Non-Typical Non-Typicals
08-18-2003, 09:12 PM
#1
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Non-Typical Non-Typicals
I am curious about what causes some bucks to grow antlers that resemble coral.......I' m not sure what the correct term is for the condition, but I hope some of you understand what I' m talking about. Coral is about the only thing I know of to accurately describe it.
It is quite rare, but i remember seeing an article in " Rack" magazine a couple years ago that showed a set of deer antlers of this unique type. I have since lost the magazine, and can' t remember what they said about possible causes for the condition.
It doesn' t only occur in deer.....in fact I knew someone who had an intact set of moose antlers that were like this. They were an amazing thing to see. He has since passed away and I have no idea of what became of the unique rack.
Not sure if it occurs in other antlered species as well, but I imagine it could.
Can anyone enlighten me a bit, or perhaps have a link with info on this?
It is quite rare, but i remember seeing an article in " Rack" magazine a couple years ago that showed a set of deer antlers of this unique type. I have since lost the magazine, and can' t remember what they said about possible causes for the condition.
It doesn' t only occur in deer.....in fact I knew someone who had an intact set of moose antlers that were like this. They were an amazing thing to see. He has since passed away and I have no idea of what became of the unique rack.
Not sure if it occurs in other antlered species as well, but I imagine it could.
Can anyone enlighten me a bit, or perhaps have a link with info on this?
08-18-2003, 10:08 PM
#2
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RE: Non-Typical Non-Typicals
After posting, I came across what I was looking for.......they call it the " barnacle buck" ............
http://www.northamericanwhitetail.co...w1201barnacle/
http://www.northamericanwhitetail.co...w1201barnacle/
08-19-2003, 01:40 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
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RE: Non-Typical Non-Typicals
i heard an injury to the opposite side of their body will cause antlers to do that......im fasinated with nontypicals..they are all just so diffrent and so ugly they are beautiful....lol....
08-20-2003, 04:42 PM
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RE: Non-Typical Non-Typicals
mauser.....I love non-typicals also, although I haven' t been lucky enough to get one yet. Hopefully someday.....
nub......Some people do call them " cactus bucks" , but I haven' t heard an " official" term for the strange antler growth yet. There seems to be a general lack of knowledge about these unique racks. Hopefully more research will be done on the subject in the near future.
nub......Some people do call them " cactus bucks" , but I haven' t heard an " official" term for the strange antler growth yet. There seems to be a general lack of knowledge about these unique racks. Hopefully more research will be done on the subject in the near future.
08-20-2003, 08:28 PM
#7
Boone & Crockett
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RE: Non-Typical Non-Typicals
I shot a basic 4 point in 1982 that had no testicles and he appeared to be growing a similar rack. The deer I shot was in late December and still had live velvet. The taxidermist and game wardens said that he would have never shed his velvet and the rack would would have continued to grow. Another magazine about 6 years ago had some good information, but I can' t remember the publication.
08-21-2003, 03:16 PM
#8
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RE: Non-Typical Non-Typicals
timbercruise, your experience seems to give credit to the theory that it is hormone-related:
/QUOTE/
In determining the cause of this abnormal antler growth, it would be most helpful to know whether or not the deer was sexually virile. For the most part, the antler growth cycle is regulated by increases and decreases in the flow of the male hormone testosterone, which in turn is controlled by the varying amounts of daylight as seasons change.
Of course, a normal buck starts growing his rack in early to mid-spring and finishes in late summer, whether he' s a tiny spike or a world-class monster. Occasionally, though, something goes haywire in the buck' s system. Instead of coming to a halt in late summer, antler growth may continue on into the colder months.
Most often, this abnormality is attributed to dysfunction of the testes (either physical injury to them or perhaps the effects of some disease). Without functioning testes, the buck' s flow of testosterone is shut off or severely restricted, giving him no way to control the antler cycle. His system literally doesn' t know when to stop or start growing a rack.
It' s tempting to say this is what happened to the Barnacle Buck. However, Dr. Kroll has his doubts. " It appears to me that this deer might have suffered some sort of genetically triggered abnormality in the growth cycle," he says, " rather than castration or other such factors. The growth obviously got out of control, much like a form of bone cancer. One of the reasons the National Institutes of Health continue to fund research on deer antler growth is that the growth rate of these bone cells is approximately as fast as the growth rate of tumors. This buck might have suffered from something similar to a type of bone cancer.
/END QUOTE/
It seems the most likely causes are either hormone inbalance or disease, according to the article. It is fascinating, as it remains a mystery so far. If anyone finds any related information on the subject, feel free to post it here!
/QUOTE/
In determining the cause of this abnormal antler growth, it would be most helpful to know whether or not the deer was sexually virile. For the most part, the antler growth cycle is regulated by increases and decreases in the flow of the male hormone testosterone, which in turn is controlled by the varying amounts of daylight as seasons change.
Of course, a normal buck starts growing his rack in early to mid-spring and finishes in late summer, whether he' s a tiny spike or a world-class monster. Occasionally, though, something goes haywire in the buck' s system. Instead of coming to a halt in late summer, antler growth may continue on into the colder months.
Most often, this abnormality is attributed to dysfunction of the testes (either physical injury to them or perhaps the effects of some disease). Without functioning testes, the buck' s flow of testosterone is shut off or severely restricted, giving him no way to control the antler cycle. His system literally doesn' t know when to stop or start growing a rack.
It' s tempting to say this is what happened to the Barnacle Buck. However, Dr. Kroll has his doubts. " It appears to me that this deer might have suffered some sort of genetically triggered abnormality in the growth cycle," he says, " rather than castration or other such factors. The growth obviously got out of control, much like a form of bone cancer. One of the reasons the National Institutes of Health continue to fund research on deer antler growth is that the growth rate of these bone cells is approximately as fast as the growth rate of tumors. This buck might have suffered from something similar to a type of bone cancer.
/END QUOTE/
It seems the most likely causes are either hormone inbalance or disease, according to the article. It is fascinating, as it remains a mystery so far. If anyone finds any related information on the subject, feel free to post it here!
08-26-2003, 02:20 PM
#9
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RE: Non-Typical Non-Typicals
I was just reading through the September edition of North American Whitetail, and there is an article about a " cactus buck" . It seems this deer had only one testicle, and the unique rack was thought to be a result of a lack of testosterone. This gives further credit to the hormone theory. The mystery is becoming less of a mystery now.....
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