Top_Heavy's World

I have been hunting a particular buck for 3 years. This monster has grossed over 170" every year during this time. 2 years ago he was just shy of 200 and this year he would have been close to that again. His width has dropped to barely over 12", but his mass and nontypical points have all grown. This particular buck shed his antlers in February for the past 2 years, and friends have both sets. This year the buck dissappeared in early December after being very visible for almost a month. While he was visible, he was not predictable or patternable. The big boy vanished around the shotgun seasons so I wondered if he was taken in a less than legal manner and kept quiet. In early January I thought I saw a huge shed buck chasing does. I told a couple of friends about the sighting, but there is a belief that a buck is uninterested in breeding after his testosterone levels change enough to drop it's antlers. I don't believe that theory fully, as I know it was a shed buck, it was way bigger than any other deer in the herd, it was fully trying to breed a late season yearling doe. I was still unsure with my sighting, and the buck shouldn't have shed so early this year... One of the bucks sheds were found last week! A friend saw the shed and confirmed it for me, the huge buck is alive. I must admit, this gives renewed excitement for a particular property I have been hunting!