The Amazing Toughness of Wildlife

[4 point]

 I'm not sure if this is pure will to live or what you'd call it but this buck is a tough old guy. In the spring of 2019 while shed hunting I found this buck so sick he couldn't stand. The 2018 - 2019 winter in our area was a tough one. I talked to local warden about trying to get him and two doe I'd found put down but he was busy dispatching sick deer in another area.  He told me to do it myself if I was willing to do it. I reluctantly agreed. Putting down any animal is tuff, even knowing its the right thing to do. I put the two does down, walked up with in feet of them. They were skin and bone. When I walked over to the buck he got enough strength up to run about 30 yards before he laid down again. I decided to leave him till the next day because it was almost dark. The next morning I couldn't find him. I figured he had die some where. I put cams out in the summer of 19 and to my surprise he showed up on camera. He looked rough!

As the months passed he showed some slight improvement.

I was going to shoot him if I got the chance but it never happened. I had pics of him through january of this year but I was sure he wouldn't live thru the winter. I had found a shed horn carcass that I was fairly sure was him.
I put my cams out this weekend and I was shocked to find the first buck to show up was him. He looks healthy. I think he's eight years old this year, I have all but a couple sheds off him up till last year. The old guy has my respect.

[Wudstix]

He's a warrior and survivor!

[Dave Lay]

Wow... your right, he's tough and out of necessity . They lead a hard life  glad he made it

[Sawpilot 75]

They are incredible survivors!

[Huntschool]

Some where in a slide carousel I have a pic of a 8 year old buck from south Texas.  He is a skeleton with skin draped over it.  The pic was taken in January and he was found dead about two weeks later and tooth aged. 

They go through such rough times during rut that a number of bucks dont have what's needed to make it through the hard times post rut.  My friend in Texas that manages a huge lease on the King says they loose a number of mature buck each year like this.  Obviously your guy mad it.  Thats fortitude... and a difference in food supply.