The one I can’t figure out

Never gotten a picture of him Sept-Jan in 2 years now. He’s a smart one.

Beautiful

X2

He didn't get that way by making bad decisions.

Thats a great buck .

May have a different range during the rut, especially if you're the only one feeding protein around those parts. Do you feed protein all year or do you stop in September/October and start back up again in Jan/Feb?

This was my first thought. I have had a lot of bucks over the years that stay here from post rut till Sept/Oct and then leave. Some return post rut again and go thru the cycle again. Seen some bucks 3 yrs do this. Post rut on my place is really good hunting as all the bucks return or new ones stay here with all the oats, corn, free choice protein and NO PRESSURE.

I agree with the thought that some have different summer/spring and fall/winter territories. We have deer every year that show up new during the season and disappear after and we have some that are regulars all spring summer and disappear right before the season starts.

Had a decent 9-10 point show up years back. He would show up every year in late December. We have cameras out 24/7/365 all year. Never seen him and bam December 25, he always showed up same stand location, pretty close to the same date, and mostly at night. He was mature the first year, saw him for 3 years on cameras and then nada. Guess he got old and died or shot. Never saw the deer in person.

OP, great looking buck with a ton of character!

It is amazing how some bucks do this.
My best deer that I took from my place in 2019 we would see every year starting about early-mid October. He would stay there until he shed his horns and we would never see him again until the next year.
I found out after killing him he lived about 3/4 to a mile away due east of us on a friends place during the spring and summers as he had tons of pictures of him in velvet every year but never saw him during the season those years. I have no idea why he did this because there was no activity back then in the 230 or so acres next to us and he had tons of feed and water there as well but he still let each year and then came back in the fall.

stxrm, what percentage of bucks do you believe swap areas like this each year?

Buddy of mine had a very similar situation for a big buck he tried to get for 3 years....it hung out on his place all summer and every year in October it was gone and not seen for a couple months then returned.