Photo Gallery & Stories | Deer Hunting & Management

Non-Typical Buck Road-Killed in Milam County

Non-typical white-tailed bucks are odd. That is exactly why they are called non-typicals. The 4 1/2 year old white-tailed buck featured in these photos was found dead, hit by a vehicle along a stretch of road in Milam County, Texas. By looking at the photos, it is easy to determine that the antlers on the buck are not typical, but what causes bucks to have such odd antler characteristics? Well, deciding on a specific reason for the presence of non-typical antlers is never straight forward because there can be several causes. A past injury, genetics, and the overall health of the deer can impact antler conformation. In addition, hormone levels are believed to contribute to large non-typical, palmated racks. The road-killed buck featured here has palmated G1s and could have had more, but it is difficult to determine since portions of it’s antlers where broken off during the accident.

Continue reading “Non-Typical Buck Road-Killed in Milam County”

Fighting White-tailed Bucks and Fences

I am continually amazed at the number of ways in which white-tailed deer meet their demise. Although deer commonly die by getting one or both of their hind legs hung in a fence, and less often by getting impaled on iron fences while attempting to jump them, it appears that bucks can also become “captured” when their antlers get hung up in net-wire fences. Over the years though, I have heard of bucks getting their antlers hung in fences while fighting. Is this the case here?

A rancher once told me that he watched two large whitetail bucks battling each other through a game fence (opposite sides) and then the next day he found one of the bucks dead on his ranch, presumably from injuries sustained during that fight. Was the fence to blame in that case? Not likely, especially considering that whitetail bucks will sometimes fight to the death.

Although most battles do not result in death, some do. Some fights even involve both bucks dying, either directly from locked antlers or indirectly through injuries sustained during the battle. Nature is survival of the fittest, but as hunters and deer managers we hate to see bucks killing themselves.

These photos of what appears to be a 3 1/2 year old buck hung in a fence come to us today from the Four A Ranch in Coryell County, Texas. Was this buck battling another buck across the fence or within the same ranch? It is hard to say from looking at the photos, but both scenarios end with a dead buck.

Monster Buck Hit By Car in Houston

The breeding season can make a smart white-tailed buck make some really bad decisions. A buck can live in total seclusion throughout the year and then, suddenly and seemingly from nowhere, can end up smack-dab in front of you while following a “hot” doe. Sure, this is probably the best chance a hunter has at seeing a truly monstrous buck. The peak of the white-tailed breeding season, often referred to as the rut, is THE BEST way to bring that big boy into sight. Of course, pure chance can also bring a mature buck out of hiding.

This was the case last week in Houston when the 13 point buck above was struck by a vehicle near FM 1960 and Northgate Country Club (about 60 yards from the light on Northgate Forest Drive) on Tuesday November 18 at 6:45 am. Apparently the big buck was flushed from a wooded area he had likely been using as a bedding area and made his first — and last — wrong move. Here is an eye witness account as received via email:

Guys, I had to share this with you. Tuesday morning just as I was coming up to the light at Northgate Forest Drive and FM 1960 the golf course ground crew flushed this big buck from a section of thick woods next to FM1960. He was hit by at least one car immediately. The grounds crew ran over and pulled him from the middle of the road but he was messed up pretty bad, bleeding a great deal from the mouth. Truly unfortunate. The best buck I have every seen in the flesh.

The antlers of this Harris County buck were subsequently scored using the Boone and Crockett Club system established for white-tailed deer and chalked up a remarkable score of 188 5/8 inches. The buck was estimated to be 4 1/2 years old, so who knows how big this urban monster would have been had he survived another couple of years. I’m sure his genes live on in other deer, out there somewhere.

Texas’ Antler Restrictions Pay Off in Colorado County

White-tailed deer hunting is in full swing here in Texas and the bucks and does are hot! The rut in most definitely on in central Texas because each day this week I have observed bucks running does hard throughout the day. Just this afternoon I observed at least 20 different bucks chasing 7 different does. Everything from 10 point bucks to spikes were running does, often in succession with the biggest bucks closest to the does and the smaller bucks trailing behind. Hey, when they’re hot they’re hot!

Now that you’re all pumped up, it’s time for a hunting story submitted by a successful reader of this site. From time to time hunters will submit photos and even stories regarding their most recent deer hunt and this is always appreciated. It’s good to hear how everone is doing and get reports from other parts of the country. I’ve written in the past about the Antler Restriction regulations that are in effect in some Texas counties and that sets the stage for today’s reader-submitted story. Here it is:

Its been right at 6 years now since Colorado County became an Antler Restriction county. Since that time I have only harvested 1 white-tailed buck (a spike) on the Swanson Ranch located on Sandies Creek in the southern part of the county. Myself, along with other members of the family who hunt there, have been patient waiting for the deer population to grow and mature. I finally found time in my busy schedule to travel out to the ranch this weekend and hunt for the first time this year.

We had been preparing for deer season since mid-summer when we started up the corn feeders and clearing yaupon brush that had regrown since last year. We were even lucky enough to have a few rains in October to establish some cool season food plots. As we entered the ranch, I had a feeling that it would be a good hunt after seeing a young 4 point buck run off into the woods. Continue reading “Texas’ Antler Restrictions Pay Off in Colorado County”

Bowhunter Bags a Big Illinois Buck

The deer hunting season is well underway around the country and from time to time I like to post some of the big bucks taken by hunters. The photos today come from a lucky Illinois bowhunter that bagged this big non-typical white-tailed buck. The mid-west is known for big-bodied bucks that sport huge racks. It is important to note that Northern deer get much larger than whitetails at southern latitudes, primarily because they need the body mass to make it through the harsh winter they receive each year.

These big-bodied bucks often develop monster antlers. Why is this? Well, all mammals get larger as you head north — it’s just a scientific fact. But the amazing thing about bucks in general is that many of the minerals used to grow antlers is taken directly from their bones. More bone mass means the potential for more antler mass. So the take home message here is that big healthy bucks have the potential to grow large, massive antlers — regardless of latitude.

Any guesses on the score?