I call him "fifty-cents" because last summer/fall he was only half a buck. He's three years old this season and was a nice fork-horn his first full year and nice, thin, symmetrical eight-point last year - until his "accident." In September last year I think he and a vehicle had an altercation and it snapped off half his rack (half a buck) leaving about an inch of antler protruding on one side. Worse still,the incident snapped his right rear leg about three or four inches above the hoof. The lower portion of his leg literally swung in the breeze held on only by his hide. Against all odds he survived and though he has a good sized knot where the break was and doesn't seem to run much, he can walk and get around and is mostly non-the-worse-for-the-wear.
He had a nice typical rack going so far this season until a couple of weeks ago when he showed up sporting not a drop-tine but rather a drop-beam. It's not even the same antler he lost last year. I think he broke it somehow and as it's still small and in velvet it's healing an this peculiar manner - he's a healing kind of buck. It may be "non-typical" but I bet next season he'll grow a normal rack just like he started last season and this - but I don't underestimate his ability to screw something up. Gonna enjoy watching him finish growing up if he can mange to do his part.
Fawns are everywhere in the neighborhood and I put 20% protein out in the morning and evening to ensure the mothers have good milk production and fifty-cent likes it too. Can't help but think my supplemental protein helped him get through some of his hard times.
Bryan
He had a nice typical rack going so far this season until a couple of weeks ago when he showed up sporting not a drop-tine but rather a drop-beam. It's not even the same antler he lost last year. I think he broke it somehow and as it's still small and in velvet it's healing an this peculiar manner - he's a healing kind of buck. It may be "non-typical" but I bet next season he'll grow a normal rack just like he started last season and this - but I don't underestimate his ability to screw something up. Gonna enjoy watching him finish growing up if he can mange to do his part.
Fawns are everywhere in the neighborhood and I put 20% protein out in the morning and evening to ensure the mothers have good milk production and fifty-cent likes it too. Can't help but think my supplemental protein helped him get through some of his hard times.
Bryan
