HuntingNet.com Forums - doe I shot, with a canine tooth..pics

Well, I have been keeping a secret for months. I did indeed get one deer on the last morning of rifle, here in PA. I ended up taking the doe with my Remington .243. Which has been my trusty sidekick for the past 18 years and has helped me take deer after deer.

At first appearance, my doe seemed pretty normal looking. While field dressing her, I did take notice that she had neat white tips on her hooves that I instantly wanted to keep and do something creative with. Like all my deer, I would flesh and salt the hide for tanning.

What happened next, would change everything. I decided to clean the skull and have it beetled for my friend Tina's son, whom I have been taking hunting, fishing and to trapping events, for the past year. When I discovered that she had a canine tooth, my excitement erupted. Now, I'm no whitetail deer, tooth fairy, but whitetail deer aren't typically, suppose to have canines!!!

I contacted the QDMA and asked them for more information on such an occurrence. There, I ended up in touch with Kip Adams. He's an expert wildlife biologist, educator and writer for the Quality Deer Management Association and their magazine, Quality Whitetails. That is where I learned more about whitetail deer that produce canine teeth. Because of Kip, I learned that less than 1% of whitetails will produce canines. Interesting? I think so.

Kip Adams, wrote an article about whitetails that produce canines and included my doe, as an example, in his writing. It can be found on page 12 of Quality Whitetails, April issue. She may just have been a doe, to some people, but she means more to me than any buck, I've taken. It was her secret treasure that catapulted her into one of my finest days, afield. The way I felt when I discovered that tooth is forever, seized inside my precious hunting memories.

So the next time you shoot a deer, check for canines. Best of hunting success to everyone.