Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Whitetail deer antler beam holes

Tedthorn's thread caused me to answer the question - what causes the holes we see in Whitetail deer antler beams?

There is a hole or depression on the left antler beam of Tedhorn's 6 point mount and is similiar to ones I have observed over the years.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...st_wanted_to_share_a_picture#Post4931885

I contacted state wildlife biologists in Iowa and Wisconsin for an opinion on the cause of the antler holes. There is no scientific basis for their responses. They were all in agreement that the holes were not caused by insects. Now that is what I thought was the cause...an insect laid an egg in the velvet antler, hatched into larvae stage and emerged.

The majority believed the holes were former blood vessels of the velvet stage. One informant surmised it was due to an injury to the beam, tissue died and as the tissue was drying live antler material grew around it. Another opined that it may be a genetic related antler defect.

This is a Whitetail deer mount that I have that is very similiar to hole in Tedthorn's mount. The hole is 1/4" in diameter and 1/4" deep.

I got some that have holes too, always attributed it to bugs as well.

Interesting--Thanks for sharing!

B8

From what I've read, it's caused by bugs when the antlers are in the velvet stage.

Yep, they are caused by parasites during velvet.

Hmmmmmmm...tedthorn and tzone, it seems my sources, PHD Wildlife Biologists within the natural resource departments of Iowa and Wisconsin, need to get their hands on your reading materials.

Can't we trust anything the DNR says?

I couldn't care less either way

Well what do they say it's from? I'm no expert on it that's for sure.

You are a Show Me State guy. The OP gave us a teachable thread here but was lost on you.

I on the other hand found it very interesting.

I would direct you to the original post for the answer to your question which is no definitative conclusion - varying opinions.

I am from Iowa so maybe thems there DNR guys influenced me but, I always thought it was due to a blood vessel or injury. When I think about the blood vessel theory it doesnt make much sense as I dont think growing antlers have large caliber vessels growing in them. The bug theory and injury are basically the same both injury. Dean

Antlers are the fastest growing true bone that we know of in mammals. They are literally full of blood vessels, and the metabolic rate is very high--when you take hold of one it feels almost hot to the touch. The shape of the holes and the fact that the antler continues to grow around and away from it makes the blood vessel theory seem a little more likely to me.

I have seen tame deer and penned deer with ticks and other kinds of external parasites all over their growing antlers. None of them ever ended up with holes like those in the original post.

Mudhen, The antlers are packed full of blood vessels but I am wondering if they have any large diameter vessels the size of the hole we see in antlers. Seems to me many small cappilary type vessels would be present to lay down all that new antler.
I own some tame deer and know when they get damaged in velvet the blood literally runs out almost to the point that you think they could bleed out. I have a friend that has been in the deer business and has seen more deer antler injuries than I have. I will ask him.

I confess that the only antler abnormalities that I have investigated involve those that result from injuries to the legs. I have seen these holes and have never been curious enough about them to do any investigation. The guys that I worked with who would probably know are all deceased, and I haven't spoken with any of the guys who work on antler development these days.

I will make a couple of inquiries to guys in Texas that still work with antler development in penned deer--maybe they will know the answer,

I talked with a deer breeder today and he said the holes are fom infection or injury. He said the biggest vessels are pencil lead size and will squirt blood a few feet if injured. Most of the holes I am thinking about are bigger than pencil lead but not by much. This deer breeder had a 340 inch yearling I believe it may still hold the record.
Antlers are amazing to go from a button buck to 340 inches in one year.

pics we need pics i want to see a 340 yearling !!

I was wrong on his score, he was 317 4/8 as a yearling and I think 340 his second year after being shot through the chest. The bullet was a small cal. and missed the heart by less than 1 inch. They think it was a hunter that didnt realise he was in a pen as public hunting is just behind this guys place. Anyway type in king kong deer into google and look up trophy whitetails web site. Wish I new how to link it.

I have a couple racks with "mushrooms" on the antler tips. The deer banged the point on something when soft yet and flattened the tip out, but no hole from it. The racks with holes I have all seemed to have been on deer that were on the down hill side of life, usually old deer in poor shape with demented looking racks.

I have a rather high scoring non-typical rack on the wall of my study with a hole in the back of the right main beam. A local guy stopped by the house after hearing about this nice rack and asked me if there was a hole anywhere in the antlers...sure enough...a .50 cal hole. He shot at it during ML season, you can still see the lead ball. Very unscientific...but a hole nevertheless.

Being from TX, I always assumed it was a mesquite or prickly pear thorn injury during velvet.
Just adds character in my opinion.

stumpy