Well guys,

Lastnight I talked to my neighbor and he was telling me that he was walking on my "honey hole" property that is off limits to hunting to everybody but myself and whoever I take. He has permission to go walking on the property when hunting season out and is a nice guy. Well, lastnight he asked me if I lost a buck over where I arrowed my 12 point. I said no and asked him why and he told me that while he was walking the gaswell road that he saw a nice dead buck laying in the golden rod field. Well, I headed out today after work to check it out and sure enough, there was a buck. I wasn't sure just how big it would be as he doesn't hunt. Even though it wasn't a huge buck, it was a nice one that had alot of potential. I turned it over and found a bullet hole about midway back of its body. I took my saw and got the antlers off it, and I also looked over the teeth. From what I got it appears to be a good looking 2.5 year old 7 point. Here is a pic of the rack...



To say I am disgusted is an understatement. I have spent years investing my time and money into this property to turn it into what it is and for it to hold the deer that it does, not to mention the time I spent with the landowners to acquire the rights to hunt this land just for some idiot who doesn't have permission to be there to walk in and kill this buck.

***UPDATE***

Well guys, I just got the skull cleaned up and decided to score this guy, here are the measurements..

Main Beams- Right... 23-2/8 Left... 23-4/8"

G-1- Right... 3-0/8Left...3-7/8
G-2- Right... 8-7/8 Left... 8-6/8
G-3- Right...Left... 7-6/8

H-1- Right... 4-1/8 Left...4-0/8
H-2- Right... 3-7/8 Left... 3-7/8
H-3-Right... 3-4/8Left... 3-5/8
H-4- Right... 2-7/8 Left... 2-6/8

Totals...........Right... 49-4/8Left... 58-1/8

Inside Spread... 14-0/8

That gives the buck a gross score of.... 121-5/8" as a 2.5 year old 7 point. I will try to add some better pictures later tonight, the one I posted is from my cell phone and doesn't do the deer justice!

Oh dude, thats no good. Man that completely sucks.

How long was it dead, if it wasn't a good shot could it have come from some one else's property?

Charlie, it has been dead for awhile,it didn't smell to pleasent. As far as comming from another property, there is a chance, but it would be VERY slim. To the south of the property is another farm that is owned by an animal lover that doesn't let anybody hunt it, the west side of the property is a housing development, the north is a state prison and county jail. The east is bordered by another farm that gets hunted hard, but this buck was over 100 yards from the property edge, and the on the opposite side of the fence row is a huge field. If the deer came from the woods on that property, he would have had to traveled over 650 yards to fall where he did. Last year we had a problem with the gas well tenders hunting the property while they were "working" and I am thinking that is what most likely happened.

Man that sucks I hate poachers too, some of these guys have enough balls to poach on the military post.

That sucks! I was hunting the late doe hunt here in Michigan this year...On Dec. 27th I walked up the edge of this catail swamp to get to my spot...On the 28th of Dec. I walked the same path and tripped over a stiff buck with his horns sawed off only 60 yards from a dirt road. The buck was surely poached at night with a smaller rifle hole behind the shoulder...the sad thing is the buck couldn't have been more than 1.5 years old.....sad. I don't understand it....random drive by shootings for a scrub 4 or 6 point.

hole midway back its body... i can see a deer runnin that far being gut shot........

Regardless of what the actual cause was its still a bummer.

I try to remain positive, but its tough in this state where poaching is quite prevalant, idiot hunters who have no clue how to follow up a hit deer, and tresspass laws that are an absolute joke that no one follows. It can really bum ya out sometimes.

X2 and if it was poached wouldnt they have taken its rack or meat? If it was a bad shot and they lost the deer then it was probably from it different farm. Actually im pretty sure about that if that makes you feel any better. Dont stress over it too much theres nothing you can. Sorry again though bud

you never know it could have been poached. but from what i know about poachers they would have gotten the rack. you never know, if it was a bad shot it might have been from someone elses property. its hard to tell