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Jackalopes 2012 Spypoint Camera Pictures

Nothing but this scrawny 10 point this week. And then this young 8 pt that I would love to see stick around 2-3 more years.

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Nice bucks with tons of potential!!!

That big wide one is about all he's ever going to be. He looked exactly the same last year except without those G4s. He'll get an arrow or muzzy round in January if I haven't filled my tag.

That bottom one will be a dandy to watch if he stick around.
 
He's bigger this year. But his L/R is jacked up.

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Just as I thought when I saw that wound on his shoulder a couple months ago. He either got shot high shoulder or he was gored. Either way it jacked up his right side. He's a 10 now with 1-2 inch G4s. Looked better last year as an 8. Oh well. That's the game we play letting them walk.
 
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Question for you guys.. I'm not a big fan of putting deer in books.. I haven't submitted bankshot to the OBBC or P&Y and probably never will. Not that there is anything wrong with it, I'm just satisfied enough that I killed him and the mount is all the trophy i need.

My question is about the Tall 8. I saw him last season and he was a tad too small. I really wanted to give him another year and see if he gained some mass so I passed the shot... Which he did and his left side looks awesome. But at some point he got a high shoulder wound and it has jacked up his right side. I was really looking forward to seeing and hunting him for how he was going to look. I don't think anything has changed in regards to my wanting to kill him. He's still the same deer that I have the history from last year, and it would be awesome if I could make that plan work and close that chapter. But it just bugs the fuck out of me that someone wounded him and goofed his right side. So I think If I am lucky enough to shoot him, I'm going to let the taxidermist build that right side to somewhat match. Only because I want to see him for what he should be if some goof hadn't wounded him. Which is a conundrum for me because I never thought about building back busted tines because it's charterer and naturally occurring.. Of if that's just how the tall 8 grew naturally i wouldn't think of altering it.. But since it was due to another hunter, and I don't give a dang about books anyway, I want to see him for what he should be. I'll be honest about it, and it'll always be part of the story, the dang thing is fixed and his score will be set before the fixing. But when I think about him being on my wall till the good lord strikes me dead, i would rather look at him like he should look as if someone didn't poke him. IDK.
 
IMO Joe, I completely understand how you feel BUT I personally wouldn't do it whether you have him officially scored and entered or not. Yes, some unfortunate hunter flubbed up but who hasn't that has 15+ years of bowhunting experience under their belt. Bottomline for me, he's a mature enough deer now that will provide excellent challenge for getting within bow range and getting on the ground. Yes, his rack was effected in a negative way due to the wound and yes his score drops considerably because of it but he would not be the same deer on your wall if you build him back up. Hopefully you get a shot at Tank or the wide 10 and Tall 8 gets by this season. He could bounce back next season once his injury heals over more.
 
The decision on how you want the lack to look is yours and only yours. My brother shot a pretty nice 8 point during youth gun 5 years or so ago, it had 3 broken tines. The taxi said he could repair the tines if we wanted. My brother agreed that he would love to have them repaired. The first two years or so they looked fine, just like the other tines. After about year 3 you could start seeing a difference between those tines and the other.

Now at around year 5/6 it looks absolutely horrible. If you do make that decision, I would want evidence that it will match up perfectly and never shade to a different color or be visible at all. I'm assuming with the ability to build replicas and all that, that it can be done and not turn out as shitty as my brothers, but man I would be 100% sure before I put the money into it.

Take that for what it is, just a reminder to check into that stuff before you pull the trigger on the mount. That taxi had done some questionable work for some other guys I know, which is why we don't use him anymore, but be worth looking into.
 
I personally wouldn't have a racked altered by a taxi, whether it was getting entered in books or not. If I make a decision to let one fly at a particular buck, it's because I'm happy with that deer. If I didn't like a rack, whether it's "the deer's fault" or another hunter's for wounding him or whatever, I simply wouldn't let the arrow go. There are plenty of other bucks out there, IMO. And I'd rather eat tag soup than shoot a buck and have his rack altered. IMO it just doesn't do justice to the deer. I know that shoulder wound resulting in a poor antler doesn't do him justice either, but it is what it is. Heck, you never know man... Even without being wounded, who's to say that antler wouldn't have looked like that anyway. I know the odds of that are probably slim, but it's possible.

Bottom line, you do what makes you happy. It doesn't matter what me, or anyone else, would do... If having a rack altered to match the other side makes Jackalope happy then Jackalope should have it done.

And as far as books go, I would enter any/every qualifying buck into the Buckeye Big Buck Club... Not because I want recognition, but because they do a great job keeping records of Ohio's big bucks and they help Ohio retain it's reputation as a great trophy-producing state.
 
I am with Jim. Whatever makes Jackalope happy. I don't think anyone is going to publicly bash you for it. Might say "I wouldn't have done that, but it looks good" but I don't think they would openly bash you for it. If they do, who cares. It made you happy. Personally, I think I would leave it the way it is and just do a Euro mount for the tree house or my office or something. Still a dandy of a buck.
 
At the end of the day it's all about what makes you satisfied. I know exactly how ya feel, but at the same time, think I'd just let it go. The rack is completely unique to that buck, that's his character, his history, his make up. That helps tell the story. Heck even by leaving the rack in it's natural state, it's kind of a reminder of the reality of "what is" right next to the other side of "what it could've been"... makes an interesting conversation.
 
At the end of the day it's all about what makes you satisfied. I know exactly how ya feel, but at the same time, think I'd just let it go. The rack is completely unique to that buck, that's his character, his history, his make up. That helps tell the story. Heck even by leaving the rack in it's natural state, it's kind of a reminder of the reality of "what is" right next to the other side of "what it could've been"... makes an interesting conversation.

Good points guys.. Here is kind of my line of thinking.. If it was a natural reason he got messed up be it busted tines or bad genetics, I would not shoot him, or I would leave it be. But in my eyes this is a little different. Sure, altering him us unnatural, but so is how he got that way.. Basically, I don't see a hunter fixing it any more different than a hunter messing it up. Both are unnatural. If I didn't have a history with him, If I didn't let him walk last season I wouldn't even shoot him this year. He would just be another one that didn't make the cut. He's never going to be hanging at the deer and turkey expo, he'll never be at some dog and pony show, and he'll never be put in a book. he'll simply be on my wall.. And when I look at him and think back of the story of how he fell I want to see him for what he should be if bubba didn't wound him. But you raise a very good point Sean. IDK maybe I'm crazy. Never would have thought I would even think of altering a deers rack. Maybe I won't.. We'll have to see. I may mount him and see if it continues to stick in my craw later. Maybe it's a what it is vs a what it should be.


Like this deer this year. I wouldn't shoot him. He'll never be anything. And I would never shoot him and get the opposite side matched. That's just how he is. Even if he was wounded I wouldn't shoot him and get that side fixed. I have no history with him an he's just another jacked up deer. But when I look at the tall 8. I want to look at him for what he should be before bubba jacked up his right side.




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At the end of the day it's all about what makes you satisfied. I know exactly how ya feel, but at the same time, think I'd just let it go. The rack is completely unique to that buck, that's his character, his history, his make up. That helps tell the story. Heck even by leaving the rack in it's natural state, it's kind of a reminder of the reality of "what is" right next to the other side of "what it could've been"... makes an interesting conversation.

This sums up my line of thinking as well...

If it was a natural reason he got messed up be it busted tines or bad genetics, I would not shoot him, or I would leave it be. But in my eyes this is a little different.

I don't see it this way as IMO, we as predators are part of the natural process. How is that arrow wound any different than an injury sustained in a fight or a failed attack by coyotes that causes him to grow a weird rack? Or an encounter with a car? They are all things a buck encounters in his natural life and while his rack may be falling short of what it could be due to an errant shot, it could also have done that through more "natural" injuries like I mentioned. You have to do what makes you happy man, and I don't blame you for wanting to make it "right". However as unfortunate as that wound and subsequent "lesser" rack may be, it is still part of the natural process in my mind. Man made or not, man is part of the natural process now...