Should be a good one

[Buckstopshere]

Love to watch antlers grow! This guy has good bases...I think he was an eight-point last year. He could be a nine or 10, or remain an eight. His ears are pretty dinged up...older bucks get their ears crunched in fights and sparring so they have notches like this guy. 

[Buckstopshere]

Here's a closeup of his ear. 

Edited May 19, 2019 by Buckstopshere

[Steve D]

Don't know if it's just me but that deer does not look healthy at all. Skin and bones and losing hair. Definitely the beginning of a nice rack if he lives long enough to sprout it.

[mowin]

24 minutes ago, Steve D said:

Don't know if it's just me but that deer does not look healthy at all. Skin and bones and losing hair. Definitely the beginning of a nice rack if he lives long enough to sprout it.

That buck is more than healthy.  

He shedding his winter coat.  They often look sickly at this point.  If he was, he wouldn't be growing antlers. All his resources would be going to fight whatever you think he's fighting. 

[Steve D]

11 hours ago, mowin said:

He shedding his winter coat.  They often look sickly at this point

I hope you are right for his sake. No hair on the nose, real thin in the neck and hind quarters. I have seen a lot of deer this spring and none look as drawn out as he does.

[LET EM GROW]

How do you believe him to be an 8 last year? a characteristic on him?  

[Buckstopshere]

13 hours ago, Steve D said:

Don't know if it's just me but that deer does not look healthy at all. Skin and bones and losing hair. Definitely the beginning of a nice rack if he lives long enough to sprout it.

He's kind of a thin, tall drink of water kind of buck, different. He isn't much of a fighter either from his rack last year...no dings or even broken tines. I noticed he was kind of a loner compared to the other bucks that were sparring all the time. My trail cams showed the major bachelor group on that hill with multiple shots. He was not in them. But I would get him by himself.  I think this is him on New Year's Day. 'Course it might not be too, all just a figment of my imagination. Just a guess. But the photos were shot within a stone's throw of each other in the same corner of woods. 

[Buckstopshere]

1 hour ago, LET EM GROW said:

How do you believe him to be an 8 last year? a characteristic on him?  

Don't know for sure. See my post above. Here's a photo of the survivor buck bachelor group on that hill sparring. They are a feisty bunch. He's was never with them in the photos that I could see. 

Edited May 20, 2019 by Buckstopshere
add photo

[G-Man]

Hard to tell if its same buck but maybe, I have one I think was s 9 pt.last year. I base it on size of rack d.split for brows is exactly.same as in hard horn last year as far as position on beams..time will tell

[wolc123]

Unless he packs a lot of pounds on that body before fall, that one would get a pass from me for sure, regardless of how much antler he puts on.  There are not enough tacos in that buck to waste a tag on.