To provide a little more context, regarding the first pic of my last post,
'LEFTY' is on the left, big bodied five year old that lost his right side antler in the spring a couple of years back. No reason that I could tell why and it just droop over and fell off early in the growth stage and never really recovered until this year.
Over the last couple of years, I've had multiple encounters with this deer and almost shot him as a cull deer I think each of the two previous years, but didn't. He went MIA most of last year, and I thought he was one of them that died off from the EHD outbreak within the county last year also. Now him and 'THUNDER' have been showing up quit regularly once again this year, ever since the beginning of the year. Last year was an ODD year for deer around here for some reason, not to mention the EHD outbreak. Anyhow, I'm happy to see him back and if you look closely enough, you'll see that his right antler is like a year behind in growth size because of that one year when he lost it early in the spring, shortly after it started growing, right after his browtimes came in.. I posted it, I think, several pix of him inside one of my hunt journals I do believe.
The younger buck is a two year old this year. He too was born right here. As far as I know, he's never left the area. He visits the feedsites multiple times throughout everyday of the week/ month/year, ever since he's been alive. He stays very close by and I believe is an offspring of either 'JUNIOR' or 'THUNDER', or possible the 'ROAMER' I harvested two seasons ago. Many of the resident bucks have strikingly similar underbelly markings and several other body/head type features (when you're blessed to be around enough like myself) and antlers that are quite similar as either of the three elders mentioned.
Anyway, if you don't know by now what I've been attempting to do here at my place, ever since I moved here, which is to improve the quality and quantity of the local herd basically, then you must be living under a rock or somethin.
I've been working fairly hard to take care of this group, right along with all the other wildlife species within the area. I live with them so, it's been quite the journey for me. I've tried to include all you good people, keeping you in the loop when I can, as I'm sure many know by now. I only hope that most can appreciate and possibly respect a little bit of what I'm trying to accomplish, which is offer the local herd a sanctuary with no human pressure as best as I can. I try to stay away from them and the woods as best as I can, which is something I've doing for a few years now, and make habitat improvements on the property.
I must be doin somethin right because I believe the overall herd is rebounding quicker than what I originally anticipated. I prey it all continues in its current trajectory for all the coming years. I intend to stay at it as long as I'm able to.
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Some more insight/backdrop/history regarding just some these guys that make their presence known this year.
Y'all have a good one today!
bow & arrow last year.
