I am pretty sure that this is the same overachiever from 2017.
A little over two years has passed since we have seen this gentleman and all of his splendor. What a monster he has turned into. Here is a link to the the video from 2017 if you want to compare. https://youtu.be/1jV1ReBlX9k
If this is indeed the same beautiful creature, we need to borrow a little biological research from Charles W. Ramsey and the Wildlife Management Handbook to get a very rough estimate of his age. The minimal changes to his physique and the mature antlers in 2017 suggest that he was at least 5 1/2 years old back then. This puts his minimum age today at 7 1/2. We cannot know for certain unless he makes a dental appointment.
It could be the camera, but the deer in 2019 looks younger and healthier. This could be attributed to just coming off a period of drought. As always, I enjoy hearing everyone’s thoughts, comments, and feedback.
I know there are more than a few readers who would like to adorn your wall with this fine specimen. Please remember that Sparkle Farm and it’s neighbors are only big enough for the viewing of wildlife only. If you would like more information on how to hunt a trophy of your very own, please contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife department for information on hunting on public lands.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/
Who else grew up with one of these?
We would pack one of these boards where ever we went hunting. The new ones are all reproductions, but the one we learned on was made with actual preserved jaw bones. My brother and I would spend hours putting each other’s finger on a set of teeth with our eyes closed. Reading each group like Braille and trying to guess the corresponding age. Clearly, this was pre-internet but we found it to be quite entertaining while holed up at deer camp. and more importantly, it kept us out of the hair of the all too serious domino players.