My youngest son killed a 175# 3.5 year old buck like that in the late 1980s in Butts county, Ga on a tract of land my brother and I owned half interest in at the time. He shot it for a doe. The deer ran fine but walked on three legs with a limp, the left front leg froze in a folded position such that it could not be straightened.
One of the other owners was on the property and an MD; the lady friend of the fourth owner was a Vet. and on the property with us as well. Both the MD and Vet. examined the buck and it was discovered that the buck had experienced severe trauma in the past and survived, likely from a collision with a vehicle.
The Vet. told us that buck deer when injured, typically show some abnormality in their antlers, from minor to extensive. She also said that it uncommon that one's antlers would be impacted to this extent. She also said that with this buck's injuries, the obvious being a broken shoulder and a broken jaw with several teeth missing on the same side as the broken shoulder and likely some other damage that wasn't readily obvious, it was surprising the buck had survived at all.
I have photos and will try to dig them up and scan tomorrow.
Topic: Gunshots, an Orange Vest, and a Buck of a Lifetime....Sort Of... (Read 1316 times)
