Damaged Skull Plate?
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: delkslayr
15-Sep-20
I shot a bull on sunday that appears to have a damaged skull plate (at some point) that caused one side of his rack to grow out of the top of his head. My question is: Is that caused by some injury previously that damaged the skull plate? He was extremely healthy and running cows so appeared to be unaffected by it. Just curious how many people have seen things like this before?
From: geewhiz
15-Sep-20
My buddy shot a bull last year with a club on his left side and as I was skinning his head I discovered he also had a damaged skull plate. Not sure if it was an accident somewhere along the way or even possibly genetic?? Seamed to be healthy before the shot, although I guess I don't know what a mentally handicapped Bull elk acts like. haha
From: GhostBird
15-Sep-20
I don't know the answer, but congratulations on a nice bull.
From: WI Shedhead
15-Sep-20
Was told one time that when some cows give birth thier standing up and the calves get dropped on thier head. The heal up with damaged pedicals. Seems like it’s more pronounced in desert country
From: Ucsdryder
15-Sep-20
My buddy has 2 like that. Makes me think it’s fairly common.
From: smarba
15-Sep-20
I shot a bull in AZ same configuration as yours. I've seen several trophy photos online and in magazines that are similar, so it must not be all that uncommon. No idea what causes it though.
From: GF
15-Sep-20
“ I guess I don't know what a mentally handicapped Bull elk acts like.”
Probably a lot like most of the animals I’ve shot. ;)
From: Brotsky
15-Sep-20
That's a very interesting theory Gerald, seems to make more sense than any other explanation I've seen for why this happens.
From: Glunt@work
15-Sep-20
This bull had a similar issue.
From: Dale06
15-Sep-20
I wonder if ‘‘tis happened as a result of their fighting with other bulls. Maybe in a fight the base gets cracked and the following year, the horn grows back at an angle.
From: orionsbrother
15-Sep-20
I killed a bull with the same sort of damage and odd antler configuration too.
From: AaronShort
15-Sep-20
I've seen this on multiple whitetails. I do Euros for a side gig. It appears an old injury to the skull is the reasoning.
From: Huntcell
15-Sep-20
Got one also
From: PTArcher
15-Sep-20
Shot a bull with a similar deformity in AZ 10 years ago. The locals referred to it as a "bitch horn" bull. Not sure what causes it.
From: DL
15-Sep-20
Where I hunt a spike got an antler caught in a corner post/gate anchor that had to weigh 1000 pounds. It was solid concrete and rocks that was 3’x3’ and 2’ thick with a 4” well casing to anchor the gate. He saw the truck coming and tore that out of the ground and breaking off his Pedicle. Saw it happen to a deer on my property. Next year I shot him. The broke off antler grew straight up with a tiny fork. I’ve seen a number of them with screwed up pedicles and antlers. I imagine when the antlers are frowning that if they were running full bore through trees and broke one off it might grow back weird. They cant always run through the trees and not hit one especially at night.
From: TD
16-Sep-20
"Was told one time that when some cows give birth thier standing up and the calves get dropped on thier head. "
I too have been told I was dropped on my head at birth. But now so many years later with basically nothing left BUT a skull plate..... it does seem mostly intact and no, um..... visible damage.....
Buddy shot a bull years ago in the CMR MT that was similar. Don't know what happened at birth. Or if any other twisted effects other than a screwed up rack. As I'm told happens sometimes.......
From: delkslayr
16-Sep-20
Thanks for all the replies guys. I had seen it online before but never in person! Whether they are dropped on their head at birth or it happens later in life, it sounds like it is definitely caused by damage at some point!
