Nothing better than chasing a ghost, especially one of that caliber. Sure hope you get him this coming season.

No idea where he might go?

i THINK i know, and they shot me down when i asked to hunt the place last year after he left. i may ask again though if i need to, with a titch more presuasivity.

Ha. Hunt their fence

Do you know if they hunt it at all?

they do not hunt and seemed to maybe be a bit against hunting, but i didnt press too much and only talked to them for a few minutes so i wouldnt be opposed to asking again, especially with a little $$ in my hands. they have a few hundred acres of almost solid timber that is rarely visited bu humans, with plenty of water, if i had to bet, that is where he goes.

there is a small piece of gubment land (not legally hunted) between me and them that i think he uses to get back and forth. but, i had a camera on that corner of my place over hand corn for most of the season and never saw him, i think he leaves and sets up shop for the winter and doesnt stray too much.

i was stressed out last year before bow season, cant wait for this season and hopefully another shot at him. i will definately be doing what i can to keep him close this summer.

There are several deer on our place that do the same thing. We get pictures of them until September and then they are gone. Occasionally we get a spring picture but usually just during the summer months. This has happened 3 years in a row.

Good luck in your quest!

I have had some of the biggest of my life disappear before season. Never to be seen on cam again until well after season is over. I just kills me that I never get a look at them in person.

it is crazy, i had a tall 8 that did the same thing this year, disappeared around the beginning of bow season and hasnt been seen since. i think i caught him in the background of a pic this past week too. i am really looking forward to seeing what this deer looks like next season and then just want an oppurtunity.

The best possibility is he is distributing his genes. Good luck, might have to get out of those stands to find the old soldier.

Great buck. I hope you get a chance at him next year

hows you doe count? Are you gonna do anything different this year to keep him in the area?

i think its pretty high. this place is only about 45 acres and i estimate that i feed 15-20 deer per day, mostly doe and small bucks, with this guy back i have 4 bucks now 4.5 or older.

Was he hitting the black eyed peas you mentioned throwing in other posts?

Yes, for a month or so until i ran out.

you need to tie him some wimmens up to the feeder legs! Good to see you've still got a chance at finding him next season.

good lookin buck

Have you tried to decoy him in yet? He looks somewhat skiddish in some of the photos'. I bet he circles the area down wind before he comes in. Might need something to spark his interest a little more, might give a try this year. Even early season it can produce results.

i have not but definately will try it next season. i agree, he appears real nervous in some of the pics and doesnt like to eat out of that feeder. i am going to have to be super strict on when i hunt him. i am getting ready to start a 1.5 acre food plot around that protein feeder with a few different stand setups.

Sounds like a plan...hope it works out for you. He'd be a very nice one to have on the wall for sure.

WOW!! He didn't ever break a point either. Any one care to throw out a B&C score. I'm no expert by he looks like a book deer to me.

He is a good deer in my book but won't make the "Book"

I'd say upper 150s to lower 160s on him.

I agree with Rifleman, he may even touch the low-mid 160s. He has really good length and carries some mass throughout..

One thing I'm certain of, he is bigger than 140s and I'm sure some "hardcore" scorers were thinking in that range.

I have him mid 50's

TX, I could see mid 150s, they always look bigger on camera don't they?