I particularly enjoy seeing a white-tail buck with antlers. (Well, they are less commonly seen than the females, and more varied.) So when I spotted one this morning, I quietly followed it hoping for a good picture. But, the scene proved quite unexpected. I will show the picture first, and then offer comments.
A white-tailed deer buck with strangely deformed (infected ?) antlers is eating vegetation.
What is odd about them:
a) The left antler seems to be over half-covered with small growths.
b) The right antler has only a small bit of similar growth.
c) There is no sign that there is a link from one deformity to the other.
d) The right antler is an underdeveloped spike, while the left has three tines.
e) Both antlers look as though they have prematurely lost their velvet.
f) I could find no pictures of a condition like this on the Web.
If you have any insights, feel free to offer them.
Do you think it might be this? (There are similar pictures on “caldeerassoc” Instagram account)
“This is what’s known as a cactus buck.
The name comes from the tangled, cactus-like antler growth caused by a disruption in testosterone levels, often due to injury or undescended testicles. Unlike typical bucks that shed their velvet each year, cactus bucks retain velvet-covered antlers that keep growing irregularly.
It’s rare. It’s wild. And it’s a powerful example of how biology, environment, and health all shape the deer we see in the field.”
Annabelle, thank you for those insights. I wonder how common it is; this is the first time I have seen it.