Weirdest Deer

[cantfixstupid]

Here are my two contributions to the 'weird deer' photo contest. Both were killed by the same hunter on my lease (pictured with the Phantom of the Opera buck). The first pic is a deer we'd been watching for several years before Doc finally harvested him. The beautiful 8-point has a condition called "piebald" in which all or part of their hide exhibits a condition like albinism. It can even occur in reptiles.

I was on a lease in West Texas several years ago and we had a bunch of deer like the one you have with the folded over antlers and most were 5 pointers, it took a couple of years as the place was so big, 12 sections and only 12 hunters but we finally got that gene pool eradicated, we got with the neighboring ranches and they worked on it as well. There never were any huge deer on that ground, but it certainly got better post eradication. We had a bunch of does and bucks that also had a rib cage malformity with a rib, always on the right side that stuck out about 3 inches, we thinned that too.

 

[cantfixstupid]

I have never seen a Unicorn Whitetail until this one and then there is my ever-favorite Ohio freak.

 

[birddog 68]

That's a awesome freak Ohio buck! What part of Ohio if you don't mind?

 

[cantfixstupid]

That's a awesome freak Ohio buck! What part of Ohio if you don't mind?

Coshocton, OH

 

[cantfixstupid]

Coshocton, OH

Long story short, we were building a pipeline through the area and the land owner that this buck came from was a key property that we had to have, he was surrounded on 2 sides by environmental non-attainment zones, he knew he had us so we wound up paying him a king's ransom for the easement. When we signed the agreement he gave me permission to hunt his property from now on, I've only got to go once, but this was the reward.

 

[mongo4567]

To follow up with a response to the original post: l look for somewhat fresh trauma on the opposite side of the body. I usually give them a year except for obvious culls as we manage (spike 1.5 years, under 6pt 2.5 years, under 8pt/tiny length/spread/no brow tines 3.5 years or older)

 

[Texas Speed Bump]

I'd take it out........I don't have any pictures of it because we only saw it once and it was before trail cameras but we had a very nice 3 point blacktail come through during rut. One side was a misshapen lump about 4" in diameter, the other side was a normal antler. My wife was hunting and didn't get on him quick enough and he disappeared. After that year we begin seeing bucks with one antler and a lump on the other- all on the same side. Now I have read genetics are passed from does, but have no idea how true that is. I'll stick to cleaning up gene pool until I know for sure! Although I'm not sure with blacktail how much control you have on the gene pool anyway. It's rare for me to see what I can say for sure is the same buck in consecutive years unless it's in the home field.

I've read from reliable sources on game management that 60% of the buck's genes come from the mother. I don't think that's any reason not to cull bad bucks when you can but it explains why you'll never be completely successful in weeding them out unless you're on a high-fenced lease.

 

[Sevy]

My first bull when I was sixteen. Almost dark on the last day. Rag horn 5 on one side and a club on the other with a browtine. Crazy what happens in the woods. These animals are resilient. On the right btw.

 

[cantfixstupid]

To follow up with a response to the original post: l look for somewhat fresh trauma on the opposite side of the body. I usually give them a year except for obvious culls as we manage (spike 1.5 years, under 6pt 2.5 years, under 8pt/tiny length/spread/no brow tines 3.5 years or older)

I wish our lessor would get on board with what yall are doing, we have so many bucks that meet the criterion in your post, but no no no, they will grow up to be huge mature deer. So we have like 200+ 6 and 7 points that are 6 years old with a 12" spread and 3 inch G2's

 

[Texas Speed Bump]

Or you can go for a 3-point, the hard way

 

[mongo4567]

I wish our lessor would get on board with what yall are doing, we have so many bucks that meet the criterion in your post, but no no no, they will grow up to be huge mature deer. So we have like 200+ 6 and 7 points that are 6 years old with a 12" spread and 3 inch G2's

You might send him some studies like these https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/wma/wildlife_management/kerr_wma/research/antlered_yearlings/

Sounds like you have about 300 deer to shoot.

 

[Josh06]

Meet the deer we named El Retardo. Saw this deer for the first time opening day of 2018 and wasn't really sure what I was looking at so didn't let my son shoot him right away. We have antler restrictions (have to have 13 inch or greater inside spread or at least one unbranched antler) but spike is okay. Because of the angles he was at it took me a long time to figure out he was a spike, and by then he didn't have a shot on him. I saw him a few more times during the season when I was alone but both of my sons were hoping to get a shot at him so I never took him out.

 

[cantfixstupid]

You might send him some studies like these https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/wma/wildlife_management/kerr_wma/research/antlered_yearlings/

Sounds like you have about 300 deer to shoot.

That 300 would be a good start

 

[Timeout]

Had him on camera twice the week before harvesting him. First time he was in full velvet. Two and one half days later all the velvet was gone. Pics were in two different locations. I harvested him opening day of bow season at a different location than the two pics.