Here is a buck that i have been keeping tabs on since last summer. I have photos of him feeding in my yard during broad daylight and also video footage of him in last november chasing a doe 15 yards past me. I passed on him last year because he hangs in a secluded wooded area on my home quarter so i knew no one else would get to him and he would be around as long as I allow. He seemed to add some spread and develop his last point making him an even 5x for this year. I am undecided yet to go after him or let him go another year. He is a great looking deer but he has alot of potential especially if those tines get a bit longer and he adds some mass. Them brow tines get me all horned up though.

both of those are nice bucks.......

Looks like the found a little protege'.

nice bachelor pad

Great bucks!

Awesome pics. If I were in your shoes andI knew that this deer had a good chance of making it through this hunting season and winter, I would let him go another year. He don't look to old to me, but thats just my opinion. Goodluck

Tom

I have a suggestion. It is up to you if you want to listen or not.

I wouldn't shoot it. If you look at the way things are now, you have to admit that you enjoy watching this buck grow and seeing him in the yard.

If you decide to take him,it will all be over.You will miss seeing him around your place ( although you'll probably see him everyday hanging on the living room wall, LOL)

I have a feeder in the back yard and enjoy seeing the deer that come to it.

Two years ago we had a nice 5x5 coming in. I wouldn't hunt him. I liked looking out the window and watching him. One day he quit coming in. I later found out that someone had poached him and cut off his rack. While I still have does and occasionally a small buck in the yard, I miss seeing that 5x5.

I'd advise putting a feeder in the yard and enjoy watching him grow. You will become attached to him after a while.

As for baiting him in the yard well i agree that is a neat idea and one that i have done in the past but i would not try that during the season. The deer would have to cross the road into my yard which would give him an opportunity to be taken by a roadhunter. As long as i can keep him back close to that area during the season again he will be there next year. After the season i usually help them out a bit by baiting with alfalfa bales in the yard. Easy findin sheds that way. Here is a look out the kitchen window on an average winter day.

He looks nice in Velvet! He'll obviously loose some mass when he sheds the velvet! I would wait a year and he'll probably get much bigger within that time! He'll then have the mass without the Velvet!!!! Nice looking deer!

Nice looking bucks! Good luck with them this coming season...