Last fall I started seeing this wide racked buck during the rut. He was one of the dominant bucks working the area. Not very creative, but I called him Wide as his rack was wider than any of the other bucks I saw. He was in great shape and he showed up on the trail cameras throughout the autumn. I also ran into him on several occasions while checking the cameras and got these two shots of him in November.
As the winter went on, the photos of him I saw became alarming. He was easy to recognize due to his distinctive horns and then after shedding his horns, because of his poor condition. Bucks often are exhausted and in less than tip top condition following the rut, but I had never seen one look so terrible.
In this picture taken in April he looks much better and seems to be recovering. I was convinced he was not going to survive into the spring. It will be interesting to see how he looks in the fall.
Northern Desert Photography 
On my first trip to Sandwash Basin, I took a photo of a horse I was sure was done for. It was mid-summer (July), he was lame, and his ribs were prominently on display…
My sister, who frequents Sandwash more regularly than I do, told me he pulled through and was still out there.
The will to live is immeasurable; I hope your buck pulls through.
Thanks! It is always gratifying to see them triumph over the odds. Thanks for sharing your horse story. They say he is out there still… Jeremiah Johnson. 🙂
Wonderful shots
Thanks!
He does look better. I hope he makes it! I imagine the big guys give a lot more of themselves at that time. We follow a fellow here (blacktail) whom we’ve known since he was a fawn. He’s one of the big boys now, and still haunts our hills, after several hunting seasons. He’s the only buck who’ll come close, so we know he’s our guy. You get invested. Beautiful pics! ❤️
So fun that you have been able to follow his life from the beginning. So true; you do get invested and root for them. 🙂
Beautiful rack on that guy. I hope he is just having problems finding food and doesn’t have Chronic Wasting Disease. Fingers crossed.
Beautiful Photos. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks!
You Are Welcome