• Help Support TNDeer:

Why

T

thejetman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Messages
628
Reaction score
0
Location
Knox
Do I have a buck with antlers on my trail cam? He looks older. But all the other bucks have velvet? This guy has a messed up rack with no velvet on it. WHats the deal?
 
May have carried them from last year as well. Never dropped them in the spring. I read some where that this happens from time to time.
 
Sounds like a buck with testosterone production problems (for any number of reasons, with the most likely being he lost the use of his testicles).
 
I have even heard of just one side falling off......maybe it is a survival evolution thing .

Well I have always heard if the buck is in hard horn ...He can breed.....But if you have not got a set ...it would be useless.
 
If he injured his teeticles could or would he keep producing testosterone? Seeing how the decrease in testosterone is when they shed. And the increase is when they start to lose velvet?
 
horn master said:
If he injured himself when his testosterone level was high would it remain high? Inquiring minds want to know! lol
Click to expand...

A buck that loses the use of his testicles, or has non-functioning testicles, usually grows antlers (his body can produce just enough testosterone from other sources to start antlergenesis) but his body cannot produce the high levels of testosterone needed to harden antlers, hence his antlers stay in velvet, and he keeps the same set of velvet antlers all his life. In the Southeast, where the velvet antlers don't freeze and die, this means the velvet antlers can grow huge (called a "cactus rack").

After thinking about your buck's situation a little longer, I would think that a buck that already has a set of hardened antlers when he loses the use of his testicles would experience enough of a decrease in testosterone production that those antlers would drop. Perhaps that buck just has unique antler growth timing and last year's set is still holding on until this year's velvet set starts growing.
 
Sorry for not updating but he is on a trail cam video....I can put it on youtube when I get a chance. But, I have been watching more footage and it seems like 3 outta four deer have no velvet on them. All this is going on at my buddys farm. He is really interested to start hunting so this year I am showin him the ropes. If I can somehow get the videos up you guys can see. They are healthy deer jsut seems odd to me.
 
thejetman said:
Sorry for not updating but he is on a trail cam video....I can put it on youtube when I get a chance. But, I have been watching more footage and it seems like 3 outta four deer have no velvet on them. All this is going on at my buddys farm. He is really interested to start hunting so this year I am showin him the ropes. If I can somehow get the videos up you guys can see. They are healthy deer jsut seems odd to me.
Click to expand...

Where is this property? Is it in TN?
 
Yes it is in TN, West of Knoxville. Just past the split. I am going to flip the camera to photo mode this weekend. And see if I cant get a couple clear pictures. I have never seen anything like this in my life. I want to get to the bottom of it.
 
Well. The one video I have is on my facebook lol. I need to drive out there this weekend and get the files. I can't download the video off fb. But it shows clear as day, at night, no velvet on some of these bucks.
 
Yup, below the split on 40. Off the Suger limb exit. Past LEnoir City. I am going to post the videos up this weekend so you guys can see. All the deer are healthy, big body deer. Its just most don't have any velvet on em.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top