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

It's kinda sick and twisted but...I want to see the guy breeding deer....sorry it sounds like a sucky job!

That's exactly the opinion that I got today from the guys on the Kerr and Chaparral Wildlife Management Areas. They all said that they have seen deer with mesquite thorns stuck in the growing antlers that produced holes like the ones in Roundoaks' photos.

I'm no DNR guy but I believe that its due to the fact that the male of any species is not that far apart genetically than we think they are.

In this case, I believe that bucks aspire to attach things to their antlers to put [bleep] on (like shelving) and after much trial and error, they have decided that the pocket joint is the best method. A select few have figured out how to make the pocket joint which is pretty remarkable because I highly doubt that they have the thought process to make a pocket hole jig.

The lack of decent shelving material and thumbs is the only reason why we don't see them running through the woods with a few 1/2 quarts of oil, a trouble light, and a bunch of dirty tools on their heads.

This is my theory but like I said, I'm no DNR guy.

Yeah, we had figured that out, but you get a B+ for a vivid imagination!

I think Rooster may be on to something.

The hole.



With the #2 pencil found next to the buck the day he was shot.



And here he is one evening back in September looking for the same pencil he had dropped.



Ya never know...

Sometimes you do, and sometimes you don't...that's the way the world works.

Here is a few pics of a nice shed I picked up 24 years ago. Should have been a heck of a 12pt. He has a dandy hole in his beam......

That is a dandy buck! Bet he's a shop teacher!

I have heard of ticks latching on the velvet as well.

My father shot a buck about 30 years ago that had a hole that is probably close to an inch across on the bottom of one beam. Inside, at the bottom of it, it looks kind of honeycombed.

He was told by a couple biologists at the time that they think they are caused by flies, etc when in velvet. I never really thought too much more about it.