5” tall with 1 point going up and 3 going straight back. His right jaw had been broken and healed, he had been shot on his right side and healed and one of his feet was jacked up. He was one hateful SOB but none of his injuries stopped him from chasing the ladies.

The second one I killed has a 14” spike on one side. Having always heard about how it was bad genetics and being as he was very big bodied he was a taste tester for a 170gr Corekot. After reading the article on on spikes on one side I went and looked at his Euro mount and sure enough the spike side has an abnormal base, it’s an oval that turns down at the front.


Young bucks get a pass from me.

My opinion based on what has worked best on our ranch is to wait to 3-1/2 to see what they maybe are going to be. The more I read and manage a couple of places the more I think you cant really make any difference by "culling" unless you have a High Fence or control a very large property. Even then "Management bucks" are always the biggest buck you can talk the landowner or lease manager into letting you shoot. My opinion is the more bucks you let get to 3-1/2 or older the better. At 3-1/2 you get a better idea of what their potential may be.

Just my opinion which is worth nothing.

This buck started out with a couple grotesque spikes and was interested to see if he would develop a normal rack. Three years later I took him out of the gene pool, but by gum he had character.

Not a funky rack but I did pass this one opening day.

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

Excellent!

Now I ware a mask when I go to the store, just because Wittless makes me! But don’t you think that’s a little ridiculous???
















😁😁😁😁😁

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.


-----------------------------------

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.