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.
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.
When you can get the last word with an echo, you may have the last word with your wife. - Chief Joseph, Nez Perce If goose was the only meat, there would be a lot more vegetarians. - Lloyd Adams, waterfowl hunter
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.