So this is a fitting end to this thread...
I’ve got a buck that was 4.5 years old this season. I originally told Mason I would not kill him but changed my mind after seeing him on the hoof. I had a rough season on this property due to flooding- the deer were simply not moving in the manner they usually do. Anyway, Mason and I have come to refer to this deer as “the nine point” because he was a very recognizable 9 for the first three years he had antlers. He added a few points last year but there is no doubt it’s the same deer. I’ve got a couple of his sheds, countless pictures and I’ve taken a lot of videos of him from the tree stand. During gun season I was just about to pull the trigger on him when a man came walking onto the scene and ran him off. Grrr. Of course I have wondered if he made it through the season. He did!
At the ball park the other day a man whipped out his phone to show me a pic of shed antlers his friend had found. I was floored to see them, it was him for sure. And as luck would have it, the friend is a man that comes to the shop regularly. Keep in mind, the farm is 20 miles from the shop- small world. He brought the antlers in to the shop today. Absolutely no doubt it’s him and I look forward to checking up on this deer this fall!