Life Cycle of a "Little" Buck

[Spikebuck]

We've probably all heard that bucks that are spikes or forks as yearlings don't have potential to be big bucks. In fact, many managed properties will intentionally cull these smaller bucks.

Years ago I saw first hand that this was not true by watching a captive buck at a Christmas Tree farm grow from a scraggly 3-point yearling to a massive non-typical at 6 1/2 years of age.

I ran across this photo series of the life cycle of one buck and thought you deer hunters may enjoy this series of pictures. Whitetail bucks have to be among the most beautiful animals on earth. No wonder so many of us get excited each year to take our smokepoles in hand to try to outwit these guys.
http://www.realtree.com/deer-hunting/galleries/photo-gallery-from-buttons-to-booner

 

[sb 54 cal.]

Thanks for finding that photo essay.
Pappy

 

[Skychief]

Thanks for the great link Spikebuck! :thumbsup:

The photo of him at 10 1/2 years old looks almost identical to the buck I took in November. Just a couple of inches larger. I have his rack eight feet from where I sit now and as I viewed the links pictures. Just awesome!

The last photograph is hard to look at, isn't it?

I wonder how they can be sure that each years photo is of the same buck, without any distinguishing marks upon the buck. Not disputing that all photos are of the same animal, but, I would probably become confused trying to keep bucks straight from one year to the next, even within such a small herd.

I wonder how they know for sure. :idunno:

Great thread Spikebuck. Thanks again, Skychief.

 

[Tracy A. Potter]

I have my own I've been following for many years now, amazing how tuff he is from the start and still going.

"Crazy legs" we meet when he was two and that front leg looked terrible!



Three!



Four! Loves to fight





Five!




At six he really put on the pounds and a few kicker points!



Seven, about the same except he added g4's on both sides!





He made it thru this season again, I came close once but never got the chance to hunt him with my smoke pole because I tagged out early with the longbow. I have several of his sheds and no were he lives most of the time but I stay out of there, it's a personal thing hunting him. I have really enjoyed watching him grow up he's a smart one and stays in a pretty small area there's a couple other guys hunting him too in that area but he has out smarted all of us. :surrender:

Tracy

 

[Tracy A. Potter]

 

[Spikebuck]

The last photograph is hard to look at, isn't it?

I wonder how they can be sure that each years photo is of the same buck, without any distinguishing marks upon the buck.

That last photo is tough to look at...a fallen King ready to die. I found the story of his defeat to the younger buck and his subsequent change in behavior to go into seclusion quite interesting. Not that different from the Psychology of a beaten human.

Regarding identification, great question and I had it myself, especially the jump from spike to branch antlered buck. Certainly Charles Alsheimer needs no introduction to students of the Whitetail. Truly one of the finest deer researchers and wildlife photographers ever. We are only seeing a fraction of what are probably hundreds if not thousands of pictures he has of this buck. Since every buck tends to have various coloration patterns, or perhaps some small mark he carried his entire life, in this case I would trust the source. One of the guys on our lease is an absolute master at recognizing individual bucks and when I say "are you sure?" he will point out the tiniest of details that my brain just doesn't pick up until he points them out. :grin:

I also found it interesting the jump in size from 3.5 to 4.5 Yrs of age which is attributed to minerals previously being used for skeletal growth now being available for antler growth. We have noticed this on our lease. If one wants truly large bucks the passing up of all bucks under 4.5 yrs of age is mandatory. They really bulk in body and antler in that 4th year. The first year on our lease I shot a 12 point with bow that was just shy of 150" and was just 3 1/2 years old. I've kind of kicked myself ever since thinking what that buck would have been in another year..or 2 or 3. But, when one is on a yr to yr lease, it's darned hard to pass 150" bucks with a bow...or muzzleloader! :wink:

I also noticed that this buck became President of the United States between his 7th and 8th years. His face went almost totally grey in just 1 year! :grin:

 

[Spikebuck]

Tracy, looks like he went nocturnal after 3 years old? At least that's the last fully daylight pic you have of him.

Pretty cool to have such an easily identifiable buck and follow him through the years. Thanks for posting.

At some point he may get easier to hunt. I read a good article by Bill Winke, who of course has a LOT of private acreage and therefore can study undisturbed deer. His experience shows that very old bucks can suddenly "go daylight" and also lose a lot of caution. His theory is that they may start to lose their ability to see in the dark very well and therefore start to move much more in daylight hours. :idunno:

 

[Skychief]

KS Trapper... :applause:

Spikebuck.... :thumbsup:

 

[wattlebuster]

That was cool as well as informing. :thumbsup: thanks for posting