I've got part of my ranch leased out for hunting. As luck would have it, two of the guys were almost packed up to leave and looked out in one of my hay meadows which is next to their "cabin" and there stood this "critter". They thought (as they told me) "Damn, that's an odd looking cow!" "But wait, it has vertical antlers." "Must be a mule deer!" No......so they shot it......and came to me, probably to see if it was legal.

It was a, IMO, damn nice red deer. Looked just like a junior 7 point elk. I haven't measured the beams but I'd say they are well over 2 feet long with tines that are about 6 inches or so coming off. We've had one other running around a couple of years back, at the time, I had a relative close ranch that raised "exotic" critters, I thought it might be theirs so didn't shoot it. I'm not much on aging red deer, but it had much less antlers than this one, I'd call it a 2 1/2 year old based on antlers, if it was a whitetail. Turned out, after I called them, it wasn't, they don't raise them, and as far as I know, no one in at least 15 miles from here, and maybe much farther does. Of course, in the interim, the Red Deer in question evacuated the area. Never saw him again, I'm sure someone made venison out of him.

At any rate, I helped them cape it, quarter it, etc.

Anyone know anything about antler size in US red deer?

I have a pretty good idea!

Send me a pic.

Wendell:

Since I didn't shoot it, I didn't take any pics. However, it is sitting in a friend's cooler while he/we look for a taxidermist that is reasonable. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow.

I went back and looked at it today.....it is bigger than I thought, since it was warm and the hunter really didn't have much of clue what to do, I did most of the skinning, quartering, and caping, helped by John Deere. I was more concerned with getting it out of the heat, than looking at it.

Horns are 6x7, 6 side is about 3 feet long with a tape but not nearly an exact measurement, 7 side is about 2 1/2 or a bit better. 6 side is longer because top tine goes more or less in same direction as main bean. Inside is 26 inches lower down and 27 at the tips. Didn't get base measurements, but are what I would consider heavy but not extraordinarily so.

He could be anywhere from 2 1/2 to 8 years old ... hard to say without knowing where he spent last year. If he was eating protein last year, he may be 3 or 4. If he was wild all of last year, not on protein, he could be quite a bit older.

Either way, no matter his age, if they are happy with him, then he is a trophy.

These guys have a load of good meat, that is for sure!

Gator,

I killed this 8x9 in NZ. According to the outfitter, it is a silver medal SCI stag. I haven't actually scored it, though, and have no idea what score it takes for the SCI rating; I don't "do books." The length of the brows and 2nd and 3rd points is above average.

Tony:

Wow, nice "critter". No this one is not nearly that big or heavy. Thanks for the pic.