Help me decide if this is the same buck

[bmicek]

First off, I apologize ahead of time for the long post. I’ll try to summarize it the best I can without leaving out details. This is what I would like to believe, the story of Lucky.


First picture is from 4 years ago. Picture is pixilated but both G2’s are split and a big key here is his left ear has a notch in it and his brow tine on the same side is slightly curved outward.


Same buck from the same season. Split G2’s and his antlers do not protrude very far forward.

At the end of this season he broke his antlers up so much he almost had no antlers left. He’s a fighter...

Got pictures of him the following season. He didn’t change much aside from deeper forks on his split G2’s.


Here is my nephews buck from this morning. Both ears were torn but more accurately, if you zoom in to this ear you can see a dark line down the middle. That was an old tear that had healed and was scarred. Same side as the other buck. His antlers also don’t protrude very far forward either, similar to “Lucky”


His brow tine is curved outward on the same side that “Lucky’s” curved outward. He has fliers on both G2’s as well, just not out the back anymore.

He was shot during rifle season this year using the same trail that he was seen using 4 years ago, during rifle season. A trail that I have seen 2 deer use in the last 4 years.

He has a broken main beam and a couple broken tines so he’s aggressive like Lucky.

So now I ask, did my nephew shoot “Lucky”? 17 scoreable points.

 

[jdk99]

Wow!!!! Beautiful animal! Your nephew is a Lucky young man! I'd say highly likely!

 

[WiscoHunter1998]

I think so! Awesome buck! That’s a great story

 

[wildwilderness]

Save the front teeth and get it aged professionally . To be the same deer will have to be very old!!

 

[Billy Goat]

Age will be the biggest indication.

Not uncommon to have similar racks in the same area for years. That's what I deal with, only problem they are mostly all small wonky deer.

They definitely look like they could be same deer, but I'd think 4 years ago he was 3.5, possibly 2.5. so deer would need to be 6.5 if not 7.5 to be same one. Those can be pretty uncommon. Could be a sibling of the deer, possible to have same parents one or two years later.

 

[bmicek]

Age will be the biggest indication.

Not uncommon to have similar racks in the same area for years. That's what I deal with, only problem they are mostly all small wonky deer.

They definitely look like they could be same deer, but I'd think 4 years ago he was 3.5, possibly 2.5. so deer would need to be 6.5 if not 7.5 to be same one. Those can be pretty uncommon. Could be a sibling of the deer, possible to have same parents one or two years later.

I agree with you 100%. I feel like I am pretty confident in being able to age deer from 1.5 to 4.5 but when I saw this buck laying on the ground, I had a hard time deciding his age. From 4 seasons ago I estimated his age at 2.5-3.5 as well. He survived the 2017 season and the 2018 season but last season, 2019, I didn’t get any pictures aside from January 2019 where I knew he survived. So he has a full year of antler growth that was undocumented in 2019. And now this season, also having zero pictures of him.

I never had regular pictures of him. Maybe 2-3 pics in 2017 and 3-4 pics in 2018. From pictures and scars he appears to be the same buck. But from age it’s a little dicey. Maybe I’ll see if the taxidermist has already thrown away his jaw. Thanks for your input though, I do agree with what you’re saying.

 

[Billy Goat]

I agree with you 100%. I feel like I am pretty confident in being able to age deer from 1.5 to 4.5 but when I saw this buck laying on the ground, I had a hard time deciding his age. From 4 seasons ago I estimated his age at 2.5-3.5 as well. He survived the 2017 season and the 2018 season but last season, 2019, I didn’t get any pictures aside from January 2019 where I knew he survived. So he has a full year of antler growth that was undocumented in 2019. And now this season, also having zero pictures of him.

I never had regular pictures of him. Maybe 2-3 pics in 2017 and 3-4 pics in 2018. From pictures and scars he appears to be the same buck. But from age it’s a little dicey. Maybe I’ll see if the taxidermist has already thrown away his jaw. Thanks for your input though, I do agree with what you’re saying.

Scars are generally the easiest way to determine that the deer are the same. I have seen racks change a fair amount year to year.

I use to eartag fawns that I found, figured it would make it easier to track them. I determined it's rare we have a deer make it past 1.5, or at least stay in the same area, that probably being the more likely scenario.

 

[bmicek]

Scars are generally the easiest way to determine that the deer are the same. I have seen racks change a fair amount year to year.

I use to eartag fawns that I found, figured it would make it easier to track them. I determined it's rare we have a deer make it past 1.5, or at least stay in the same area, that probably being the more likely scenario.

The buck I named “Lucky” was always busted up a lot by December/January. I’d estimate 75% of his antlers would be broken off. This buck has scars and torn cartilage on both ears so the personality of this buck matches up with Lucky as well. Probably going to come down to what the teeth age the deer at.

 

[joshlon9]

Congrats to him! Looks like it could be the same deer to me

 

[aham]

Id say so bucks with that much character are hard to come by.

 

[SouthernstyleCallon]

Even considering the age difference I would say it’s highly probable that’s it’s the same buck. Congrats to the young man!

 

[Bentonrich]

Probably same buck