The Covers

[boneaddict]

[Buckhunter24]

Went with 2011 the mass is awesome on him

[the1rod]

There's just something about bucks in the snow that gets me going!

[buckfvr]

2018, mass is number one, character points are next.

[flyfishWA]

There's just something about bucks in the snow that gets me going!

same for me, especially big bucks in the snow.

[rainshadow1]

Super collection, bone! I love the square and junk of '15.

The sheer ridonkulous width of '19 reminds me of a couple bucks I saw taken in central CO. Laid out flat, pushing 40".

[M_ray]

Without a doubt 2018, he has it all 

[CackleBird98]

I mean, I wouldn't pass on any of them  . But if I had my choice, I'd take 2019 every time.  I like my deer like I like my women, wide an trashy 

[boneaddict]

It's No surprise that the voting was close between 2013 and 2018.    The two deer couldn't be more different.    2013 was a Washington buck from the deep woods up in the NE corner.   He was rarely seen by man.   I played tag with him a couple times throughout his life. I never could find him in season.    As far as I know he died by wolf or cat or old age. I suspect wolves as they had moved in strong where he was at.    There were multiple tribal guys after him, he eluded them all.  What an amazing animal.  I didn't get very many images of him as he was in some incredible nasty country.  He was one of my "bucks in a lifetime".  I'll never forget the first time I saw him in the fog.   I think it was three years previous.

In contrast 2018 was a "yard buck" He survived on and off private land.  He might have been one of the most awesome bucks I have seen alive.   His mass was unreal, and that is a characteristic that I find as one of my favorites.  I knew of his existence as his photo appeared on Facebook, but with no location.   I figured I knew a 30 mile radius he might be found. Some luck and I unbelievably found him.  I think back on it, and the astronomical odds .....LOL   I actually didn't know it was him until I got back home and looked at the photos up close.  I thought I had just found another biggie.  When I realized it was him, another road trip was planned for the next day.    At that time he was on private.  The next day I had the most awesome photo shoot of him as he followed his herd onto some public ground.  He literally crossed the fence and road feet from me. It was unreal.   Everything fell into place and I took a ton of photos of him.   He finally sauntered onto another private piece.  I drove away to look for other deer.  When I came back there was a tag holder parked on him watching him. He found him after he got back onto private.  I thought for sure they'd get him. I was hoping his doe wouldn't lead him to his death.   They didn't and he survived until the next year.  I KICK MYSELF because I didn't go try to film him first thing that next year.    He ended up being killed by the Oregon gov tag holder the next year after he paid a butt load to a landowner who allowed him to be killed in his yard.  The outfitter that made the arrangements also got a sizeable amount of money for him.   This whole thing of moving an animal to have it filmed elsewhere is not unique to this state or form of hunting I guess. (some of you will put that together)    It left a very sour taste in my mouth.  It was all legal and we shouldn't disparage that, but man I didn't like it.   

[BrownGoinDown]

Amazing work Bone, quite the collection, all amazing bucks. I'm not trying to derail the post, but can we revisit your profile pic deer? This is still my all time favorite. Any more history with this deer?

[boneaddict]

Thank you and yes in short for now,  He is actually the 2015 cover buck the previous year.   He was the buck I voted on as the favorite.  Tough choice I tell you.   

[206]

Well, that was fun.  I discovered I prefer mass.

[hunting4sanity]

Great thread and collection of bucks! You need one more voting choice: 'All of the above.'

[boneaddict]

Well, that was fun.  I discovered I prefer mass.

What is there not to like.....

[boneaddict]

Speaking of mass, 2014 which is sort of the under dog of some of these bucks, well I discovered last week that a member probably harvested him 3 years later.    He reached out to me about his deer if I had ever filmed in an area. I said yes in that area and he sent me a pic of his buck.  I’m about 95 percent positive it was him.  Filmed same spot three years earlier.   A general tag too.