Well, I've discovered that even on a very very dry year with low grass, finding fresh sheds in South Texas is no easy task. I walked over 5 miles of heavy game trails and didn't find a single fresh antler... However, I did come across this:



This is the buck I was going to hunt this year, but he broke more than 20 inches off of his right side early in the season, so we decided to carry him another year. He was 7 this year.

I also found this buck:



I hunted this buck, who we called Jigsaw, for 3 years... starting when he was 9.

My dad injured him high in the shoulder when he was 7, and his rack the following year took a hit because of it, so we carried him through 8.

At 9 years old, he was a wide typical 6x7 with a couple of small kickers, but God was he smart. He whipped my butt all year long. He came into a ground blind setup once, but looked at the feeder from 55 yards away, didn't like it, and walked off. A few weeks later, a friend and I headed into the brush in his area and rattled. 5 young bucks and Jigsaw came running in. Jigsaw came from straight ahead and stopped at 18 yards facing me. He stared at me for about 20 seconds before turning around and running off... We didn't see him again that year.

At 10, he dropped to a 5x6 with no kickers. I drew on him at 20 yards very very late one evening, but I couldn't see my pins or my peep sight, so I let him walk. A week or so later, I had my girlfriend at the time... now wife... sitting at another stand looking for javelinas, and Jigsaw spent more than 10 minutes within 30 yards of her stand that morning. The following morning, we sat there together and the old buck came back, but never stepped within 45 yards and was way too alert to try that far of a shot. That was the last time I saw him.

Finally, at 11, our manager sent me pictures of him... He jumped back up to a typical 8x6, but his frame took a crazy twist... Cade described him to me as a Wind-Blown Buck... a strong west wind brought his left beam curling in (figuratively speaking), a configuration we had never seen on him before. He must have died early that season, as he was never seen on the hoof.

He and I have more history than any buck I've hunted, and it was pretty exciting when I came across his skull in the brush. I wish I had taken a picture of him where he was laying, but I'll remember that spot in the brush forever.

Very interesting. One of the better posts in awhile.
Thanks for sharing.

Cools pics and stories. Boy you sure let'm get up there age wise.

2 great deer and story

Great stories. Jigsaw looks like he was a bad boy in his prime.

Sounds like yal have more deer die of old age than you shoot.

Very nice!!!! You have some pretty good genetics out there.

Nice!

that is cool! thanks for sharing!

Nice!!

nice story!

X2

Nice story. Well at least finding them puts and end to the mystery of did they live thru the rut that season or not.

Yup... I plan on putting Jigsaw in a table mount with a lifesize bobcat or something similar.

Any ideas on what would look best?

I agree!!!
and thanks for posting the pics and story!!

Very cool story and pics...

very nice. You seem to have the same problem shed hunting as I do when I'm really hoping to find some. I churn up more dead deer than sheds. Great frames on those bucks.

I'm glad you all have enjoyed this post and want to thank you for taking the time to read the story that goes with it. I forgot to mention that the only other thing I found was a 5 foot female rattler with 16 rattles at the end of her tail. I picked her up to take her back and show my in-laws, and while pinching her right behind the head, she thrashed. I didn't know this could happen, but her teeth went through the backs of her cheeks and punctured my thumb in two places. I assume it was just her back teeth and not her fangs, as I didn't experience any pain or swelling. It spooked me a little bit though when it happened.

Here's another pic of the two bucks together.

WHAT!!!!!

I saw one this weekend as well and well I picked up my xd 45 not the snake but it was gone by that time!!! I will not be picking up any rattlers but another cool story and glad your ok!



tgt

Cool pics and story.

Scary about the snake. Keep 2 firm hands on the big ones

2 firm hands on the grip and a firm pull of the trigger=DRT= good snake

I just scored Jigsaw, the chalky buck... Before I post it, does anyone wanna take a guess?

164"-166"

I'll throw out 185ish.