Big regressing old buck.

JakeH · Aug 12, 2022

Here is a big buck I have a little history with. My buddy had a tag last year and almost got a shot at this buck, he was a 4x4 last year and we named him BGB "bucks got backs"
Here he is in 2021

I found him again this year and he looks to be regressing some, he didn't fork in the front on one side, and his back forks look smaller. To me he has a really old look too him especially in his face. What do you all think?
Here he is in 2022

Or is he a different buck all together?

yotebuster17 · Aug 12, 2022

Looks like the same buck. I wouldn’t say he’s regressing as much as a little smaller. Mighta had a rough winter for some reason. Looks mature to me, 6.5+. If he was 8.5+ his gut would hang down where it comes out from his rib cage more then it does. They can continue to crank out their best antlers well past that if the weather cooperates.

LIK2HNT · Aug 12, 2022

Still a nice looking buck.

yoteduster · Aug 12, 2022

He's a nice buck if he makes it another year he might surprise you and really blow out but on the other hand he might be as good as he's going to get all depends on genetics some bucks gottem some dont

Longun · Aug 12, 2022

Somebody might mistake him as a Rag-Horn....

PRCnut · Aug 12, 2022

Might be a different buck?? I’m seeing a few differences between the two but could just be the coloring between photos from one year to the other? 1 I see a black dot on his rt rear hip from top 2 pics and nothing on this years, also the hair color and velvet color are also different?? The hair color could just be the difference in time of pics and just hasn’t lost all his summer coat yet! But thanks he antler velvet appears to be more red this year and more gray the previous year??? Most I have ever observed have stayed the same color over the years! Any thoughts?? ?

BrianID · Aug 12, 2022

May be a different buck. Look at the brown v notch extending into the white area above the top of the tail in 2022. I can't see that in the 2021 picture.
I've seen bucks with very similar antlers living in the same area. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the two bucks apart.
I would be happy to put any of the tags that I have this year on either buck. I like those old bucks much better than young bucks with potential that may score higher.

yotebuster17 · Aug 12, 2022

You guys all do realize they go through multiple sets of hair a year right?

PRCnut · Aug 12, 2022

yotebuster17 said:
You guys all do realize they go through multiple sets of hair a year right?

Yes lol that’s why I also commented unless he hasn’t lost his summer coat yet!!! ??

JakeH · Aug 12, 2022

In the 2021 pictures he had lost all of his summer coat and still has his short grey coat just starting to come in. I have also edited the pictures a little and that could be bringing out more of the red color in his summer coat and velvet in the 2022 pictures. Plus the 21 pictures were taken from 500+ yards away and the 22 pictures are from about 150 so that could make a difference as well.

Also in the 2022 pictures he is just starting to lose his summer coat at the top of his back.

antlerradar · Aug 13, 2022

I see it often when a mature buck will have a bad year even when the feed is good. Could be dew to a disease or parasites. Could be just that he became a dominate buck last fall and rut stress has him down. Most of the time if the regression is not dew to old age the antler growth will bounce back. If he doesn't, he is likely older than people are estimating.

Bigwiffy · Aug 13, 2022

He looks smaller bodywise this year, be easier to load him whole. Maybe it's his buddy he was running with last year? More than likely same buck though.

yotebuster17 · Aug 13, 2022

Bigwiffy said:
He looks smaller bodywise this year, be easier to load him whole. Maybe it's his buddy he was running with last year? More than likely same buck though.

That’s because the pics from last year are a few weeks or a month later then the pics from this year. They’ll put 20-40 pounds on in that time.

Bigwiffy · Aug 13, 2022

yotebuster17 said:
That’s because the pics from last year are a few weeks or a month later then the pics from this year. They’ll put 20-40 pounds on in that time.

I do about the same thing.

JakeH · Aug 13, 2022

yotebuster17 said:
That’s because the pics from last year are a few weeks or a month later then the pics from this year. They’ll put 20-40 pounds on in that time.

About 10 day difference in time frame. Pics were taken on the 10th this year, and around the 20th last year.