_Dan

Like Iasked before, why are they always in the same general area? Why is it never by the bases or on the tines? Why is it always on mature deer? Sorry to say that it has nothing to do with fly larva, sticks, fence, etc. It has everything to do with how the antler grows and how the vessles dry up.

Windwalker7

Deer have ears that twitch, They twitch their ears often to shu away flys and such. Since the base of the antler is closer to the ears, insects have a hard time doing anything there because they are constantly shued away by those twitching ears.

Now if an insect were to land on the antler farther away from those twitching ears it wouldn't be so concerned by them. Where would the farthest place be to get away from those ears?

Ever watch a deer in the summer (antler growing season), they are constantly being harassed by insects. Watch those ears. Always swinging around to chase them away.

bsurplus2003

Education time, no offense to anyone. These are typical from the animal being chased during the summer, while there in velvet. Branches poke the antlers and its like punching a hole then it repairs itself. the hole simply heals and when they turn hard they look like that. If theres alot of em, then the animal has been chased alot. Of course were do deer run to? dense cover. Antlers are like radiators when there in velvet it acts like a cooling system for the animals during the summer, the blood flows through and circulates which cools the animal in the heat of the day. So imagine punching a hole in your radiator, and you put stop leak in it, it fills the hole as a temporary fix, and allows the blood to continue to flow through.
Brett

_Dan

No offense, but that's still not true.

1. A deer's ears cannot reach the insides of the bases.
2. The can't reach the end of tines, but there are never holes there either.
3. They are always on the bottom of the main beam or in front of a tine where it meets the main beam. Never anywhere on the tine.

I find well over 100 sheds a season and I can tell you that any with holes are always in the same spots. I also see a lot of mature bucks that have been harvested by either myself, my brothers, or friends of ours and again the holes are always in the same spots.

Yes I have watched a ton of deer in the summer. If that were the case, don't you think more deer would have the holes?

Again no offense, but thats just the way some mature deer's antlers grow.


Edited: Here's the only pic I have on the computer. Notice, again, it's from a mature deer.

bsurplus2003

My explaination comes from conservation officers, and wildlife biologists, I think I will stick with my explanation, And if you notice whats facing out on the deers antlers as he goes through the brush. And look at the hole, Sorry but its from running into branches.
Brett

Windwalker7

Read down through this to the part about antler growth

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/lib/pgc/deer/wtDeer_04m.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp%3Fa%3D458%26q%3D150818&h=189&w=12 7&sz=10&hl=en&start=33&um=1&tb nid=OmFw7hvjHjVMWM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=69&p rev=/images%3Fq%3Dbot%2Bfly%2Blarva%2Bin%2Bantlers%26st art%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3D en%26sa%3DN

_Dan

OK, I have never admitted to knowing everything....LOL [8D]

First, Brett,if it were from running into brances the injury would be much more traumatic and damaging to the antlers. i.e. messed up tines, bent main beams, etc. The branch theory is an old wives tale.

Windwalker,you may be changing my minda little bit. [8D] I read the article and decided to do a little more research. In 45 minutes of searching the internet I could only find 2 articles about bot flies. More specifically deer nose bot flies. Here are the links....

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26640--,00.html

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/deer/disease.htm

The only place I could find anything relating to bot flies and antler damage was on taxidermy websites and other hear say type sites. Nothing with any reasearch to back it up. Maybe you can help me find a site with some hard evidence.

bsurplus2003

No its not, If you look at the holes there on the outside. Anyway Im not gonna get into an arguement on holes in horns. Antlers bend when there in velvet and then harden in that form. Ive been taught alot about horns from very good resources, so I will stick with my info. P.S if you look at the holes closely you,ll see theres still velvet in most were the buck coudnt scrape it off.
Brett

_Dan

And always on the main beam. So it proves my point that it can't be from sticks. See if you can do a search and show me some hard evidence that sticks are causing the holes. I'm not an easy person to convince unless it is proven to me with a reliable source, not just hear say.

Brett, I'm not arguing with you either. If you hang around here you'll see I'm not the kind of person to argure about something so retarded.

Hey, you still have that hunt swap offer out? I'm looking to kill a mountain lion and I have the means to barter.

Windwalker, please let me know if you find anything else.

BowHunter46

I dont have any solid proof about the blood vessel theory, I just remember posting this question when I had first joined and that was the general conclusion.

I have never shot/found a buck with that big of a hole in the antler. I have noticed though that the holes varry in size.

One thing that hasn't been brought up is the depth of the hole. If it only goes down an inch and abruptly stops, then I wouldlean more towardsthe bug theory Because if it were the remnance of a blood vessel, then why would only thatinch of the cavity be left open?