Back in 2019, Blake Mallory of Michigan Whitetail Pursuit had an encounter with a 3-legged buck he named, Tripod. Fast forward two years, and Tripod is still showing up on camera, limping around the farm, but is now more aggressive than ever toward the other bucks on the property. The buck quickly became a key player on the farm and was added to the hit list.
Watch the story of Tripod in the video below for a closer look at this Michigan warrior buck that lived a long, strong life on the farm.
Mallory says Tripod first showed up on trail cams in 2018. With just 3 legs, he was obviously a recognizable buck, but he also carried plenty of character in his antlers.
In 2019, Mallory secured permission to hunt the farm where Tripod spent much of his time.
Through a number of encounters, Tripod became known as a scrapper. He was very aggressive toward the rest of the herd.
“This buck was the definition of a true Michigan warrior buck,” says Mallory. “He never slowed down when it came to chasing does and fighting other bucks.”
There were trail cam photos and encounters in 2020, but it wasn’t until 2021 that an opportunity to close the deal with a punched tag on Tripod came about.
After watching Tripod exhibit his typical aggressive behavior on a hunt in an ag field, Mallory returned the following day with a decoy in hopes of drawing the buck in for a shot.
Sure enough, Tripod showed up. With ears laid back, he made his approach to the decoy. When the buck closed in tight, he smelled a rat and turned to leave. He ran a short distance and stopped, just long enough for Mallory to make the shot.
What about you? Have you ever encountered a 3-legged deer in the wild? The story of Tripod proves that the white-tailed deer is a true warrior that can survive some of the worst conditions and afflictions nature throws its way.
