The Bugly Buck

[Captcurt]

I had pictures of this buck and one of the farm hands had seen him. We named him the Bugly Buck because he is butt ugly. I caught up with him in an open field tending a doe. Glad to get him out of the gene pool although he may have been injured. He was almost too heavy for me to load on my 4-wheeler and was in excellent condition.

 

[sage5907]

Usually when you see a buck with antlers like that he had been crippled at some point in the past with an injury on the right side of his body. The antler on the other side from the injury will be small and deformed. Did you see any sign of injury when you were skinning the deer?

 

[Patocazador]

I like those freaky deer and other animals. I passed up a 14" antelope in Wyoming in order to kill an antelope with his horns curved around backwards.

 

[Captcurt]

Usually when you see a buck with antlers like that he had been crippled at some point in the past with an injury on the right side of his body. The antler on the other side from the injury will be small and deformed. Did you see any sign of injury when you were skinning the deer?

He looked fine, in top physical condition. There is another one in that area that is a 4 point on one side with a nice sweep as wide as his ear. The other side is about half as wide and angles back instead of forward. I have been given orders to take him out too.

The rut is in full swing here. I have a video of a nice 8 point chasing a doe and the Bugly Buck smelled so bad that you could smell him 20 feet away.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

He might be "ugly" to you guys Capt but I see some potential nice knife handles in that rack of his.

 

[HamSlamma]

,,,,,,who eats antlers any way.....

 

[FL-NC]

I've never seen a recipe for antlers, and since that deer is obviously made of meat, I say good job. I have one almost that ugly on my cameras as of late, and I'm gunning for him. Those ugly racks are great for things like key chains or handles for knives, letter openers, and the like. if I get that one I've been seeing, they will be used for pull handles on my gun cabinet doors.

 

[BigBore44]

Personally I think that’s an awesome deer. I love unique antlers.

 

[Captcurt]

They are all unique. The old bucks with the gnarly racks are the ones that get my attention. They have character, but to be honest, any deer is a good deer.

 

[buck460XVR]

They are all unique. The old bucks with the gnarly racks are the ones that get my attention. They have character, but to be honest, any deer is a good deer.

I'd bet he woulda been a gnarly ol' giant once mature also. I too prefer those racks with character as opposed to those perfect and symmetrical. Looks like he had good potential for a young deer.

 

[Captcurt]

I'd bet he woulda been a gnarly ol' giant once mature also. I too prefer those racks with character as opposed to those perfect and symmetrical. Looks like he had good potential for a young deer.

The landowner didn't think so. I was given orders to shoot freaks. When they give you orders and you are the only one on the place, you do as you are told.

 

[Charliefrank]

Years ago while hunting I surprised a buck tending to his does. 3 or 4 does as I recall and a another I couldn't be sure of. As I surprised them at about 30 yards They began to take off immediately so I only got a quick look. But one thing was clear, that rack! As they began their rapid departure the buck decided to run directly away from me. I snapped my .270 to my shoulder and as soon as the cross hairs landed upon the back of his neck I let one fly. And there he went unfased. Clearly a miss. That's what I get for taking a snap shot like that. Just the same I put my hat on the ground where I was standing and began to walk to the last place I saw him before he disappeared down over the ridge. Not one speck of blood. Not too terribly surprised I went back to my hat and tried again. Again, no blood, no hair nothing. I went back to my hat sat down and smoked a cigarette mad at myself for the miss. Before continuing my hunt I decided to look one more time. As I move along scouring every inch of forest floor I realize I'm looking at antlers. Have I found a shed? Holy s***T those antlers are attached to a deer. Holy s**t, I got him. As I get in to examine him two things become immediately apparent, beautiful long tines and the antlers are wiggling all over the place. I've shot him in the back of the head, right between his antlers. I now realize two things, 1 this deer dropped immediately hence no blood. 2, the big rack I saw keep going was the other deer I initially couldn't identify. I cleaned my prize out preparing for the long drag back to the truck. I had to sacrifice one of my bootlaces to tie the antlers together as to not lose them on the way out. What a great day. It will always be etched in my mind. As a side note there wasn't a piece of skull left bigger than a nickel. Not surprising considering a 130gr Nosler ballistic tip going 3000fps making contact at 35 yards. The deer by the way was an eleven pointer. The odd thing is he only weighed 118 lbs dressed.

 

[gspn]

Ugly schmugly. Some of the best trophies I have from hunting are animals I never shot. They are ones I observed, learned from, and sometime even had the rifle on but chose to let them walk.

Nice deer. Thanks for posting.