A very very fat pre rut stag I took one late evening using my .300WM. (Sako TRG-S)
He was a real monster bodied stag and the meat/fat was thick and sweet.
The wallow mud has almost dried on his antlers and when I first saw him I thought..not big enough,too small and too far away..a long gut buster run of ups and downs to get near him,anyway I made the decision to go for it.

Check the width/condition of his back.