antlers vs horns

[KANSAS]

Ok... if you castrate a longhorn bull you get huge antlers...
What happens if you castrate a deer or an elk?

 

[backhoeboogie]

Most folks I talk to don't use the term antler

 

[dun]

I've never seen a castrated deer or elk. I once killed a buck that only had one nut and it was shriveled and looked to be pretty much useless. It appeared that his antler just kept growing antlers and never shed the velvet or the antlers. He ended up with some pretty grotesque headgear.

dun

 

[MillIronQH]

I've never seen a castrated deer or elk. I once killed a buck that only had one nut and it was shriveled and looked to be pretty much useless. It appeared that his antler just kept growing antlers and never shed the velvet or the antlers. He ended up with some pretty grotesque headgear.

dun

Be a non-typical. I saw one that was taken in McMullan County that was 34 points but the record is 44 (19 right 25 left). Yea they're pretty wierd looking.Z

 

[kjones]

I've never seen a castrated deer or elk. I once killed a buck that only had one nut and it was shriveled and looked to be pretty much useless. It appeared that his antler just kept growing antlers and never shed the velvet or the antlers. He ended up with some pretty grotesque headgear.

dun

Ive been told by a few old hunters that on older buck will bite the nuts off of younger bucks.
Supposedly to remove any future mating competition. when this happens the bucks will not lose their velvet. It probably has something to do with lack of testosterone from missing his goods. Any way Ive allways seen it as a horn has one point and doesn't branch. An antler has multiple points and may branch.

 

[dun]

Any way Ive allways seen it as a horn has one point and doesn't branch. An antler has multiple points and may branch.

Although with in game animals like elk, deer, moose, antelope, etc they're sometimes called horns, except for antelope or goats and sheep they're really antlers. Horn is a continuously living growing tissue while antlers are hardened mineral material that is only living as long as the velvet is on them and are shed annually.

dun

 

[kjones]

Thats a good point.

 

[stocky]

Kjones, I had never heard that before. I have never killed a buck that didnt have its testicles. I have castrated several bucks, but they have all been dead when I did it. I am curious if anyone else has killed a buck with no testicles. It sure would make sense that it could happen in nature, just hadnt heard it before

 

[kjones]

My mother in laws ex killed a mule deer that was this way. Ive read in some hunting magazines about does with antlers, but Ive never seen any.

 

[oscar p]

I've never seen a castrated deer or elk. I once killed a buck that only had one nut and it was shriveled and looked to be pretty much useless. It appeared that his antler just kept growing antlers and never shed the velvet or the antlers. He ended up with some pretty grotesque headgear.

dun

Ive been told by a few old hunters that on older buck will bite the nuts off of younger bucks.
Supposedly to remove any future mating competition. when this happens the bucks will not lose their velvet. It probably has something to do with lack of testosterone from missing his goods. Any way Ive allways seen it as a horn has one point and doesn't branch. An antler has multiple points and may branch.

I think you may have heard wrong about deer. They may have ment to say squirrel. I know this is true with squirrels. shoot lots of young and old male squirrels every fall with no nuts. I have a mut for a squirrel dog.

 

[kjones]

No they meant to say bucks. It would be hard to mistake squirrel and buck. It was an interesting discussion, so I'm sure its no mistake.

 

[oscar p]

You may have heard right. I belive it to be Bull stuff.

 

[kjones]

why is that?

 

[oscar p]

Deer dont have top teeth in the front so I find it hard that they could bite them off. They couldn't get them in the back of the mouth to chew them off. I've hunted for 25 years, my dad for 52 years, weve never shot a buck with no testicles. Out of all the hundreds of T.V. hunting shows,magazines,and documenterys(?spelling) you know their would be an article or show about it.

 

[dun]

I know a woman that claims elk can move their antlers in and out to better get through the woods, claims to have seen them do it. I put the buck castration in the same category. Swine laundry.

dun

 

[oscar p]

You may have heard right. I belive it to be Bull stuff.

 

[TLCfromARK]

I've never seen a castrated deer or elk. I once killed a buck that only had one nut and it was shriveled and looked to be pretty much useless. It appeared that his antler just kept growing antlers and never shed the velvet or the antlers. He ended up with some pretty grotesque headgear.

dun

Ive been told by a few old hunters that on older buck will bite the nuts off of younger bucks.
Supposedly to remove any future mating competition. when this happens the bucks will not lose their velvet. It probably has something to do with lack of testosterone from missing his goods. Any way Ive allways seen it as a horn has one point and doesn't branch. An antler has multiple points and may branch.

I think you may have heard wrong about deer. They may have ment to say squirrel. I know this is true with squirrels. shoot lots of young and old male squirrels every fall with no nuts. I have a mut for a squirrel dog.

I've got to agree with Oscar, squirrels will do it, not deer. KJones you may have heard correctly but didn't understand what they were saying. I've heard alot of the old timers ( no offense Dun ) in S.W. Arkansas call a male squirrel a "buck" ( kinda of a carry over from rabbits?), maybe that was what you heard?

I have heard of buck deer not having their nuts and their horns never lose their velvet but the thought was they lost them fighting or getting injured in some other manner. Hung in a fence maybe? :shock:

JMO
;-)

 

[MillIronQH]

Hung in a fence maybe?

UHHH... Don't even go there. Ouch.Z

 

[kjones]

Deer dont have top teeth in the front so I find it hard that they could bite them off. They couldn't get them in the back of the mouth to chew them off. I've hunted for 25 years, my dad for 52 years, weve never shot a buck with no testicles. Out of all the hundreds of T.V. hunting shows,magazines,and documenterys(?spelling) you know their would be an article or show about it.

I see your point. I am positive that we were talking about deer though. At this point I would have to guess they were mistaken, and believed an old tale, like I did. So what do you think the odds of a buck being born without testicles is?

 

[backhoeboogie]

Two years ago my wife killed a buck that only had one jewel. It was the subject of a lot of humor. The "rack" did not have a guard tine on it. Not on either side.

I couldn't tell you why he only had one, but it is fact. If chiefgriz ever gets back on the forum he can attest to it since he saw it also.

The first thing I do when I kill a buck is exactly what Dun described (and get rid of the scent glands as well). That morning I had already field dressed a buck I killed when I heard the wife shoot. She called and said she had "missed" one. She had actually cut his heart in half and it was about 50 feet from where she hit it.