not as uncommon as you might think.

According to Dr. Leonard Lee Rue III, in " The Deer of North America" , (not word for word, but close)the highest recorded population was at Camp Wainwright in Alberta. Canada. The camp occupies 965 square miles. The hunts took place betwwn 1968 & 1982. In that time, 665 adult bucks and 517 does were harvested. Of the 517 does, 8 had velvety-covered antlers ranging in in lenght fomr 7/16 inch to 9 1/2 inches. A ratio of about 1 out of every 65 does. None had shed their velvet, and milk was obatined from them, showing that they were breeding females.

There are basically 3 categories of antlered does:

1) (most common) - antlers never harden, nor does velvet ever come off. Does usually lose most or all of their antlers due to freezing. Doe can breed and produce milk, and is a true female, but her femalel hormaones are usually not produced in sufficient amounts.

2) basically a male, but it' s sex oprgand are abnormal. Usually has both penis and vagina, but scrotum is not visible because the testicles are inside the body cavity. Never bears young. Antlers are like a typical males, often well developed with tines. The neck does not swell like a normal bucks would.

3)Very rare. It occurs when a tumor in the doe secretes male hormaones. Both male & female organs may be present, and the antlers may or may not complete their developement. Most often, they remain in velvet.


A hunter who shoots any antlered doe should immediatle contact his game department so that the deer and its reproductive organs can be saved and studied.