Troy Nature Center Buck

I posted this photograph of a non-typical whitetail deer buck with a drop-tine antler on November 24, 2009. It was taken in the woods at the Troy Nature Center where I occasionally will hike. I just heard about the controversy surrounding the killing of a buck in December that may be the same deer as in this photo. Notice the very distinctive curved drop-tine off his right antler. An amateur photographer has posted many good photos of this buck and it appears to be the same animal that was killed by a person who claims he killed it while hunting. There is no hunting allowed in the Nature Center, obviously, so many people are wondering whether this animal was poached at night. This buck had been seen regularly by many visitors to the park up until December 21 or so. Then it disappeared and hasn't been seen since.

There is an article about this ongoing investigation in the February edition of WOODS-N-WATER NEWS that includes photos, plus some online forums such as Michigan Sportsman.