I first noticed this buck at my camera in 2012 a nine point. He returned in 2013 still a nine point but showing his tenth point as just a bump on the right beam. Again this year he returned as a ten point. All 3 seasons this deer came almost exclusively in the dark. Even the first year I never saw him with my eyes. This year he was mostly a midnight visitor but I got a short sighting of him the middle of October. I came to believe that this buck moved his core area a bit because he arrived so late to this place that I hunt. Possibly it was just the heavy acorn crop that caused him to hang back till late but recently Ive learned that he was seen by two different people a good distance from where I hunted him. I struggled with my decision to try to take this deer. He certainly would have grown a most impressive rack if he lived another year but he is still a very good buck for the area that I hunt. When I hunt for a particular deer and get it the whole experience is bigger to me. When I got this deer it was as always a bittersweet feeling. Im happy to have the deer- that was my goal but there will be no more trail camera pictures of him and my searching and planning for him is done which makes me a little sad. I think the pictures do show what a difference a year or two can make in a deers antlers and body.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 03:24:20 +0000