hole in antlers
 

anybody have any idea what causes those holes you sometime see in deer horns , ive heard they are caused by injury to them during the velvet phase, ive also heard some kind of fly causes the hole . does anybody know?

RE: hole in antlers
 

You are correct when you say that a fly caused it. It is called a bot fly. I believe that the fly lays a egg on the antler when the antler is in velvet and when the worm is born it burrows into the blood rich antler and turns into a cocoon and then hatches into a moth. When the velvet is shed a hole is left in the antler.

RE: hole in antlers
 

you're right on shedhead

RE: hole in antlers
 

I just gotta call BS on this one. Who told you that line of crap? The common holes you see in some antlers are caused by injury to the horn while in velvet.

RE: hole in antlers
 

In the January 2003 issue of "Deer and Deer Hunting", there's a picture of this, and it says, "Parasites thrive easily on easily accessible food. That's why it's not unusual for a buck's antlers to become the host of warbles (aka Bot Fly) that bore small holes into velvet antlers. These holes are even more evident after the velvet dries and the antler hardens."

Smitty, I think you're wrong.

RE: hole in antlers
 

Ok. I will give into to the parasite theory. But, You gotta admit that Some Holes are caused by injury. Not all are caused by parsites.

RE: hole in antlers
 

I would say it rare that a hole is caused by injury. Most likely a deformity in the rack.

RE: hole in antlers
 

I saw a hole in a rack this year that you could stick your finger in but not all the way through. It was obvious in looking at it that it had been injured some way or other. It could be that an injury could leave a place for the flies to lay eggs and the maggots to get started. I've never heard of botflies around here, though.

RE: hole in antlers
 

Smitty,

You should read the bottom of your post, because you did learn something new today.:D

RE: hole in antlers
 

Ticks can burow in during velvet causing the holes you see.

RE: hole in antlers
 

He's right about the bot fly larvae it's the same one that causes wolves in squirrels and rabbits but I have seen some holes so big that they had to bee injuries

RE: hole in antlers
 

I did some searching and reading about botflies and deer and found that most botflies attack the nasal system or wounds in the flesh. I didn't find any thing suggesting that they attack antlers.

RE: hole in antlers
 

I don`t` know what makes those holes. I have killed two one ten and a nine and both have them holes in about the same place on the left main beam?

RE: hole in antlers
 

Here's a pick of a big hole in this years MD buck. I can put my pinky in the hole and it's angled along the beam and doesn't go straight in. Roughly 3/4" deep. They're not caused but injury as some have mentioned. Ticks, parasites and bot flies are the main cause of such things.

RE: hole in antlers
 

yep, bot fly is the answer i have read in books and magazines. i am sure that injury can cause some too. EVERYBODY is CORRECT!!! YEA!!!!

RE: hole in antlers
 

bullets from cock-eyed hunters reading about Bot Fly Larvae is more likely

RE: hole in antlers
 

I shot a buck this year with the same type of whole. It looks very very similar to the one in the picture already posted. In both cases the whole is on the main beam on such an angle that it would appear as though something stuck in their while the antlers were something. THis is nothing more than speculation as I have never seen this before. But it is just interesting that both deer have a whole so similar.

RE: hole in antlers
 

I opened this expecting something about the Hole In The Horn Buck.

RE: hole in antlers
 

Yep everybodys right here. Also some holes are caused by their genetics. I have a family of nice non-typicals on my property and they all have holes in about the same places.

RE: hole in antlers
 

The main reason is insects, etc during the velvet stages. Although I have heard that genetics can play a part as well.

The arguement of an injury has been tossed around lots before as well. I believe injury usually results in malformation, which I guess can be a hole as well. However I have taken animals that had sustained injurys to body(like broken legs and it effects the growth of the opposite side rack...I have read and been told this is b/c more energy is being used by the animal to mend the injury than horn growth) Have seen some injuries that were to the actual antler in velvet stage, one was a cut(crease) in the G2 and G3, we came to the conclusion he must have got tangled up in a fence, bail twine...something to cause this deep crease. It also resulted in a difference between tine measurement than the opposite G2 & G3.

Here is a qyestion I have wondered what causes some deer to hang on to velvet and turn it into the leather it does??? I have witnessed a number deer that exhibit this abnormality. It certainly didn't hamper the growth as some of these deer were extremely well blessed with head gear. It is often on droptine clubs, but I have seen it on basic typicals too.

Anybody know the score on this unique happening???

RE: hole in antlers
 

This is an interesting topic. My buck that I shot in Canada had holes in both sides of the main beams and one of the split G2's had a hole in the top of the point. I was wondering what it was from....

RE: hole in antlers
 

Well I know on occasion a bigfoot will catch a buck in velvet and drill holes in thier antlers! Trophy will back me up on this one.:eek:

RE: hole in antlers
 

taz just curious . what kind of drill does a big foot use , and what would be the purpose of the hole ? lol

RE: hole in antlers
 

Jimbo hunter 1,

Well once again I've learned something new about whitetails. Been hunting them since 65 and didn't know what caused the holes, bug or injury. Never get to old to learn something new do we.

dog1

RE: hole in antlers
 

Nope, we sure don't dog1. Sometimes I think that the more "new" information I learn, the more old information I forget about. Maybe some of the new information is just old information that leaked out of my head!?!
Oh well. It keeps it interesting!