Here is a nice buck killed in Ionia county Michigan (farm country). Not a monster, but it has some charecter. It looks like a young deer to me. What do you guy's think?
Did you say "Not a Monster". I beg to differ...... By his face he looks like a young deer but hard to tell for sure. I think he makes the monster category though.
Gray on the muzzle, long nose. Just from those two points I would say he was a mature buck. Wouldn't matter to me either way, I'm letting it fly at that guy.
I know the man who killed this buck and he is a participant in our co-op. He believes the deer to be at least 4.5 and has been hunting it for a couple seasons. He has its sheds from last year when he believed the deer to be 3.5. It appears to have put on 20"-30" of antler from last year. It had an infection on one of its rear legs from a gunshot wound and that leg was half the size of the healthy leg. Add that to being run down from the rut, it probably explains the small looking body. As of yesterday, he has not measured the rack. I do know the right browtine is 12" and it carries mass pretty well. Besides the rack, it has a cool double throat patch and white on the front legs. I have a few more photos of the buck, but I won't post them without his persmission (hunter is in the photos). I will say he is a great guy and I am very happy for him.
It is a heck of a nice buck, but the reason I said not a monster is because in one of the photo's I have the rack doesn't look as big when compared to the hunter. It could be because the hunter is a big guy (6' plus?) and it was not the typical "glamor shot" that makes the deer look bigger. I didn't want to post any other pictures to show this because the hunter is in them and since I don't know him I didn't know if he would want that. Pictures with him in it could invite unwanted attention. Especially from poachers that recognize him. By the way guy's, this deer was shot only two days ago. Pretty good for Michigan. From what I hear he is a great guy that very much deserves this buck.
I thought he was only 3 1/2 because of such a small body for southern Michigan farm country (like a 2 1/2 year old). Now the small body makes more sense.
WOW! He has lost some serious wieght!! It's amazing how much they can lose in such a short time. Also, the more I look at that rack the nicer it looks. I sure hope I get to kill a bad boy like that some day!
