# Antler Growth



## bretts (Feb 24, 2004)

In the past few hunting seasons I have noticed something odd about a few bucks. First of all one of my friends shot a nice 5x5 with bow and on every tine 3/4 the way up is a knot. It was the same way on both antlers. I was just wondering if anybody knew what this was. I think it maybe might be due to a new source of nutrition found later in the summer? Anybody have an Idea?


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

if it was like a ball in the middle antler thats just from damage when the deer had his velvet. I shot one with knots and cuts in it, the cuts were from a barb wire fense i figured...your friends buck could have been battling it out before his antlers were ready.

just my thought


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

i gotta agree with nutt, i'd say it was damaged when still in velvet. guessing it ran into something.


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## bretts (Feb 24, 2004)

yeah but would it be perfectly symmetrical on both sides with a knot? I don't know if it would be damage just because it was to perfect looking.


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

well, if it bumped into something not real hard, but enough to "smush" the tips a little while still growing, it may keep growing, but the knots would indicate where the impact occured, it may have ran into the side of a car, or a tree, if you've ever felt the antler when it is in the early growth period it is very soft, it wouldn't take a real great impact to deform it much. do u have any pics, from what i understand i'd still stick with my theory, but i could be wrong, even though its never happened before :lol:


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## kase (Jan 23, 2005)

i saw the deer too...i don't think that there's any way it was damage. it was just way to perfect. every knot was the same size, in the exact same spot on G2, G3, G4, and the main beam. i don't remember if the G1s had it or not. i just think if the deer would've ran into something and damaged his antlers before they were fully developed, there would've been some kind of deformity(sp?) on them. but, i suppose there is a chance that he did hit something square and hit them all in the same spot. i dunno...it was an awesome rack though. i think when he scored it green it netted around 135" or something. do you remember what he said bretts?

kase


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## bretts (Feb 24, 2004)

Yeah something like 135-140, not very great tine length but awesome mass, I'll maybe get some pictures on here so you can see the rack.


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

yeah, i'd have to see it, to get a good idea of what happened to it.


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## bretts (Feb 24, 2004)

It's not from damage to the rack during antler growth, I have shot bucks with my bow that have had damaged racks....that aren't symmetrical...I know the difference..I'll just have to post pics..still looking for the educated answer I was seeking :-?


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

well...i just gave my 2 cents. the deer could have run square into something when his antlers were still growing...the only way to get your educated answer is to find sheds with the same diformity to prove it was genetics.


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## kase (Jan 23, 2005)

you guys don't think that it's a possibility that the buck found a new source of better nutrients in his diet that may have boosted his antler growth in that stage?

kase


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

ya but would it ball up like that...if i can picture what hes saying. Its almost like the deer's antlers stopped growing when they were balled at the ends in velvet then gave another spurt when they were starting to harden and the balls stayed.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

this is very common guys, I think it has to do with hydration.


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

interesting. What exactly does hydration have to do with the antlers balling?


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

antlers are made from blood/skin right, when they eat a lot of wet food like in wet years they have bigger antlers making me believe it has to do with hydration. I suppose they have a higher water content in their bodies from eating lush food rather than dry food. So like the weather/rain it is here for a while then it goes away causing wet/dry cycles that show up in the antlers causing the irregularities Just my theory not gospel.


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

thats a good point...its hard to say what the cause was without a picture or a description of the area and weather where the buck was shot.


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## bretts (Feb 24, 2004)

It was shot in central ND....I will get some pics this weekend


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## boondocks (Jan 27, 2006)

I ain't no scientist or anything.But maybe the deer ate a bunch of acorns and they somehow lodged themselves in the deers antlers.


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## bretts (Feb 24, 2004)

Good call


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

lol...


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## Duck Commander (Oct 20, 2004)

I too have seen deer like that and the area where I have seen it is close to a river. A couple deer that I seen with the acorn racks were in the Fairview, Cartwright area along the Missouri River.


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