Growing Up On Camera

[Ski]

I enjoy habitat work, scouting, running cams, and watching bucks grow up to see what they can become. Here's a series of pics showing one particular buck from yearling tight basket rack to 4.5yr old goodn. I had begun hunting him this year but sometime around October 27th he broke his right beam off. If he makes it I'll focus on hunting him next season. Seeing what he was as a tiny basket rack yearling, then pretty average 2 & 3 yr old, I'd have never guessed he'd become anything like he is. Just never know what that "cull" might turn into if you let them walk. I'm just getting started hunting this season and can't wait for next!

Yearling

2yr

3yr

4yr

 

[megalomaniac]

Funny how a little age makes the rack bigger

neat having pics of him since he was a youngster!

 

[Andy S.]

Funny how a little age makes the rack bigger

Guaranteed, 90% antler potential expressed at 4.5, yet not many make it to 4.5. But I do believe more are making it to 4.5 these days, than anytime before.

 

[beefydeer]

This is a great story and proof positive that letting them walk works

 

[Crappieaddict]

This is great!

 

[lafn96]

Very cool! Is he really only 1.5 yo in that first pic? I would've guessed at least 2.5

 

[Ski]

Very cool! Is he really only 1.5 yo in that first pic? I would've guessed at least 2.5

Pretty sure. That's about par for a yearling in that area. By 2yrs they usually have 100-115" racks.

Here's a pic of a similar size yearling 8pt with his mother.

And here's a couple 2yr old bucks. One is about par for the course and the other is pretty big framed. But notice if you removed their antlers they'd look like does.

 

[themanpcl]

I enjoy habitat work, scouting, running cams, and watching bucks grow up to see what they can become. Here's a series of pics showing one particular buck from yearling tight basket rack to 4.5yr old goodn. I had begun hunting him this year but sometime around October 27th he broke his right beam off. If he makes it I'll focus on hunting him next season. Seeing what he was as a tiny basket rack yearling, then pretty average 2 & 3 yr old, I'd have never guessed he'd become anything like he is. Just never know what that "cull" might turn into if you let them walk. I'm just getting started hunting this season and can't wait for next!

Yearling
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2yr
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3yr
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4yr
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Just like elementary school picture day every year... lol

 

[lafn96]

Pretty sure. That's about par for a yearling in that area. By 2yrs they usually have 100-115" racks.

Wish the ones in my area were like that!

 

[Ski]

Just like elementary school picture day every year... lol

Hahaha yessir it sure seems like it. When identifying individual bucks I look at the from all angles and then for comparison to be sure I look at the same angle from multiple years. This one was a no brainer. Very easy to identify year to year.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Very cool sequence!

 

[backyardtndeer]

Cool you have been able to keep up with him for that long. I pass a lot of deer, though with hopes of seeing them again. I can probably count on one hand how many over the years that I have been able to identify in the following year.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Huge jump from 3 to 4!

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

I almost think that sequence started at 2.5 and not 1.5. Awesome deer either way!

 

[Ski]

Cool you have been able to keep up with him for that long. I pass a lot of deer, though with hopes of seeing them again. I can probably count on one hand how many over the years that I have been able to identify in the following year.

Unfortunately so much depends on the neighborhood. Lots of hunters in the area could do a lot of damage in short order, especially if some are indiscriminately killing anything with horns. My place is surround three sides by a big state forest. It's public hunting but the nearest public access is several miles away. That is a tremendous help.

 

[Ski]

I almost think that sequence started at 2.5 and not 1.5. Awesome deer either way!

Eh, it's not impossible. I assumed he was 1.5 because it's the peer group he fit in both body and antler size. Fall & winter is when mother does kick their yearling sons out of the nest, and that's when I first saw him show up. Here are some others same year same property and he would be the average in this group.

Both these are yearlings. Small 5pt & 8pt.

7pt

This one already has 9pts.

5pt

Full framed 8pt

 

[rem270]

Love the growth over the years! I love having history with deer over the years.

 

[Kevin]

This is awesome. Great deer!

 

[philsanchez76]

that's so cool man. I hope we see him next year as a 5 y/0 with you behind him grinning.