Hollow antler

My husband and I found this unusual antler in SE Utah last week:

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http://www.fourcornerstrails.com/pics/Antler_measurement.jpg" alt="" />

It's 10" around the base, and feels like it's made of pumice stone. The hollow goes in about 3 1/4", and appears to have been just shed from the deer. We went back the next day and tried to find the other one, but figured it could still be stuck on his head :)

Anyone ever find one like this? Does anyone know why this occurs? I was a taxidermist for 7 years and never encountered anything like this.

Sarah
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AntlersOutWest
That is strange! Ive never seen anything like it before..
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waynedevore
That's an interesting find. I have never seen one like that. Appears to be a fresh shed. We can't say it is decomposing. Wish I had an answer.

Rosehorse, Welcome to the forums. ::wel
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sawsman
There, I knew I wasnt the only one who had one like that.

Here's one I found last year.
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Awesome! Where did you find that? It almost looks like it came off the same deer as mine :)

Sarah
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sawsman
"rosehorse" wrote:Awesome! Where did you find that? It almost looks like it came off the same deer as mine :)

Sarah
 I found it in north-central Utah. I looked for the other side but never could find it.
I measured the base of mine and its the same size as yours...interesting, huh?
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The Ox
thats interesting and kinda neat! never seen any like it but ill bet with all the shed hunters on here someone will have an answer to taht
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MuleyMadness
Wow, VERY cool on both of them. Give me a couple of days and I'll post a live photo of a buck that's in velvet that I think would shed one similar to this. :thumb
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Default Avatar
Belive me or not but i have seen a half dozen or more like that and have 2 at my house. IMO the reason it happens has something to do with age. I say that because all except about 2 of the ones I've seen have been oviously declined bucks. The other 2 were both freeks and who knows maybe declined as well. But what actually makes it happen i dont know.
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Default Avatar
Mine was in southeastern Utah, so I guess they aren't related :)

Sarah
"sawsman" wrote: I found it in north-central Utah. I looked for the other side but never could find it.
I measured the base of mine and its the same size as yours...interesting, huh?
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AGCHAWK
Well, antlers grow from the outside in as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus are being deposited by the blood vessels that are in the velvet during the antler growing stages. After the antlers have grown, the center of the antler (the sporangium) is filled. (I have another long post on the site somewhere outlining the testosterone impulses that trigger antler growth...and eventual hardening and velvet shedding in case you are interested)

When the antlers are fully grown, they begin to harden and solidify from the base to the tops and from outside to the inside.

Now, it also seems to me that the majority of the antlers that I've seen posted like this appear to come from older bucks or bucks on the decline. I suppose it could be that during the final stages of antler development, the center, or sporangium, around the bases never fully develops. If they are not fully developed, then when the pedicle erodes during the shedding process, the antler eventually detaches further up the core of the base, leaving the hollowed out look of these antlers.

Make sense? Anyone have anything to add or contradict? I'd be interested to hear if anyone has anything else that might cause this.
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Default Avatar
That make sense to me. Unfortunately it ruins my idea that he was a genetic freak that would be making more like him in my secret antler collecting area. Darn!
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sawsman
Thanks for the explanation AGCHAWK. It does make sense that this type of antler could come from an older buck.

rosehorse- welcome to the forum! you should post in the mule deer forum and tell us a little about yourself in the roll call post.
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killerbee
i need to find where i got my info later-but--- i have a shed like this to. and i read that it is acually a disease they get in their antlers.theres a name for it but i'll try and get the info a repost. BUT I COULD BE WRONG AS USUAL lol
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AGCHAWK
LOL....you could be right on the money, Killer. I was just speculating as to why it occurs. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if it was some sort of infection, parasite, or disease.
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MuleyMadness
Okay here is my 'goofy' buck in velvet, that I think would shed and turn out exactly like the previous pics shown.

Not sure on the age of my buck??...but he is a bit 'goofy', and judging by the size of the bases maybe he is older??

Couple of characteristics from the 1st shed and both actually...

1. HUGE bases, I figure my bucks to be over 7" bases easy.
2. Goof eyeguards, my buck has eyeguards pointing backwards just like rosehorse first pics. (my buck has at least 2 eyeguards on right and 3 on left), photo is about 4 years old.

Pretty interesting to say the least.
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MuleyMadness
Oh forgot to mention, this buck is in Southwestern Utah.

One closer shot...
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killerbee
O.K. i just pulled this from another site.A taxidermist friend said that a disease causes that antler configuration. The antlers are real porous. Its called EHD, eppozoic hemeragic disease (sp?) something like that. I got a few sheds like that. but it is second hand info that also makes sence. but so does AGCHAWKS. so who knows.

BRETT: my shed horns is the same thing it has a 3 inch eye gaurd that is curly and comes off the horn fuuny and has pretty big bases.
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Default Avatar
This has been so interesting. My bet is on the disease now. The velvet buck looks like he has these antlers, too. I was wondering what they'd look like on a deer with such huge bases!

So when they shed, is there a big boney protrustion on their head? Mine looked like it had fresh blood in it, plus way up at the top of the hollow there are some fat deposits, which make me think it was on a sheath, much like an antelope's horn.

Sarah
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AGCHAWK
Cool pics Brett! Sure looks the same, doesn't it?!

Killer/rosehorse: We may be on to something. the disease that Killer mentioned may very well have the effects that I mentioned. Therefore, between us I think we may have actually gotten it right!


Man, teamwork is great! (Of course, we could ALL be off our rockers and in that case we are back at square one)
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*ShedPredator*
Yeah the horns you guys have found are from what i would call a cactus buck. Down here in Southern Utah you find them quite often actually and i'm not 100% possitive but i think why they are hollowed out is because of the horn that is already growing up underneath it and its pushing the horn off. I'll get a couple pictues of some of mine that i've found, their pretty cool.
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