Ancient warrior??
11-20-2008, 04:24 PM
#1
Site Buck Guru
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,922
Ancient warrior??
Guy's,
I got my antlers and jaw bone back tonight and my suspicions may have been confirmed. I saw this buck last year from my stand at the end of October. Back then I guestimated him to be 5 1/2 or 6 1/2 and to score around 180". Before I even recovered him this year I was telling my brother that I thought he was bigger last year. When my brother asked me what I thought he'd score this year, I guessed him at 163. Well, I nailed it right on the head! [:-](See official score card). I noticed that he seemed to be going down hill.
I have the jaw bones from 18 mature bucks that I have shot and aged them. After comparing them to the buck I got last year which I aged at 6 1/2, I believe that this one may be 8 1/2!! I plan on taking it over to my buddy who has taken deer this old and older and comparing with his jaw bones. Once I get them cleaned up a bit, I'll post pics of them (next week).
Another thing to note about this buck is that he had a huge, deepgash almost from eye to eye. If you look hard, you can see the line on his forehead.His right eye was almost swollen shut and infected. If that isn't bad enough, when my Taxi boned out the jaw, he found that it was broken!!!
This buck had lost a lot of weight but I thought it was from rutting. It may have been because his stomach was full of corn when I dressed him out. He still weighed 201 lbs., but his back had that boney ridge runner look to it. I wonder if he would have made it through the winter!!??
What do you think?
I got my antlers and jaw bone back tonight and my suspicions may have been confirmed. I saw this buck last year from my stand at the end of October. Back then I guestimated him to be 5 1/2 or 6 1/2 and to score around 180". Before I even recovered him this year I was telling my brother that I thought he was bigger last year. When my brother asked me what I thought he'd score this year, I guessed him at 163. Well, I nailed it right on the head! [:-](See official score card). I noticed that he seemed to be going down hill.
I have the jaw bones from 18 mature bucks that I have shot and aged them. After comparing them to the buck I got last year which I aged at 6 1/2, I believe that this one may be 8 1/2!! I plan on taking it over to my buddy who has taken deer this old and older and comparing with his jaw bones. Once I get them cleaned up a bit, I'll post pics of them (next week).
Another thing to note about this buck is that he had a huge, deepgash almost from eye to eye. If you look hard, you can see the line on his forehead.His right eye was almost swollen shut and infected. If that isn't bad enough, when my Taxi boned out the jaw, he found that it was broken!!!
This buck had lost a lot of weight but I thought it was from rutting. It may have been because his stomach was full of corn when I dressed him out. He still weighed 201 lbs., but his back had that boney ridge runner look to it. I wonder if he would have made it through the winter!!??What do you think?
11-20-2008, 04:32 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 721
RE: Ancient warrior??
He certainly has the old rugged look. By the bone mass he carries out to the ends of his beams and the mass of his tines I would certainly haveguessed him to be no younger than five.I'd be very interested in seeing a pic of his jawbone. Please don't think I'm questioning your findings for a minute but just that you don't get to see a 7+ y/o buck every day and I've been trying to hone up on the tooth wear aging thing myself.
11-20-2008, 04:55 PM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Chatham, Ohio
Posts: 8,834
RE: Ancient warrior??
If your suspicions are correct then he is more then2X as old as the biggest buck i have ever see.
Speaking of, you mentioned you saw him last year and estimated 180"...how big do you think he was in his prime (or do you think that was his prime?)?. And is he the biggest buck you have seen from stand?
Speaking of, you mentioned you saw him last year and estimated 180"...how big do you think he was in his prime (or do you think that was his prime?)?. And is he the biggest buck you have seen from stand?
11-20-2008, 04:58 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dover, PA USA
Posts: 5,497
RE: Ancient warrior??
My honest first thought when I saw that buck's picture the other daywas "WOW, that may be the oldest nastiest looking buck I've ever seen."[:-]
Sounds like the perfect animal to take as I couldn't imagine him making it through the winter....1/2 blind, infected,broken jaw,worn down etc.
A full life and a fitting end for an old warrior that's for sure, congrats Greg!
Sounds like the perfect animal to take as I couldn't imagine him making it through the winter....1/2 blind, infected,broken jaw,worn down etc.
A full life and a fitting end for an old warrior that's for sure, congrats Greg!
11-20-2008, 05:13 PM
#9
New Sheriff
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW Arkansas
Posts: 4,591
RE: Ancient warrior??
sooo....
all the gushing and glowing about how GregH is "da man" and most accomplished bowhunter ever to grace this place is disproven by the man himself. I mean the dude shot adeer that was blind andso old it had to have lost all sense of smell and sound, with one hoof already in the grave. Hell Greg, you did this buck a favor. We'll call it a mercy killing.
all the gushing and glowing about how GregH is "da man" and most accomplished bowhunter ever to grace this place is disproven by the man himself. I mean the dude shot adeer that was blind andso old it had to have lost all sense of smell and sound, with one hoof already in the grave. Hell Greg, you did this buck a favor. We'll call it a mercy killing.
