It happens. They have the gene for antlers, it's just modified to be inert. Just like fangs, every once in a while you get one where the gene mutates back "on." This is why I presume that one of my ancestors interbred with a sheep.
Yeah, me thinks gonna be Cactus Buck too... From what I read most Cactus Bucks are castrated bucks, although it could also be a antlered doe... Be nice to have more cam pix... Our organized hunting group once killed a button doe during our gun season in December... Had velvet on it's buttons at the time, but we thought it was a buck fawn but when we flipped it over to gut it we all dropped jaws... We joking teased the guy who shot it all week of killing a queer deer...8^)
Had this one on camera a few years back on the family farm but never confirmed what “it” was. Only get 1 buck tag, so not wasting it on a management deer. End of season might’ve been a different story.
Kansas changed from “visible polished antler” to “visible antler” a few years back.
Cool photos of cactus antlers, thanks for sharing...
From my understanding, these cactus bucks look like does since they lost their testicles and haven't testosterone, so they don't get thick necks and body... But if you think about a steered bull bovine, they get thick, so I don't know, doesn't make sense...
Don't think that is a doe. I believe what you have a young buck that did not quite clear the fence. When that happens, they often develop gender confusing body characteristics. Be interesting to see how that deer develops.
Hey kscowboy - "Only get 1 buck tag, so not wasting it on a management deer."
We don't actually have buck or doe tags here in Ohio, they're called antler and antlerless tags... Antlers under 3" are considered antlerless, so by looks, don't see antlers over 3" there in your trail cam pix, so wouldn't have had to use your antlered buck tag here...
When we lived in Montana my brother Gene, myself and Paul Brunner all shot antlered does in the same year. Just a freak coincidence though as they were all in different areas of the state and hundreds of miles apart. bw
I did at the time but another of those things lost in our fire in '99. Mine was only a spikehorn but he/she had about one inch hard antlers and she was lactating I remember too. A lot of antlered does seem to be in velvet. I was just filling doe tags at the time and never knew it had any antlers when I shot. I also remember (for some strange reason) I killed her with a big 'ol Pearson Deadhead that was slotted and bleeder blades added. I was just experimenting but it cut a hell of a hole. Ha.
I had an antlered doe that I continually saw for a few years. Haven’t seen her in a while, but definitely a fairly common occurance. Sorry Embry I don’t have any solid guesses for you, but I’d agree with the face looking doe-like