_Dan

On December 28, 2004, while late season bow hunting in WI,I had this buck walk under my stand at 6 yards. He had already dropped both sides. As you can see, he has a major overbite. I thought that maybe there was something majorly wrong with him and debated using an antlerless tag and shooting him. I let him walk because he looked to be a mature deer.

Because I spend most of my time in Canada, I never got much of a chance to hunt him in 2005. I never saw him while on stand and only got 1 pic of him right after the late bow season closed.

From the pic, you can see that he is a mature deer with a small rack. Though you can only see one side because he had already dropped the other.

What would you do if you saw him?










OK, here's the deal. I wanted to see how many people would have called this a "cull buck." I would have shot him either way, because he is a mature deer. I was actually very much looking forward to hunting this deer late season archery.

I was in Saskatchewan during the WI gun season. My brother called me while I was up there to tell me that the neighbor had shot him. Though I didn't get the chance to kill him myself, I am very happy that someone got the chance to harvest him. Imagine what never would have been had I shot him 2 years ago when I thought he was a mutant.......

GMMAT

Dan:

I have a similar deer in my herd. He's as mature as any in there.....but he's a 4x1 (with the 1 having a little junk on it). I let him walk 2 Saturdays ago.....HONESTLY because I didn't like his rack....and was looking for something to hang on my wall. Probably nota great reason....but it's the truth.

I'd have let him walk and used the tag on a doe.....even into the closing day. He might be a full rack, next year.....but even if he isn't....he's a REALLY healthy deer....and he's not hurting a thing.

I might would take him next year.....but he'd have walked all year, from my perspective.

Jeff

_Dan

Jeff,

You would let him walk, eventhough he had a major overbite and his tounge was always hanging out?

I believe that he is at least 4.5 years old in this pic. Mainly because when I saw him up close the year before he looked to be at least 3.5 then.

-Dan

lrhuntr

I would shoot him. For such a mature deer and a small rack like that its just bad genitics I think. Plus, that overbite cant be to comforting for him.

GMMAT

Dan:

I thought your post was "in general". If I saw THAT PARTICULAR buck....I'd shoot him. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.

He's unique....and some may laugh.....but if I had a history with him....I'd consider having him mounted, too.

Jeff

Germ

He kinda looks like a Dork Deer, LOL

If he had lost his antlers I would have shot him(if I had a tag), next year with antlers I would have shot him.

BigJ71

This is a tough one to call.

To me, if the deer is in distress or has the potential to become in distress due to an injury or deformation, then I would probably try to kill him. Not because his "genetics"are inferior but because I had the chance to take out a hurting deer.

The other side of me says to just treat him like any other deer and shoot if I like what I see or let him go. Nature has a way of dealing with deer like this, not always the prettiest but effective none the less.

GMMAT

BTW....is this a trick question.....and is he dead and propped up against those two trees?

Jeff

_Dan

I hunted pretty hard late season 2005 for that particular reason. I wanted this buck more than any other buck we had pics of. (some 140-155 class deer)

Like you said, its the history. Plus it would make a unique mount with the overbite.

Edited to add: Because ofmy obsession with him, my family started calling him "Dan's Buck."

mobow

I'm shootin, but not for the most popular reason.....

It's a deer, it's in bow range, and I have my bow.......I'm shootin and I don't give a darn about genetics or any of that other stuff. I like backstraps, and that's it.