I was able to take an archery buck yesterday. I'll start out by saying there's nothing super remarkable about the buck. Only that he's mature, and has lived on the farm I hunt for a few years. I targeted him this year because the other bucks I'd been seeing were all younger and probably need at least another year or two to grow. We'll have to see how the "let 'em grow" plan works out

But I thought it might be interesting to show how this buck progressed over the years, in pictures.

Going back through the history I've known of this buck, he first appeared as a probable yearling (1.5 yrs old) in 2016. I guess he could have been 2.5 at that time, but based on the lanky body, skinny antler bases and small antler spread, "yearling" is a good guess.

Here's the same buck in 2017, in a couple of velvet pictures. He had a small 9 point typical rack that year.





And then in hard horn. He broke off his 2nd point on the right side during the fall of 2017.

I never really paid much attention to him that year since he was immature.

But in the summer of 2018, he turned up again, and his rack blew up in size quite a bit. But, he was still "just a 9-point", and there was a different, bigger buck to go after.

His antler conformation changed a little, with the right g4 going away, and a g4 appearing on the left side in 2018.

Of course the velvet always makes them look better and more massive:



And then later in hard antler:

It always seems miraculous when a mature buck survives our 3 months of hunting pressure here. But this one did manage to live through all those seasons.

I knew that, after finding both of his sheds that next spring:

And then by the next summer we found out he was still around, because we started getting pics of him in July. His distinctive "splayed" rack was unmistakable and easy to recognize.

Still I'll admit a little disappointment with a rack nearly identical to his last one, and still a 9-pointer. Maybe slightly heavier at the bases.



His right g2 looked somewhat odd, and later in the velvet stage I noticed it got darker in color. I think it may have been damaged somehow, while still growing.

The curved tine on the right side partially broke off during the month of October.

But it didn't matter, because I killed a different buck on Oct 13th that year, having never seen the 9 pointer while hunting.

I found one of his sheds that next spring....the right side with the busted tine. At least confirming that the buck was still alive.

Which brings us to 2020.

Once again, summertime velvet pictures confirmed the buck had lived on.

More interesting though, he was now a typical 10-pointer.

But again, I kept in mind that velvet makes the antlers look more impressive. I could tell though that his bases were slightly bigger now.
Tines and beams were not much different than the past 2 years, but at least he added one more tine.

And the good news was that during Sept and Oct, he didn't break anything off his rack this year.

From late August to mid October, he was spending a lot of time feeding on acorns, like here:

After seeing him in pictures, I'd decided to target this buck. If I could take him, maybe I could leave a couple others alone and give them a chance to get mature. I knew he wasn't a high-scoring buck, but still, he was older and going after him would be a fun challenge.

In spite of hunting almost every day of the season I was having no luck. Through yesterday Oct 27th, I had not yet seen this buck even once from a tree stand. Of course that's not too surprising for October. Pre-rut mature buck sightings are usually slim from what I've seen, and the hunting is tough. But even during all phases of the hunting seasons over the past three years, I'd seen this buck no more than twice in total, while hunting. Most trail pictures of him would come at night, with a few in the daytime. Mostly I suspect he was just pretty sharp, and usually aware of my presence.

But that changed yesterday afternoon in the cool, overcast conditions and misting rain.

I placed a stand in a spot that by sheer luck, and the help of a favorable North wind, happened to cut him off on his way to an acorn flat.

He's a heavier-bodied buck with a lot of fat, probably from eating that bumper crop of acorns that's been raining down for weeks.

His neck was already big & swollen for the rut. The antler base g1 circumferences measured 5-6/8", which is pretty good, although the mass tapers out quickly along the beams. That feature of his rack was the same in the last 3 sets of antlers he grew. Not a complaint, just an observation that age can't necessarily overcome genetics. And I'm tickled to death with a P&Y class buck

Nice buck, and the story you have to go with it is cool.

nice width ... CONGRATS !! ... on the state land I hunt, I'd have been happy with it in '18/19 ... ;0) .... Congrats again .. nice critter .... btw, what Acorns ?? .. the state land I'm on has none to very few ... glad you have them ....

Thanks, yeah the Red Oaks were loaded here locally. They're finally about done dropping though. White oaks seemed to have nothing this year.

Very cool timeline! Congrats!!!!

Greg, that is an awesome picture storybook of this buck! You have had a great history with him, and that makes it extra special. Congrats on making him a legend before something else was to happen to him elsewhere! He is a great buck, and one to be proud of for sure!

Sticksender, not only a buck of a lifetime but also a story of a lifetime (both his & yours) to go with it. Congrats on your accomplishment!!
Especially now, when it seems most stories revolve around people griping about something, the negativity & finger pointing, it was a breath of fresh air while I read this post. I do not know you but could not be any happier for you!

Thanks very much for your comments guys!

Friggin awesome! Mr. Consistent right here folks!

Nice buck! Congrats!