trying to decide if i should harvest this deer, I'm unable to determine age,and cause of this defomaity. If it is genetic or a damage while his antlers were growing. If I let him go will he be a monster next year or come back the same. This is my first year hunting the area so I havn't seen hm before. Advice please

another pic

this is the other deer taken by my soon to be brother in law during an early rifle season it weigheda lil over 220lbs, this deer seems to be in the same weight class

I'd doubt it's a genetic problems since the other side to so perfect. If anything it's an injury to the body which has caused the antler to develop improper. It's difficult to tell how old he is also without a picture showing more of the body. I think if you'd be proud of the buck take him if a perfect opportunity represents itself, if not let him walk and see what happensnext year. I think for myself he'd be hard to let walk.

If you see him in the daylight you better take him while you can.In one of the areas I hunt I have killed a few bucks with the same genetic trait of having one normal side and the other just one big spike. I got pictures last year of a similar buck to the one you have pictured and I guarantee if I see him in the daylight I'm going to try and poke a hole in him.

id shoot him. one side is nice and it will give ya somwething to talk about and if is gentic get him out of the pool. MEAT IS MEAT

I don't think he'll come back any better next year. If it was an injury of some sort that he can recover from, his right brow tine wouldn't be that big. It's obviously not something he broke off if velvet, or the brows would match. I say shoot him when you see him. Try to get some real close pics of him and check it out a little better. Post pics if you get some good ones of him.

I'd be willing to bet that that bad antler is indeed the result of an injury and it's probably one the animal will carry for the rest of its life but I most certainly waste a buck tag on him. Don't worry about him. It's NOT bad genetics.

Looks like he probably broke off while he was in velvet, he should have a normal rack the following year, but I would still have a hard time passing him up.

You would have to see in person to tell what happened, if a vlevet injury then it would be good to pass he might blow into freak nasty next year, if a body injury he might always have that messed up side and he is no doubt mature and has a monster right side