He has an ugly rack now I personally think. I know he is a very young buck but do you think his horns will ever change or will they always look like this? Take him out of the gene pool or not? Not in an AR area BTW!

Funky rack for sure. Might be interesting to see what he looks like next year. But doubt he'll ever be a wallhanger.

I'd let him have some time depending on what the rest of your herd in his age class looks like. Always hard to answer this question without knowing what is going on with the rest of the deer in the area.

You answered your own question by saying he is a "very young buck". Atleast give him a chance to grow up. Many management programs don't cull their 8s until they are 3.5 anyways.

Have you seen any other deer in the past with similar antler characteristics?

Id take him out personally, but it depends on how the rest of the herd is lookin .

Nope. He is the only one that looks like this from my buddies pics and mine on the whole lease. Never know. He religiously frequents my feeder and I have a bunch of pics of him from my game cam. Here is a pic of another young buck for reference and 1 the LO's daughter took a couple weeks ago.

Ugly rack buck:


Young but better buck at my feeder. This one will become a brute in a couple of years:


LO's daughter's Buck

The one you are calling ugly rack might be a little smaller but it looks more symmetrical than the one the lo shot to me at least

that buck below the ugly rack is a year older the ugly rack

I agree. He definitely has potential to be a brute as I posted. In 2 years he will be amazing if he hangs around and doesn't get blasted by the neighboring ranch.

With 10 point genes I say he fills out, but I like to let'em grow up. Point/symetry matter not to me. Age and Mass does.

My $0.02.

Thanks for all the responses. Since the ugly rack buck is always at my feeders, I am gonna let him walk as I had really thought in the back of my mind I would. Think the post I read of the tagged spike that became a trophy in the open hunting forum helped to convince me to let him walk. Going to set up a protein feeder just to see what happens with him. He just might could be a large rack buck. Maybe he will keep his distinct horns and add 5, 6, 7 or 8 more points to the front for an unsual mount.

Ugly rack has an awesome frame with great main beams. I wish all my 2 year olds had main beams like that deer.

This is what I see alot of people do. They let these ugly eights walk and kill these nice young 10's. The first 8 probably just needs time and groceries. I realize where people hunt dictates how well than can manage a place but at 2 1/2 if he is a 8 he will probably never be more than an 8. If he is a 10 and unless he is old and massive its better to let him walk and bred,and kill an 8. A trophy is in the eye of the beholder but sometimes all people do in passing up some bucks is producing bigger 8's

let him walk one more year

Since he's young give him a year he looks lije he has long main beams hopefulky he'll fill em up

yep, thats a purty youngster, should be nice in a few years

I wouldn't shoot him just yet, he has plenty of room to put g4s on, and who knows if he gets the right nutrition!

I like him. I like those racks that are unusual and different but would like to see what he looks like in another year

I hope they both stick around for at least 2 years. Will be interesting to see them both mature.

Yeah, both will be a nice deer next year and even better the next!

I believe that the buck in the first pic is post mature. Prolly 8 or 9 years old. Declining rack, hunched up back, loose skin, no muscle tone, pointy hip bones, torn up ears...

Id like to see more pictures, but was thinking the same myself.

Got any more pictures of him?

I kind of like its rack...Looks inverted sort of...