SHOOT OR PASS??? I started getting pictures of this awesome buck here in his bachelor group and noticed 1 side of his rack was growing obviously different. I couldn't help but to watch how amazing his left side grew. Why was his right side growing so bad? Well I grew to love the deer. Chased him but never saw him on hoof. I never name deer around me but my younger cousin decided Nemo was the perfect name. (obvious reasons). He would have been an absolute awesome main frame 12 or maybe 14 pointer, but this did not bother me. (hard to get old deer around me). I set a camera up on video to see if the old tale of if a deer has an injured leg does it affect the opposite side antler. Sure enough he had a limp on his left side. Nemo made it passed the gun season but stopped showing up after snow hit. I don't have winter food around me so I am hoping he will be back this summer and fall to see what he can do. I would not hesitate to harvest this amazing animal. He is not the question. As if I didn't think I can learn anymore from this story, I was hunting in late December and a buck started to come in. A "shooter buck" for me is about a 3 year old 8 pointer or above. (Old deer around me do not exist) Well he so happened to be a 3 year old 8 pointer of average size. Do I shoot or do I not shoot? Well I have been getting many large bucks on camera that week and decided to pass. But that wasn't the lesson. This buck had a large infection/cut on his back left leg that looked fairly recent. As he walked away into the woods I started thinking about Nemo. If this buck had just injured himself will his antlers grow with a non-typical right side next year? Is that the best that deer will ever score? I will never know unless I can get a picture of him this year and prove it is him, but It makes me ask this question. Should I have shot that buck in reasoning that he will never score better than that? In my thoughts I guess I would say no. At the moment I thought that deer could make it another year and I like older deer. But what would you guys do? Shoot or Pass?
a deer like that is alot harder to come by than a typical. for me uniqueness usually overrides total score
If it makes you happy and gets your blood pumping than go for him man! Don't hold back just because someone else tells you to. If he is something you want and that you would be proud of then I don't see any reason to pass him. He's a great buck and best of luck to you this upcoming season hopefully you'll get a crack at him
It's a shame both sides aren't like that left side! He'll continue to have a funky rack for whatever reason, so make your decision based on that thought. He's a cool buck!
What the biggest question is... If a good looking symmetrical larger buck presented itself with a shot and was injured, would you shoot it knowing that next year it will grow abnormal?
You wouldn't KNOW it's going to grow abnormally, it doesn't ALWAYS happen. A buck's rack can grow abnormally from antler injury during the velvet stage as well. It can also take place due to parasites and/or poor nutrition. When a deer grows a funky rack on the opposite side where he's got an injury, it's referred to as the "contralateral effect". This condition has also been known to reverse itself over time.
I know that some antler configurations are cause by injuries but growing up as a kid we had way too many deer that had a particular antler configuration. It was much like the one you posted. Deer aged from 2 to 7 year old with one "normal" side and a dagger on the other. Below is a trail cam picture of a mature deer that had this trait. I agree injuries play some part but there were just to many to believe that genetics were not involved.
If he was mature I would shoot him alone for that, if injured and looking like he might not make it or is in sever pain I would try to end it. If looks healthy otherwise and has potential I would pass.
Only buck I took last year was a small 2.5 yr old...I heard shots from neighbors and few minutes later here he comes with his guts hanging out. Lucky for me the original shooter called me to see if it was the same buck and I told him to come get his deer and to aim a little better next time. He then said one of the most annoying sentences I've heard..... " yeah it's a tough shot when they are running " I just shook my head
Only buck I took last year was a small 2.5 yr old...I heard shots from neighbors and few minutes later here he comes with his guts hanging out. Lucky for me the original shooter called me to see if it was the same buck and I told him to come get his deer and to aim a little better next time. He then said one of the most annoying sentences I've heard..... " yeah it's a tough shot when they are running " I just shook my head and then they wonder why deer die without being claimed by anybody! Hate those people
[/QUOTE] I agree injuries play some part but there were just to many to believe that genetics were not involved.[/QUOTE] I agree this would be genetic, and a dominant trait too as this buck with a dagger on one side would dominate in most fights! If I were a symmetrical 8 or 10, I wouldn't mess with this guy! No wonder the dagger family dominated your area.
"In my thoughts I guess I would say no." You made the call that seemed right to you. While the consensus is that's a shooter,and there is a good discussion on how his antlers got that way,I think you made the right call by trusting your instincts. Now you get to hunt him this year. Good luck!
Depends where I am hunting. If it's back east say at home in NY then I would shoot him. If I have a KS, Iowa, KY, Ohio...ect tag in my pocket then I am passing.
