Due to travel, we haven't been to the farm in awhile. On our way home from D.C., we stopped long enough for me to swap the cards in the cameras. It was very dry - looks like virtually no rain in the last month. Some interesting stuff on the cameras though.
This is the mutant buck. I have been watching him for a couple of years. His right side deformity has returned each year but it has been getting bigger just like a regular antler will with age.
Another view of him. I believe the next two pictures are also him (minutes apart). He looks quite different from different angles.
He almost looks normal from this angle. His left side has been normal for at least two years.
I found this write up recently on an Izaak Walton League page:
There are several unique antler facts that will surprise and interest most deer hunters. One of the most unique is the impact that an injury to the back leg of a buck has to subsequent antler development on the opposite site. For example, the next time you see a deer with a normal rack on the right and a twisted stunted rack on the left, check its back right leg for injury. For some reason, after a buck has a serious injury to a hind limb, it will cause the opposite antler to be abnormal and stunted. The cause for this is unknown, but it is more common than most deer hunters realize. This stunting effect will persist even after the hind leg heals.
This is another old friend that I call the beast. He only shows up at night. And he only shows up on infra-red cameras. He seems to avoid the white flash cameras (even under the apple trees).
He appears to have 12 points this year. I think that he may be old enough that he is actually starting to decline.
He often disappears for weeks at a time.
Then he'll show up and there will be a couple dozen photos of him.
He showed up on three different cameras in the last few weeks.
I have always been impressed with his brow tines.
Sway back and droop belly. "Roman" nose.
His left brow tine forks and looks like a bottle opener.
I just can't get enough of him.
There were things other than deer on camera too. What do you think this is? Turkey vulture?
Turkeys
Coyotes
A rare shot of a coyote in broad daylight.
Red fox
They have a white tail tip.
Grey fox with a black tail tip.
There are always lots of coons.
This buck is in velvet on Sept 5.
This one is out of velvet on Sept 8. Is it the same buck?
In the process of shedding velvet.
No velvet
Still some hanging on the antlers.
There was a buck in velvet with a hooked brow tine. He looked really impressive in velvet with a G2 that was really thick and long. Is this him? Doesn't look nearly as impressive out of velvet if it is. Maybe a relative.
A male fawn losing his spots in the front. I'm not sure what is going on with the coat of the left doe.
For mid-September, this is a tiny looking fawn. I hope it can put on the weight to allow it to survive the winter.
Another one losing spots.
Camera in the orchard food plot. When I visited today it was looking very dry. Turnip leaves turning brown.
A buck out in daylight on the ridge trail.
I haven't set the calendar/clock on this camera. I forget how and haven't had time to fool with it.
The apples remain a huge attraction. I had one camera here with 500 images on it. I think that I accidentally put the card in a different camera. Hopefully I will recover it next visit.
Luckily, I had two cameras in the area. This one only had 120 images.
Young one still in velvet and older one already out.
Bachelor groups still in effect.
Curious young buck in velvet.
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