LEGEND

[boneaddict]

Probably not Lewy.

[Gringo31]

Bone, I find this thread facinating!

But, it makes me question how much good giving a good buck another year really does.  It seems once they are mature, they are what they are.....

[JackOfAllTrades]

I suspect that Legend is truly a bachelor if you've never seen him arrive ~timed with a group of other bucks. He lives high, alone much of the year. Well past his prime. He's a late comer to the dance and will likely die of old age before too long rather than get shot. Like Bone said, he's got good genetics to have lived so long, to be a big bodied deer, but I suspect that his spring and summer range doesn't produce the nutrients required for top antler growth. Obviously he's not starving to death. He may also live where there's less moisture available in browse that may have stunted antler growth at one time. (Antler growth memory?)

-Steve

[Boss .300 winmag]

if i was lucky enough to tag him he would get a full shoulder mount. 

[JackOfAllTrades]

Bone, I find this thread facinating!

But, it makes me question how much good giving a good buck another year really does. It seems once they are mature, they are what they are.....

Great point!  The old saying goes... If you keep shooting young small racked bucks, you'll never shoot a big one.  Point is, field judging goes a long way. We all look at the rack for legal points, but seldom during rifle or even bow season get enough time to truly give a buck creditable look to analyze more than the rack.  If you don't let that young three or say 2pt with eye guards go you'll never know if he would have developed into that larger display in years to come. Bone has shown through his catalog of photos that Legend is one of those that just won't get any bigger, rack wise anyway, but is still passing on his genes every fall. Who says that his offspring bucks will have smaller antler growth. The doe has her part in it too.

[Rainier10]

if i was lucky enough to tag him he would get a full shoulder mount. 

Same here, that is an awesome deer and I would shoulder mount him if I got him down.

[Timberstalker]

Wow.  Very cool buck.  What's with the little kicker on his right?  Just a few inches from his eyegaurd, or is that a branch?

[boneaddict]

I believe that's his eartip.

[Timberstalker]

I believe that's his eartip.

Sorry, Jeez wow.  Talk about being fixated on the horns.  Had that been in the field, I would have shot his horns off.  Jeez! 

[huntnphool]

Looks to have lost some mass this year Doug.

[raydog]

Heck he is like your old friend now. That's cool that he has survived this long

[blackveltbowhunter]

Great old buck  Congratz bone on the pics.

[Pathfinder101]

Very cool.  I wonder how many times a tag holder has had him in their sights and passed because he's a big 2?  If I were him, I'd find a big 4x4 to hang out with until the season was over...

[boneaddict]

 



I think he has too Rob.  Age or drought???

[Pathfinder101]

Looking at his most recent pics, he has definitely lost some, but we have to keep in mind that his body and head are so big that they probably make his antlers look smaller than they are.  Usually when they regress from age though they lose height, length and spread, but the mass thickens.  I think maybe some of his loss this year must have been nutrition.  Possibly, drought.  Possibly his teeth are so worn down that he isn't getting as much grub as he used to..