Big Rack!

I bet she's thinking "Hey, Boss, do you think you could get me some of that in a can"?

I don't want to get her started on venison -- too expensive, and I'm not a hunter.
tongue.gif
 
Another month has gone by and Mr. Big Rack is still fully equipped.
A few minutes ago, behind my house:

Big-Rack-07.jpg


His less-well-endowed buddy is still sporting his, too:
Tiny-Rack-02.jpg


I'd love to get Mr Rack's antlers when he's done with them...but in 27 years at this house I've NEVER seen any antlers just laying around in my yard, so I'm not counting on finding his, either.
 
Mr. BC:
Put a radio collar on him and a little video camera so you can track him and see when the antlers drop. :cool:

Yeah, I was thinking of doing something like that...or just jumping up on his back and saying, "OK, this might pinch a bit...just hold still".
 
Yeah, I was thinking of doing something like that...or just jumping up on his back and saying, "OK, this might pinch a bit...just hold still".


Please make sure your webcam is working first. :)
 
Great photos. Always a treat to see wildlife near the home (as long as they're not tearing up the garbage cans as I saw mentioned earlier). I live 5 minutes from Downtown Portland and the coyotes have moved in and occupied neighborhoods all over the city in the past decade. Don't see as many Raccoons as I used to. Still see deer up in the West Hills on occasion and even had two Elk in the heart of the urban beast about 10 years ago. Admittedly though, that was a rarity. Did see a skunk a while back, but most of our "wild" life are avian. We have nesting Coopers Hawks, Screech Owls, Red Tails in the neighborhood and even a few Baird Owls just to the south of my neighborhood. Peregrine Falcons have been nesting on Fremont Bridge on the north edge of Downtown for years and also a few Bald Eagles within the city limits. Seeing them within the metropolis help keeps one grounded, and connected, to what's outside. Some of our mammalian friends are very adaptable. Of course, we don't have the numbers or variety of critters that many of you who live closer to the edge have. That's why we have our FWC though, an escape pod of sorts.

TK
 
Mr. Big Rack is still showing proud...though, I bet he's getting tired of the burden.
Photos from my backyard a few minutes ago:

Big-Rack-08.jpg


Looking a little lean...
Big-Rack-09.jpg


I've decided that with that huge rack he's probably a hybrid of mule deer and elk...or possibly caribou.
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Big-Rack-10.jpg


So, for me this means I haven't yet lost the opportunity to recover those cool antlers after he's done with 'em. :)
 
Mr. Big Rack is back -- he lives!
Almost 2 years after I last saw him, he made an appearance, browsing, in my back yard this morning.

Crappy photos (not enough time, I was excited, and I should have manual-focused... :rolleyes: ), but it's good enough to show that it's definitely the same fellow.

Big-Buck_20141213-2.jpg


Big-Buck_20141213-3.jpg


Big-Buck_20141213-1.jpg


I guess I don't know much about deer/antlers...but deer shed their antlers, so I'm surprised that such a similar -- and odd -- arrangement would be repeated.
 
ski3pin said:
And he looks like he is in better shape than last spring.
Click to expand...
I think it makes sense that he looks better -- better fed, especially, because of the time of year.
His last appearance -- early March 2013 -- was after going through winter and maybe not a lot to eat. And March is still winter in Bend, at least for outdoor munchables.
 
MarkBC said:
I think it makes sense that he looks better -- better fed, especially, because of the time of year.
His last appearance -- early March 2013 -- was after going through winter and maybe not a lot to eat. And March is still winter in Bend, at least for outdoor munchables.
Click to expand...
Good observation. It makes sense that he would be skinny in the late winter.
 
Mark that left side of the rack. Is he a "stag"?
That could account for that difference between the sides.
Beautiful buck though.
I think Skis idea of a radio collar to locate the antlers once they fall sounds good.
Chances are he travels a long way into the woods when that time comes.
Frank
 
I don't know what "stag" means in this context... :unsure: Enlighten me. :)

I think I read recently in the Bend newspaper -- or maybe it was on the local TV news...can't remember which...that this buck is known around town.
It's pretty distinctive. Even without the odd drooping branch it's a big rack -- something people notice.
So maybe it's not just my buck. ;)
 
I wonder how he's doing during this "love" time of the year? Passing on those "big rack" genes? We just had a nice forked horn buck out the front door. His rack was all polished up, looking good.
 
MarkBC said:
I don't know what "stag" means in this context... :unsure: Enlighten me. :)

I think I read recently in the Bend newspaper -- or maybe it was on the local TV news...can't remember which...that this buck is known around town.
It's pretty distinctive. Even without the odd drooping branch it's a big rack -- something people notice.
So maybe it's not just my buck. ;)
Click to expand...
Mark I think "stag" in this case means the buck could have been castrated.
I have heard of "miss formed" racks in bucks that have been.
Frank
 
Casa Escarlata Robles Too said:
Mark I think "stag" in this case means the buck could have been castrated....
Click to expand...
Really? You mean all that macho head-gear could just be for show? :oops:
 
MarkBC said:
Really? You mean all that macho head-gear could just be for show? :oops:
Click to expand...
Mark I tried searching about the term "stag" and couldn't find any reference to the antler dis formation.
But I at some point have seen pictures of serious dis formation and the story was that it came from the male deer having been castrated.
Maybe someone with more info can shed some light on this.
Anyway post more photos as you get them.
Frank
 
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