Not how I wanted to find him

[SC Hunter]

I saw this deer 4 or 5 times throughout the season and had him pretty regular between a few cameras in a 50 acre block. I almost shot him the first morning I saw him at 225 yards feeding on grass on a powerline but decided not to pull the trigger. I told myself I'd let him do his thing this year and next year try to kill him. I found his carcass Tuesday in his main bedding area. I hated to find him like that but it happens. These big deer are something special. I'll never forget him chasing a doe around me one morning in the fog, I never even lifted my gun because I knew the buck. I had him at 4.5 years old about 180 to 190 pounds before the rut. I'll have to see if I can find the trail cam pics of him.

 

[trad bow]

That was a nice buck.

 

[kmckinnie]

U think someone else couldn’t find him.

 

[Spotlite]

He was a good one!!! Been nice to see what his full potential would have been. At least you can euro mount him now.

 

[uturn]

Happens for sure…great find and the history you have on him!

 

[SC Hunter]

U think someone else couldn’t find him.

I'm not sure. He was dead pretty much smack dab in the middle of 300 acres. There is a highway about 1500 yards from where he died but the bones I saw I didn't see anything broken obviously. I'll never know probably. I'm going to ask the neighbors if anybody shot a good buck and couldn't find him if they can describe him accurately I'll gladly give them the euro mount.

 

[bfriendly]

It’s a gut punch, but I’d rather find him like this than to never get another look at him……..yeah he’s a goodun!

 

[01Foreman400]

I’ve had it happen numerous times. Hate to see it.

 

[DSGB]

Found one last year around the same time. No one in our club or the one next door claimed to have lost one.

 

[sea trout]

I'm not sure. He was dead pretty much smack dab in the middle of 300 acres. There is a highway about 1500 yards from where he died but the bones I saw I didn't see anything broken obviously. I'll never know probably. I'm going to ask the neighbors if anybody shot a good buck and couldn't find him if they can describe him accurately I'll gladly give them the euro mount.

Sometimes the really agressive breeders and fighters just cant recover from Georgia's long rut.
We've found skelotens of mature bucks during gobbler season. Seems like they just laid down curled up in a ball on the bank of their favorite branch bottom and just passed in peace in the middle of 1600 acres.
Glad you found the head! He's beautiful! Display him proudly for the world to see!

A couple we've found the same way

 

[sea trout]

It’s a gut punch, but I’d rather find him like this than to never get another look at him……..yeah he’s a goodun!

Agreed! ALWAY'S hate it happened but GLAD TO FIND THEM!!!

 

[earlthegoat2]

Well you got him in the end.

You even let him grow as much as you possibly could have.

 

[SC Hunter]

@sea trout he lost a good bit during the rut but nothing crazy, about normal. I have pictures of another deer that lost a drastic amount of weight. I had him on camera the last week or so of the season and I hope he makes it because I'll shoot him if i see him. I've had bucks get hurt fighting and die from infection and found them afterwards. If you hunt and study these animals enough you'll have this type thing happen.

I'm cleaning the skull up and hanging him on the wall.

 

[bfriendly]

It’s sideways, but one I found at Paulding…..no one has claimed it yet either