Passing on the Genes

[rabjr]

As I prepare for this years up coming muzzle loader season, I have yet to see any buck sign out in my haunt. Not sure if thats good or bad as I look for any sign at all that "Handsome" survived and is still out here. But I haven't seen any buck at all yet. Many of you know about the buck I've hunted going on 3 years now that I could have taken but gave him a pass last year after seeing he had almost certainly been hit by a car that destroyed his ten point rack and caused a heavy limp in his right rear leg. I about cried when I saw him and wasn't sure if an end the suffering shot was in order but I had to see if he would live on and let him go. I saw him a few times over the next couple of months, the last time in late March. He still had a limp but he appeared to be getting around ok.

I just had the pleasure of observing a pair of this years twins with momma and damn if both of the button buck and Doe don't have that chiseled short snot, big square nose of Handsomes. Both have his unmistakable facial features, which was good to see. So if the ole boy is gone, he at least bred one Doe last year. :thumbsup:

 

[Roy]

:thumbsup:

 

[bucktales]

A number of years ago, a large Whitetail was shot by a bowhunter here in town that weighed 306# dressed out. Since Ct Keeps no records of exceptional large bodied deer as some other states, it was kept low key. The hunter prefered it that way too He must have been a good breeder as many later bucks had his very unique antler shape. Passed his genes on for sure.

 

[beaverbill]

:thumbsup:

 

[bigbore442001]

That injury may end his mating career a bit. I seem to recall that wounded bucks tend to get knocked down the pecking order.

So. Do you think you will have a chance to take him this season? I know the RI muzzleloader opens up soon.

 

[Rancocas]

If an injured buck survives, the injury may tend to generate non-typical antlers on that buck the next time.
I hunted a big boy for two seasons. I would set up where I saw him last, but then he would take a different route. Then another hunter bumbled into him, and took him. The old boy had 12 points!
Deer season hasn't opened here yet. I hunted hard during the early bear and boar season in the mountains, but failed to find any fresh sign of bear, boar, or deer up on the ridges.
However, there is plenty of deer sign around two of my blinds in the bottomland. Still have about a week and a half to wait!

 

[rabjr]

Thats why seeing the set of twins with his features was such a surprise. When I saw him right after he got hurt, he couldn't put weight on that rear leg and consciously held in up off the ground. He wasn't dragging it like you would think he would with a badly broken leg. This is why I didn't just put him down. A month later to my dismay he was pretty much the same and I thought maybe he hurt worse than I originally thought. But he was still out roaming around so....I honestly couldn't see how he could have bred a Doe then but obviously the urge was strong and he did breed at least one. I have been seeing two resident family groups, one nice Doe with the twins I mentioned and one big old Doe with last years twin Does but no fawns. Not sure if shes barren now or coyotes got hers this year.

Anyways I have yet to see any sign of a buck yet and it will be interesting what I do see this year. Handsome was a 130 class animal when I saw him in 2006 and before he tangled with a car he was a 140 class animal with a 20+ inside spread, it will be interesting to see what he is if he is still alive this season.

 

[tjohnson56]

If you see him my bet is the left side of his rack will be different, non-typical or deformed.