livbucks

The issue you raised about the insects boring into us is a good point. I think that we have a tendency to react to insects landing on us and remove anything that comes close to our skin ASAP.
I guess the cat could have had a wound infection first and then some kind of fly laid a larvae in it. The same goes for the spike maybe. He could have had a damaged pedicel and then a fly was attracted to the infection and so on. I just never thought of it in that order.
One could apply that same train of thought to antler cavities. There could be a rupture like you said and THEN a larvae began to feed on the lesion.

Bill Yox

I hate to belabor the point, but I really dont think its a fly laying egg/larvae at a rupture site. I have a 2 yr old that has a rupture right now, just got it in the last two weeks, with NO visible blemish to the velvet. Itll end up as an "acorn point". I still feel the larvae we spoke of earlier came from within. In fact, ask your taxidermist friends if they ever skinned a caribou for a life size. Theyll tell you about "grubs" under the skin all along its back. Im not positive, but I think I recall those being fly larvae they call warbels, and the egg was laid on the skin surface and the single larvae migrated in just under the skin and matures.

Anthony T.

Well, mayflies are what bore those pits into antlers. if they don't get infected, they will only have a pit in the hardened antler. A buddy of mine has an 11 point with one of these pits. It looks cool and gives it original character. it goes right into the base of the g3 or g4, can't remember which. But that is what makes the pits. They build nest in antlers for larvae.

As far as a pet getting mean. Just spend alot of time with him everyday. He will get a little wild and will try to escape during rut maybe, but just don't bother him much and he'll be OK. The doe should occupy him and may draw in a nice shooter for you!I have experience with tame deer in rut. A buddy of mine has one who's going on 6 1/2 this year. His deer isnt to big bodied, but has been up to 12 points. He has the sheds for every year and it was only 4 point as a yearling. So the deer you have will liely be a bruiser and may take a non-typical look due to the antler damage, if it affects it at all. I've seen him in the rut and it gets a little wild to say the least. Lock him in a barn because he will keep jumping and bashing into the fence, possibly getting hung up and breaking a leg. His deer is spoiled rotton out of rut though aND is an enjoyable pet. I'd like to haveone.