Sick, Just Old, or Both?

[sweldo73]

Here are 3 years worth of pics we have of an 8pt that has something wrong with him. As you can see, he was a strapping specimen in 2014. As bucks do, he looked younger in September 2014, but I think he was easily 4yo judging by December 2014 when he was filled out. However, when he showed back up in 2015, his antlers seem to have plateaued and possibly even gotten smaller and his body (specifically the back end) started wasting away with his pelvis and spine noticeably protruding. His core travel area seems to have dwindled significantly, too. We thought he was sick or injured his back, and wasn't long for this world. I don't believe he was ever seen in person to observe how he looks. Much to our surprise, he survived and looks even worse. How the coyotes haven't taken him down is beyond me. So, if he's sick it seems like he would have died long ago. Maybe he just survived some kind of illness or injury, and it's just left him depleted for the rest of his days. I'm also entertaining the idea that he may be one of those bucks that just looks young well into maturity, and then just goes downhill fast at some point. With that in mind, maybe he was older than 4yo in 2014, and just didn't show it. Thoughts?

September 2014


December 2014



November 2015


December 2015



August 2016

[texan16]

Man, thats a tough one. He may be sick, but if thats the case I dont see how he would have made it this long. I really think he is older than you think, maybe 7 or even 8, rather than 6. No doubt he is having a rough go....

[WTX]

Tough one. I'm thinking he's just old, 7.5+.

[Razrbk89]

Man that dude is skinny. He was pretty poor looking in 15 too. Looks to me like he might have a busted hip.

[gingib]

can't tell...STUMPED!!!

I say both

[tex4k]

Looks like he could have a parasite infestation, worms can do some crazy stuff to animals. Try slipping some medicated feed into his feeding area to see what happens.

[Preacher Man]

I think its a combonation of him being a little older in 2014 than you thought he was and possibly an injury to his left hip.

Could be that he was somewhere around 7.5 in Dec of 2014 and just looked like a 4.5 cause his body was already going down.

But then again, I'm just guessing

[deerplanter]

He looks 5.5 to me in 2014 but it's hard to tell from pictures I prefer videos or seeing in person for an accurate age. He does appear to have injured his hip like others say, have you seen him in person walking? You may want to set your camera on video to see how he's walking.

[Fashinghunts]

You can boil those bones and make soup! I believe that he has something wrong with him (sick.) He needs to go.

[jerp]

His headgear still looks pretty good for a deer that seems so malnourished -look how well you can see his backbone!

[BURTONboy]

Seems to me like he messed his hip up sometime in 2015. It sticks up higher than his back bone which obviously isn't normal. I would say that has something to do with how drawn up he is, but on top of that he's old.

[Dusty Britches]

He looks old and wormy to me.

[Mayhem]

He gonna die.


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[jrfan]

He definitely has a rear leg/hip problem. Look how that back leg looks stiff in most of the pictures.

[Dirtfish]

he's old, ease his pain

[sweldo73]

I should have been more clear about this, but both hips look like this. Initially we also thought he had dislocated his left hip or something. Then we got pics of his other side, and noticed how his spine was protruding, too. I don't have a great pic of the other side, but you can see his right hip sticking up in this bedded pic.

[kurt68]

In the last pic posted just now, his spine has a bit of a dip in it right before his rear end. Does it look like that to anybody else?

[8pointer]

Old

[jrshuman]

No telling. Might have an internal injury that's slowly killing him over time

[texan4ut]

Might want to get with TPWD and see what they think Could be CWD

[sweldo73]

Originally Posted by texan4ut

Might want to get with TPWD and see what they think Could be CWD

CWD kills much quicker than this.

[sweldo73]

Originally Posted by kurt68

In the last pic posted just now, his spine has a bit of a dip in it right before his rear end. Does it look like that to anybody else?

I do see that dip now that you pointed it out. Might be something, but if you look at this year's pic he has generalized muscle atrophy and not just beyond that point. Could still be something though.

[STex]

His teeth are probably ground down and can't eat like he used to.

[AgHntr10]

I bet he is really old

[tex4k]

Originally Posted by kurt68

In the last pic posted just now, his spine has a bit of a dip in it right before his rear end. Does it look like that to anybody else?

That's partly the natural curve of the spine, with the muscular decline it accentuates the dip, the full round look to a deers rump is mostly muscle definition.

[Fashinghunts]

I would shoot him. Cut off his antlers for rattling horns and disinfect them (just in case.) Since there is no meat and he might be sick, drag him out in an opening and hunt coyotes!

[Dudley]

I think that deer is older than you originally guessed him. The second pic from Sept.2014 looks like he is already post-mature. Old and his teeth are worn out.

[jason86]

Old

[kruppa24]

I say you don't need to let him get any older. Time to cull.

[sweldo73]

Originally Posted by kruppa24

I say you don't need to let him get any older. Time to cull.

Oh, we've wanted to shoot him for a while, but like I said as far as we know, no one has seen him in person.

[sweldo73]

Originally Posted by tex4k

That's partly the natural curve of the spine, with the muscular decline it accentuates the dip, the full round look to a deers rump is mostly muscle definition.

I could be wrong, but I think Kurt68 was talking about this spot (arrow). This is unnatural and there should be a protruding spinous process here, but it appears to possibly be absent or damaged.

From the one pic of him this year, I don't necessarily see that same defect, though.

[Duane]

I'd bet a good look at his teeth would solve the mystery

[critter69]

Originally Posted by STex

His teeth are probably ground down and can't eat like he used to.

That's what I was going to say.

[tbgascorer]

We had a similar deer awhile back with wht I presume was hip problems. Their stories seem to be much alike.
http://discussions.texasbowhunter.co...d.php?t=549232

[BrianL]

Originally Posted by Duane

I'd bet a good look at his teeth would solve the mystery

Yep, I bet he doesn't have any left.

[Chance Love]

He looks 7 or 8 in the 2015 pics. In that bedded pic, there is nothing wrong with his right hip, that's a normal position.

He might be a little wormy or something, but I think mainly it's an age thing. And his horns look bigger to me in 2016 than prior years.

[Big pig]

Injury. Not just old.

BP

[BTLowry]

My take is he is old, teeth are shot so he can't eat good and so etching is up with his back right leg. Either his tarsal gland is extra large or he has a cancer or something going on
Left tarsal looks normal

[Froggy]

When I read the title I thought you were referring to your favorite Uncle.

[BowOnly81]

Originally Posted by Froggy

When I read the title I thought you were referring to your favorite Uncle.

I thought he was talking about his "old lady!"

[sweldo73]

Originally Posted by Froggy

When I read the title I thought you were referring to your favorite Uncle.

I'll start a separate thread for you!

[sweldo73]

Originally Posted by BTLowry

My take is he is old, teeth are shot so he can't eat good and so etching is up with his back right leg. Either his tarsal gland is extra large or he has a cancer or something going on
Left tarsal looks normal

He's had that pom-pom right tarsal for as long as we've known him. Makes him easy to spot.

[Pineywoods]

Originally Posted by BURTONboy

Seems to me like he messed his hip up sometime in 2015. It sticks up higher than his back bone which obviously isn't normal. I would say that has something to do with how drawn up he is, but on top of that he's old.

X2

[Froggy]

Originally Posted by sweldo73

I'll start a separate thread for you!

I hope you do it soon.

[sweldo73]

A couple of more recent pics. You can see that both sides of his pelvis are protruding, but certainly more so on the left.

[Legdog]

Originally Posted by Froggy

When I read the title I thought you were referring to your favorite Uncle.

I thought for sure it was about Hillary Clinton.

[Hawkpuppy 1]

I'm saying old as well. Could be tooth issue, worms, stomach condition, or 100 other things causing the weight loss. If he's regular at a feeder, put him out some good alfalfa. It's good for the rumen and beneficial bacteria as well as softer to chew on.

[Bowen Aero]

CWD?

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[rtp]

Codger.

[systemnt]

Originally Posted by texan4ut

Might want to get with TPWD and see what they think Could be CWD

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