What happened to this buck???

[RMW]

How old do you think this buck is?

Looks 3.5

[BolilloLoco]

Finally showing his true potential at 6.5

[Big pig]

How old do you think this buck is?

I can't tell. Healthy 4.5? Hope you have a series of photos of him too.

[walker1983]

You know your herd, but in a general sense of what is known about whitetail body conditions at various ages, nothing about the first pic looks like a 4yo to me. And he looks post-mature in the 5yo pic. It could be that he's a few years older than you're thinking, and he's just declining.

I agree. To me I am looking at possibly a 6,7, and 8 year old deer.

On our HF place, the deer traditionally seem to peak in score at 6.5, but do throw on kicker points, split beams, etc. at 7 & 8.

I wouldn't expect your buck to revert back to main frame 8 though.

[Christianhuff]

Let's see how good your rack looks when you are a 100 yrs old!:-) you asked what's wrong with him and I say old age is wrong with him.

[Big Mike M]

He’s back. Any guesses on score this year? He has about a 4” kicker off right G-2 you can’t see in this pic.

[bukkskin]

I have often asked myself this same question of the deer that I perceive as the same deer from last year. Can a deer's characteristics change so drastically from one year to another, positively or negatively (horns/body/whatever), that you get them mixed up? I tell myself no but at the end of the day we are just making a very well educated guess.

No, the characteristics will be the same, year in and year out. They may be huge one year and not too good the next, but they will be recognizable from year to year.

[lab man]

He has some serious character this year. His bases are really good too.

[bukkskin]

He’s back. Any guesses on score this year? He has about a 4” kicker off right G-2 you can’t see in this pic.

Wow, he is Older than dirt.

[deerwatcher51]

I can't even begin to guess a score on him. Lots of character and old!

[Big pig]

Thanks for posting these. Antler growth from year to year is interesting.
I assumed skeletal injury after the first year. Unless you find some permanent injury I don’t see, maybe injuries from your feeder during early growth. Shame with that initial frame and drops. Is he a target deer?

BP

[Big Mike M]

Thanks for posting these. Antler growth from year to year is interesting.
I assumed skeletal injury after the first year. Unless you find some permanent injury I don’t see, maybe injuries from your feeder during early growth. Shame with that initial frame and drops. Is he a target deer?

BP

I plan on shooting him this year. He’s 7 1/2 this year.

[kruppa24]

Wow that is a funky looking rack for sure. I would think it would have to be some kind of injury if he is truly the same deer in the first pic.

[cbd10pt]

I don't think 5.5 and 6.5 look anything like each other

[Big Mike M]

I don't think 5.5 and 6.5 look anything like each other

Look at the brow tines. They have been the same the last 3 years. Left is a little longer with a split.