Whitey/muley racks?

[WAcoueshunter]

We've had several threads that have discussed muley/whitey crosses.  Now that I figured out how to post pics, thought I'd post some muley racks that may have some whitey in them.  The first three bucks I took on the same hill in 2001, 2002 and 2003.  I know it's impossible to tell just from the rack, but thought it was interesting that these bucks came from the same area, which happens to have a lot of whiteys running around, and they all have inline racks.

The fourth buck came from the Okanogan in 2005...just figured I'd take a pic of it as well to post.  The last pic shows them side by side for reference.

[PacificNWhunter]

First off congrats on some nice bucks! They do look like they have some whitetail influence in their shape. I have hunted a few spots over here on the west side for blacktails and have noticed horns that have that type of influence too, mostly 3 pointers I have never seen a 4 point like that. I think it may have something to do with genetic because as far as I know there are not any whitetails near the WA coast. It will be interesting to see what everyone thinks! Thanks for posting, great pic's.

[Red Dawg]

congrats on your bucks. I have also seen a few antler configurations like that also. Something that I learned not to long ago may or may not surprise you, according to boone and crockett's show on the outdoor channel mule deer are an ancient crossing between a blacktail buck and an whitetail doe. I would assume that it probably happened somewhere on the west coast. I dont know if any of this info is relevant but I thought I would bring it up anyway.

[archery288]

nice bucks for sure. I dunno what to think or tell ya about a cross between the two... I have seen a lot of bucks that are 3 pointers that look like that. I think its just a natural progression for the antlers to form like that when a 3rd point is added??  may be all wrong but it seems like it. 

[saylean]

I like the 2nd to last pic from the bottom...cool lookin racks.  Thanks for posting

[Skyvalhunter]

Yea some of those racks are a little different!! Thanks for posting them. See you are getting your dog trained in shed hunting

[boneaddict]

Nice three points.  It would be hard to say about whitetail influence.  COuld just be a natural progression and these maybe similiar as they are out of the same mulie gene pool.  That last buck is cool.

[Wea300mag]

This one made me do a double take.

[boneaddict]

Should have culled him from the herd.

[Red Dawg]

kill em

[Wea300mag]

He would have looked good in my freezer but at the time. . . . I couldn't pull the trigger.

[M_ray]

Wea300mag that looks like a management buck ... huh, unless you have the Raffle tag! 

[archery288]

haha yeah that one needs to be taken out of the gene pool before he messes up the genetics and the 3rd points! haha 

[WAcoueshunter]

Yeah, that guy would fit nicely in my modern season collection, but it's not quite up to snuff for the raffle tag!

I didn't think too much about the potential whitey genetics with those bucks until I shot the 3rd one, the 4x4 with eyeguards.  Like 300's pic, there are quite a few inline 3x3 muleys around, but haven't seen many inline 4x4s.  Then I got to looking at them together, and the similar rack shapes, sizes, etc., and started thinking.

BTW, after I took that third one I stopped hunting in the palouse.  There are an unbelievable number of deer over there, but I was sick and tired about worrying about property lines all the time and hoping/waiting for a buck to cross the right fence.  Really took a lot of fun out of it.  And since I never saw anything much bigger than that third buck, I decided to head back to the bigger buck units.  Guess I'd rather eat tag soup some years but hunt fence-free land and have the chance at bigger bucks. 

[boneaddict]

I love the frame of your 05 buck.  He is awesome.  Just an older age class buck.  He would make a good mount.