3-year Quest is Over

[blueKYstream]

For the last 3 years, I almost exclusively hunted this buck (although 3 years ago, I took an old buck that never grew much of a rack hoping to clear room for a different buck). Over the years, I'd learn that this buck seemed to have a split home range. He spent most of his time elsewhere but would make trips back to my place. He'd bed on my place for short periods before moving on.

On the last weekend I could hunt this year, I somewhat resigned myself to once again missing out on getting this buck. When, I saw 8 does and fawns come in to an Osage orange fence row to feed on hedge apples, I figured it was a good opportunity to thin the herd (I seem to have few bucks and many, many does). I took two does Saturday evening. It had me wondering if the deer were lacking quality food, but the hedge apples were clearly a big draw at this time. I went back to that spot the next morning. Shortly after sun up, this buck came in to feed on hedge apples in the same spot I took the two. It was the first time I've seen the deer in person. I ended up taking him at 10 yards. Shortly after, another doe presented an opportunity and took her. It turned out to be quite a memorable weekend. I was happy to have meat to help some others I know that want it and it helped me thin the herd. He was full of corn from somewhere other than my farm.

The odd thing I noticed was white front hooves on this buck. I'm wondering if it had EHD at some point and if that's the reason for the oddity in his rack. I haven't been able to recognize him in pictures from years prior to 2023. It would be interesting to know how old he is as well. I'll do a Euro mount on him, and I asked the processor to keep his lower jaw.




2024


2023

 

[BenA]

Really cool buck! Congratulations!

 

[blueKYstream]

I just went back and looked at some old pictures and realized he may have had an injury to his back right leg that caused the antler deformity the next couple years. Maybe EHD for the white front hooves?

 

[SwampCat]

Unusual buck. Congratulations. I have never known deer to eat bois d’arc fruits. I have a lot of them. Squirrels eat some. Rest lay there and rot.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

That’s really cool, especially seeing the history including the leg issue. It looks like he is so old he is on his way down - that is pretty crazy.

Awesome buck, congrats.

 

[356]

Congratulations on a great harvest and sharing of your wonderful weekend of hunting. It will be fun to get an age on that buck. The Osage Orange is not a preferred browse on ur farm, but the deer do eat it about this time of year. One day the ground will be filled with 5” to 6” fruit, and the next they are all broken up and eaten. They can clear out the fruit under a tree in just one night.

 

[blueKYstream]

Thanks for the confirmation. They wiped out food plots by early November. I need to keep working on reducing the numbers. Your comments reinforce that for me.

 

[Mortenson]

Congrats. How far away was the other place he called home?

 

[Catscratch]

Deer absolutely love dead hedge leafs in my area. They spend a ton of time under hedge trees every yr vacuuming the leafs up. Fawns eat the hedge apples early in the fall, adults later in the season. From watching I believe they are after the seeds. Do an internet search. If I remember right they are very high in protein and fats. Great nutritional source that's generally still there when they need it most.

Congrats on the great buck! And thanks for sharing the story with us!

 

[blueKYstream]

Congrats. How far away was the other place he called home?

I wish I knew. He bedded on the NW side of the property at the head of a ravine. At the end of the ravine to the NE is a fairly large lake. At the head of the ravine is several ridges overlooking the head. It would seem to me he could switch ridges based on the wind but I only own one or two of those. When he was there, he always seemed to head E/SE from what I could tell (except when returning to bed). He almost never used any of the 5 food plots (.5 to 2 acres in size) I had except sparingly in early September and January. He summered elsewhere. It seems to me he was mostly in that spot for bedding and mostly traveled for food when he was there.

My dad has always wanted food plots in small areas. I've been rethinking things though. It almost seems like that makes more does bed all over near the plots and bucks dont seem to be on the property much other than during the rut. They dont use the plots much either. It seems to me it might be best to have one bigger plot somewhere in the middle of the property. Maybe that would keep does in the center and then give bucks room to bed somewhere near the property border. The odd thing is the property has more cover than the other half of the property (not on the attached map) with cattle that's generally more open but holds more bucks.

 

[roymunson]

congrats man

That's a cool story