What happened to this buck?

[686]

This buck has a swollen area around his nasal cavity that made us think he broke his nose awhile back. He was a regular at the feeders last year and I figured him at about 4.5 last year, 5.5 this year. In the past couple of months, his body condition has dropped dramatically and he looks like a bag of bones. Any ideas on what has happened? I don't see an obvious injury. Could the swollen nasal cavity be cancer?

Here he is in July this year:



Here he is last week:

[txoutdoorsman24]

With that roamin nose, it could've been broken. Or he's just old as dirt.

[Rtree1]

He is looking a lite sickly

[Kurdawg]

I have a 1.5 spike that looks the same, he got run down looking for a while, but has bounced back nicely the last few months.

[Christianhuff]

He looks as old as methuselah, look at his tarsal glands!

[Jakesfish]

old as dirt. needs to go...
he has served..........

[White Falcon]

Very old deer. Also has a bad tick problem! Bet this will be his last year!

[686]

Very old deer. Also has a bad tick problem! Bet this will be his last year!

I'm just hoping he makes it another couple weeks so we can get a shot on him. How can you tell he has ticks?

[Antlers86]

Old old old old old!

[Jayt22]

Old

[Razrbk89]

Disease of some sort. He was really skinny in the July pic, too.

[texashunter56]

Very old buck. He has calloused knees.

[686]

I went back and found a pic of him last year in July. We bought this place in June and stated feeding protein and food plotting then. Before that this ranch hadn't been managed and minimally hunted for about a decade. He was only and 8 last year and bumped up to a ten this year before his body started declining.