Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Photos
 

I need some help here. This may be long so please bear with me.

I have posted this on my team thread but it's kinda slow there so I will ask it here.

I love to hunt Whitetail and have taken my share of P&Y bucks but that being said I will shoot whatever I feel like shooting at that time, doe, small buck, spike, etc...

This year I have passed on more smaller bucks than I ever have. In Illinois you can kill two bucks, I did not fill my tag during the gun season so I have two to fill. I have been holding out for some of thebigger bucks I have been seeingbecause of the contest. Well a few weeks ago I spotted a small 8point (about 70in) with one of his antlers growning funny. The left side beam is completely rotated foward to where the tip of the antler is touching his nose. He has been making his rounds and I have seen him on several occasions. One time he spent some time below me and I got a real good look at him. It doesn't seem to have been damaged, I think it's genetics.

My problem is this, I think this antler will give this deer much trouble next year if it grows the same way. It's so close now, there is no doubt it will go into his nose next year. I would like to shoot him but I would be hurting my team. I stand a pretty good chance of killing a 100+ in buck or maybe even bigger as I have seen a few on the land I hunt.

I am pretty sure I will see him again but time is running out the second rut is in swing and I don't think he will keep this pattern for too much longer.

What would you guys/gals do?

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

Thats up to you, 70 inches is better than the 0 you have now.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

I like to manage all the lands I hunt. I try to take all the defected bucks off before the cause the same trouble for another deer. If I was you I would take that buck. You still have another tag to use on that brute when he walks by.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

I would take him. You may save him some hurting next year if that thing
grows into his nose. Perhaps this should come before a competion. Your
call. Good luck either way.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

the health of this deer is more important than some point system for your team. i think your teammates would understand. this deer will suffer come next year probably. you seem convinced of this also. do the HARD RIGHT VS. THE EASY WRONG. take this buck, take a hit for the team and sleep better at night. if you don't you'll always kick yourself in the ass years down the road.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

My opinion would be to pass on the buck you mention,at 70 inches in your part of the country he is 1 1/2 years old or at the very oldest 2 1/2 years old.This next year he should have significant antler growth,perhaps enough to get his beam or tines further out away from his face.There also is the possibility of him not repeating the antler configuration he has now.
I appreciate your concern for your teams score but I don't believe that should be your consideration as to which buck you kill.If you want to shoot this buck and you will be pleased with it then take it if you have the opportunity,if not don't.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

Thanks to all who have replied, I am leaning toward killing this buck if he gives me the chance. Odds are I will see him again as he is pretty set in his pattern. You know this would not even be a question had it not beenfor this contest.

You must understand, I could care less if I shoot nothing but does or small bucks or P&Y bucks. Would I like P&Y bucks every year...yeah who wouldn't, but it's not that important to me. 20years ago maybe but now no. No MY problem is this darn contest. I hate to let my teammates down and I don't like to lose. This attitude while not always constructive got me to the NFL and drives me in my everyday life, work, play, etc...

Every once an a while I need to step back and look at a situation for what it is and this is one of those times. I realize this is just a contest for fun and I should do the right thing and take this deer. Yes there is a chance of this antler growing fine next year but I doubt it.

Thanks again to all who gave an opinion. I hope to post good news soon.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

Wack him. Your reasoning is why I don't get into all that team thing.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

A rack can change alot from one year to the next , especially if it's due to an injury. Even if it has the same characteristics it could be alot higher and/or wider which may lead to missing his nose entirely.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

Let him grow !!!! :D:D:D

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

I wouldn't shoot him. Next year that buck will most likely look NOTHING like he does now. Like another said it'll probably be bigger that it won't be an issue. I don't feel that you would be doing him any favors by killing him.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

Shoot what makes you happy. If you are pleased with him, take him. If not, let him walk and hope he makes it till next season.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

Let me try to explain just what he looks like. I have seen him 4 times now and once for an extended peroid (about three min.) he was right out in front of me about 10yds away. The antler does not appear to be damaged at all. It's as if someone took the entire beam and rotated it forward. The tip of his left beam is touching his nose (or at least it seems to be) I know it's touching the fur that's how close it is. Now If I let him walk what happens next year? Will it grow normal orwill it grow into his nose?Assuming the antler grows bigger as it should and it clears his face what happens then, what if it grows right infront of his face? I wouldthink he would have one heck of a time eating with an antler infront of his mouth. I just don't know if it's worth taking the chance and have this deer suffer next year.

This may all be for nothing because there is no guaranty I will see him again but he has been in a pattern lately so you never know. I am really leaning towardsputting an arrow in him if given the chance.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

Every hunter has to make the decision to shoot or not shoot. I think you have to make the decision that feels right to you regardless of a contest. If you pass on this deer and it is going to bother you worrying if he is going to be ok then shoot. If you think he might be ok and you really don't like the size of the deer then don't shoot. You have to go with your gut feeling not my opinion norsomeone else's, only yours. Good luck

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

It;s funny that you think you are doing the deer a favor by killing him now. Would you rather face possible health issues next year or just die now??? I think he'd choose taking the chance.

Now before I get jumped here, kill what makes you happy but don't justify it, from the deers point of view.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

That pretty much nails it!
There`s bucks out there every where with screwed up racks? If he`s notthe buck your really holding out for don`t shoot! Don`t let a contest make the decision for you.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

THE TEAM???? THE TEAM???? Surely you jest. Why in the heck would anyone in his right mind(maybe that's the key point....right mind) base anything to do with hunting on "THE TEAM" or "Hurting the Team"???? Give me a break. If you want to shoot a deer you don't have to ask permission of anyone. No way should you even think about anyone you've never met from this site when you head to the woods. Hunting is NOT a team sport. It's personnal. You want a team sport.... take up street ball or something. I suggest you drop the team and become a hunter again or take up maybe Tennis doubles. That's a team sport. Heck, you could also join a dance team or one of those jump rope teams. Give me a break.[&:][&:]

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

I get a kick out of justifying taking a deer cause of perceived health issues. Deer are tough, nature has a way of making it work. If you want to take the deer, take it, if you don't then don't. Whatever you do, do it for your reasons, not because you think you are doing the deer a favor! Nature can be cruel, if you take a deer with health issues you are interfering with nature, look at it that way. Coyotes and other scavengers have to eat to.

You have no idea why that rack is like that, could have bumped something early in the spring, might be anything, could grow like that next year, might not. You never know.

--Bob

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

So your view is either kill him ordon't, and the messed up rack should not come into play at all in my decision making process?

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

In a word, bigj12 ..yes

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

If you got two tagges, he sounds like meat in the freezer. Its all up to you. Only you will shoot him and eat him. ;)

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

I'm ALWAYS amazed at how resilient a deer can be.

That being said.....even "IF" your buck's antler DID grow in towards his nose....could he not break it off (if it meant saving himself a ton of pain)? Could he not chew it or scrape it down....if it meant not eating?

I can't answer those questions.....and I don't suspect anyone else could, either.

If you want to kill this deer (harvest/take/whatever).....then do so and I don't think anyone here would blink (Other than to congratulate you). Just don't do it for the deer's sake. That seems disingenuous.

Jeff

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

I like how badatt2d summed it up.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

I appreciate your opinions one and all.

The reason why I brought up the team/contest is because I ENTERED IT. and by doing so my taking of any deer that might effect my team should be thought out before I do it. I have killed many many deer in my life and I thought this (the contest)would be something fun and different....and it is.

Soyeah in thiscase this is a team effort. I don't buy into QMDunless it's fora healthy herd. If the herd is healthy with 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 year old bucks then thats fine with me. I don't agree with QDM to grow monster P&Y bucks. So I will shoot anything I feel like shooting at the time. This year I have been passing on bucks I wouldusually shoot because I was (and still am) trying to get a good score for my team. I don't see a problem with that.

I don't know if this buck will be effected next year or not, but I know he COULD be and more so than all the other deer I have been seeing. So I'm not justifying it from the deers point of view, but mine! I know it's nature'sway etc..etc..bla...bla..bla, andI know deer die every year from starvation and such, but why wouldn't I do something about one specific deer if given the chance. I'm going to kill deer anyway (and have already) I'm just saying it's tough to keep letting this guy walk by and not do something BECAUSE of the contest.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

take the deer, your team should understand plus you would still have another tag left to take one of those 100+ bucks.

RE: Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Pics
 

Well, I saw him again and decided to shoot. I know not everyone will agree but I feel I did the right thing. Plus it's definitely a different looking rack. Shot a doe as well for my second double of the year. Ihave one buck tag left and I noticed that there are still some bucks chasing does so I may still be able to arrow one of the bigger bucks I have seen.

Here are some pics

RE: Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Pics
 

Another

As you can see, the antler was sticking into his nose.

RE: Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Pics
 

man thats crazy, cool pics and good job

RE: Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Pics
 

Glad you took him. I don't think it would be a problem next year, my thought is it would grow normal(unless I missed it if you said this growth is year to year)orwill growfarther out from his nose. BTW, do yourself a favor nest year and don't jointhem teams if it stresses you this much;).
Congrats on the double.

RE: Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Pics
 

Thanks,

Yeah, I thought the contest would be fun, and it is, but it kinda put me in asituation where I didn't want to let them down.After getting a real good look at him I am glad Ishot him.The antlerdoesn't look to be damaged in any way it just grew out like that. I don't know if it would have cleared the nose next year or not. He wasn't really growing a big rack to begin with, hewas 2 1/2. It might have but then again maybe not.

It was already sticking into his skin and a callus of some sort had formed. It's different that's for sure and the first time I ever saw a complete antler rotated down like that.

RE: Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Pics
 

Well done and Congrats! Neat looking rack! that would make a cool Euro mount! Congrats! Its fun to join the team thing but I still hunt for myself!:)

RE: Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Pics
 

Big J

My first buck (a small six pointer)looked almost identical to that one. When I cut the skull plate out, his skull plate had completely fractured around the pedicle, and the antler itself was turned downward, blocking his left eye and nearly touching his left nostril.

The antler was barely loose, and the base (with the chunk of skull-plate material still attached) had become encased in clotted blood and what looked like new, bony regrowth around the edges.

The inner part of the left antler was clean of velvet, but was not rubbed clean, but he had completely rubbed the outside (which had to be painful).

My guess is that he might have gotten his head whacked by a passing car or something just after shedding his velvet.

The antler could not be pulled from the skullplate until the fur had been removed, but, at that point, it fell right out.

Yours is the first similar buck I've ever seen. I wish I had a picture for you to compare, but all I have is the antlers, cut at the bases. Pretty interesting stuff.

Did your buck have a damaged skullplate as well, or did it just grow that way?

Quik

RE: Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Pics
 

Thanks all.

Quick,

As far as I could determine, this antler just grew this way. It does not appear to be damaged in any way and is solid as a rock. In fact it made a great handle for me to drag him out (over 200yds). I looked him over pretty good and even looked for any body injuries that could have caused this....nothing. He appeared to be as healthy as could be with the exception of the callus forming on his nose.

The pedicles looked fine but the left one appeared to be angled slightly which explaines why the antler grew out that way. No cracks or old injuries on the skull either.

Different for sure.

RE: Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Pics
 

How's it taste? Good shooting.

RE: Need Help/Opinions UPDATE W/Pics
 

I don't know, I gave it to a friend of the family. I donated the doe as well. I have a buck tag and a few doe tags left and we have till Jan. 12 so I still have time to kill a few more for friends and family who want deer. It's a tough job I know.......but someone has to do it.:D

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

Bigj12 this isn't about the pics. But I have a question on the red dot scope. One shot could be close to the target then another shot could be way off. Is this a scope problem or something to do with eye relef.
thanks.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

Takedown,

No problem, I don't mind.

I answered your question on your thread.

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

I shot a buck like that in michigan. It is a six pt the skull was broken and it also had a broken leg. The buck was about 3 1/2 years old. I think what happen.Isthey get hit on one side the antler goes bad on the opposite side. I have some pics of the deer but don't no how to put them on. thay say the pic are to large

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

Way to go BigJ!

RE: Need Help/Opinions
 

BigJ,

Congrats on your deer harvests!That sure is astrange rack.It sounds like you've added some quality protein to some happy familys! Good luck with the rest of your season.

Troy