The Dilemma Named "Contender"

What do you do when a stud shows up on camera only to realize that he's a buck you nicknamed Contender a year ago because of all his potential as a two year old ten point? I've told myself to commit to only harvesting bucks if they are 4 1/2 years or older. This is not easy. It's not easy to do anywhere let alone public land. So the first picture I got of Contender was last summer near the same area I'm getting pictures of him now. He came in only one or two times that whole month and then disappeared until November. A neighbor sent me a picture of him in October, so I'm pretty sure I know where he was spending his time between August 28th and November 7th.

Then after the rut, he moved a little ways north, but that was because of a standing bean field. Outside of that relatively small range, he did take two excursions, one on the 15th of November and the second in early December northeast into the swamp up by the bus.

Otherwise, his range was fairly small.

Looking at his pictures and the formation of his rack, it looked like he left plenty of room between his G4 and the tip of his main beam. I told dad that I thought he could be a 12 next year. Well, he almost did. He's now a great looking 11 with a small sticker on his right G2.

The dilemma comes in with him only being 3 1/2 years old. He'll gross in the 140s. The problem is that anybody else who sees him during rifle season won't think twice about shooting him. This is the type of deer that could easily be in the 160s as a 4 year old and net Boone by the time he's 5. This is a breeder buck. Shooting him this year not only shortchanges his individual potential, but it takes him out of the gene pool. We don't want that. But as I look at pictures of him I'm forced to ask myself, "Could you really let him walk?" I know that I have to. I can't be the reason he can't breed.
Other than that, pictures haven't really been that great. There is another stud of a young deer that I just knew would be an up-and-comer. Not sure if I'm going to call him Black Nose or what because he's got a dark muzzle and he was very distinguishable as a yearling and now he's a nice 110" 8 as a 2 year old.

I keep hoping for something big, but it's just not happening. Scabby 10 has turned into Scabby 9 and has been a regular in the Tweeten woods.

The thing that blows my mind was that last year I got pictures of 8 different bucks 3 or older in that woods: Splitbrow, Pencil, Chippy, Mr. 140 (one pic), Scabby 10, Mom's buck, Wide Heavy 8, and even Benji's buck. This year has been way different. I've only gotten two different bucks that are 3 or older: Scabby 9 and the Wide Heavy 8 (which could easily be a 9 or 10). There is so much food, the deer don't have to move very far to get what they need. The only scarce thing right now is water. I need to get a camera back on the creek somewhere.
I moved my camera from Nordvall's back to my permanent stand. Out of literally thousands of pictures at Nordvall's I got only one buck and he was a yearling. Pitiful. So since it's been up in the spruce, I've got two different two year olds that have been coming in fairly regular. One is another great up-and-comer for The Hill. He's a ten with good potential. He looks to be a descendant of Splitbrow or even Mr. 140.