Arizona Strip Cactus Buck!

DonMartin · Nov 25, 2010

Guys, here is a photo of the cactus buck that my hunter, Tony Keller from Kingman got on the fifth day of our hunt.

He is 34" wide, and is a 9 X 5 with three drops on one side and a club on the other. Too bad you can't score these guys, he has junk everywhere..

As many of you know, I absolutely am enamored with "Freaks & Geeks" when it comes to wildlife, be it deer, elk, or antelope.

Great year on the Strip, we saw three really great bucks including this one.

Man, you just never know what you're gonna see up there. Guess that's why I like to guide up there so much.

Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitters

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos/5220tony_keller_13b_cactus_buck_2010_001.jpg

DonMartin · Nov 25, 2010

Here is another photo of this very unusual buck.

Anyone want to venture a guess as to how old this guy was? His ears are 26 1/2 inches wide. tip to tip!

Don Martin
AWO

model700 · Nov 25, 2010

I'll take a non-scientific wag at it & say he's 7. I'd love to have had a shot at him myself!

ruthunter · Nov 25, 2010

LAST EDITED ON Nov-25-10 AT 05:08PM (MST)[p]

Nice buck! 8+.

TipMOver · Nov 25, 2010

Heck yeah Don! Thats one of "those" bucks. Fantastic!!!

azhuntin · Nov 25, 2010

Hey Don,

You can have that scored thru SCI, they accept cactus bucks. Great buck!

DonMartin · Nov 25, 2010

Thanks, might be worth a try. Anyone got any ideas on what they think he would score?

In my book, this isn't a buck you shoot for score, but it is a buck of a lifetime!

Just my opinion,

Don Martin
AWO

TipMOver · Nov 25, 2010

LAST EDITED ON Nov-25-10 AT 09:40PM (MST)[p]
Tough one there Don. Looks to be a mid/high 170 type mainframe. Droppers of 15"? 6-10" of other scoreables? Hard to tell how many of those points are scoreable. 205-210 gross, rough and dirty?

Like was already said, not a buck you care about score on, just a badd arse buck!!!!

Gator · Nov 25, 2010

Don
That's a really great looking buck.
No nuts?

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

mesquitehunter · Nov 25, 2010

Who cares what it scores!!! I'd shoot him... Nice work Don and your crew.

Gun control is a good aim and a steady rest

huntnhard32 · Nov 26, 2010

Don,
That buck was way up there on my hitlist for the archery hunt. I even made a big move in the first part of the hunt, because we had trail cam pictures of him. We named him "putter" because the huge drop looked like an old golf putter!! Congratulations, we have some cool photos of that deer, and he is truly AWESOME!!

Tom Caldwell

huntazido · Nov 27, 2010

Cool looking buck. As already mentioned, I would guess him to be 8+ judging by his face.

Did you guys notice what made him to be a non-typical and still in velvet this time of the year? Was he castrated? Did he have any injuries, scars, etc?

spcheuvront · Nov 29, 2010

Don Martin;

Great buck!

That is truly a " Buck of a Lifetime "

congratulations.

Steve Cheuvront

treedagain · Nov 29, 2010

cool buck

nv_hunter · Nov 29, 2010

Bad arse!

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p248/nv_hunter/nevadaanimatedhelmetwd2.gif[/IMG]

spcheuvront · Dec 2, 2010

Don Martin;

The cactus buck looks like he had a swollen neck , in the picture. Is that correct?

I've seen trail cam pictures of that buck in the summer time
and he looked very thin.

You're very knowledgable , I thought a cactus buck retained his antlers due to a lack of testostoren.

Did that buck have normal testicals?

That is a very big buck and most cactus bucks never have that huge frame structure , any ideas?

Steve Cheuvront

model700 · Dec 5, 2010

Ok Don, let us know how old he is or if you had him aged. Thanks.

KennyT · Dec 5, 2010

Don is on a sheep hunt right now, Im not sure when he is comming back.

Steve:

This bucks neck is larger now than during the summer however I dont beleve he was rutting. I was not with Don when he killed this buck but believe he was by him self. Last year his frame was the same with only one drop on the right, and he did not have all that crazy bumpy stuff.

spcheuvront · Dec 5, 2010

KennyT;

I googled " Cactus Buck " and found a study report by Jim Hefelfinger, research biologist for the AZG&FD.

That and several other articles were very informative.

Many reasons can cause a deer to not loose its velvet and not cast its antlers.

Very Interesting.

That was my favorite buck of 2010.

Not too many people shared my opinion though.

If I was still a hunter , I would have hunted that deer exclusively.

Steve