This happened to my ex BIL somewhat. He shot a big 8 point and dropped it off at the local taxidermists. The taxi was distantly related to the land owner. The land owner ended the lease after the season, and advertised trophy hunts the following season. Coincidentally guided by the taxidermist.

This is one of the very few.

I had one on camera this season, as mentioned. Another hunter on our ranch, part of another group of lease hunters, got him. I hear people refer to deer as "Their" deer and immediately know they are not talking about anything in my part of the country. This is also part of the reason I'll never pass on a shooter in the hopes of getting him next year.

Cool story, sir. The buck I shot this year on November 26th hadn't been seen on my place since the middle of July. It's amazing how they range (or don't) during different parts of the year and then the rut in search of unbred does.

I had no idea you could search with that little info and find something like that.

There are AI programs that can map mountain peaks in photos and triangulate the picture location pretty closely. Been a couple hunting shows talk about easy draw or otc areas and they kill a giant really screw some spots up. Same technology also got a few poachers busted.

One show I know of has even do cut aways to mountains in National parks to help hide locations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v75gFJXgCcA
The hunter I met sent this to me yesterday. Here he is two weeks before I got him. As a crow flies, about 7 miles from my stand location where I got him.

University of Mississippi, did the study, that deer even crossed the Mississippi River, another deer in rhe same study was collared, and when turned loose went over 1300 miles in a NW line, never backtracking for over 2 years before he was killed somewhere in the mid west, Nebraska maybe?

What in the hell.

Freaking Forrest Gump buck..........

LMAO.........buck grew a beard, developed a following, gave other deer hope...........

Yep! Here's one.

I watched him on camera all through archery, and even saw him on opening day of rifle. I've been hoping he'll make it until next year, and was looking forward to watching him all year. He disappeared after the first week of rifle. Then he was on camera once in early December. As of this week, he's back to being on camera daily. Don't know where he went, or how far he traveled, but I think he went far and wide looking for some strange. I've noticed through the years that the ones that stay in thier home range tend to be the younger ones.

Back in 2012, I had an old 10 point on camera regularly in the summer and very early fall. I could even pinpoint the day he started stripping velvet. Then the rut hit and he disappeared for over three weeks. Had photos of different bucks during that time I had not seen before. The 10 point showed back up and he looked like he had been rode hard and put up wet. Lost probably 30 pounds and had a lot of his chest hair rubbed off. He had been chasing (and apparently catching) a lot of does. He ended up in my freezer mid-November.

Some studs there. They lose there minds during the rut.