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BuckTracker: You're Such A Freak!
I’ve covered freak whitetails in this space before (including antlered does and cactus bucks), but nothing—in my mind—that compares to the deer below. This whitetail arrived in a Maryland taxidermist’s shop recently and may very well be the strangest set of antlers I’ve seen.
This buck’s antlers seem to be fused at the base. Indeed, even some of the “kicker” and “sticker” points growing well above the antler bases have grown together, creating a kind of huge, single “horn” that sprouted from this buck’s noggin.
I know, I know…someone is going remind me that deer grow antlers, not horns…the difference being that antlers are shed and regrown each year. I get that, up, down and sideways. I also propose that this is one whitetail that—had he not been killed by a hunter—would have wished that the monstrosity between his ears would have remained firmly in place come late-winter. What would that poor fella have looked (and felt) like when he shed this antler? Antlers? Horn?
Great website. Hope you don't mind that I added it to my blog list.
Thanks
Posted by: Michael Boehler | December 15, 2008 at 09:23 AM
WOW... Any idea what part md it was?
Posted by: Tyler (NC) | December 15, 2008 at 03:16 PM
Could that deer have survived the shed process?
Posted by: Scott K | December 15, 2008 at 05:23 PM
i'd like to here the story on this one.reminds me of a kings crown..
Posted by: tim | December 15, 2008 at 05:55 PM
Awesome...to say the least.
Posted by: Tom | December 15, 2008 at 06:47 PM
I highly doubt the validity of these photos. Obviously this would not be this deers first set of antlers. How could a deer live through dropping those antlers (the top of his head) and live? Obviously a joke and you are guible if you fall for it. And why is the skull covered with a cloth in the close up picture?
Posted by: Brian | December 16, 2008 at 04:14 AM
this post is bulls**t!!!
Posted by: brian | December 16, 2008 at 04:18 AM
I'd like to hear the story behind this buck too, but I believe the deer is real. Many bucks grow crazy 'cactus' racks, third antlers, etc, so this rack is far from impossible! I think it's awesome - a 'crown' of horns!
Posted by: Kevin | December 16, 2008 at 09:19 AM
It's awsome, but I don't think he'd go in the entrance-way...maybe the back room. A little too creepy for your average guest, maybe.
Posted by: | December 16, 2008 at 12:18 PM
It would be interesting to know how hi res you got the photo--and if you can spot some cloning or anything. It looks pretty darned real to me, but then I'm just across the border and I have some weird antlers show up in my back yard every night--nothing as gnarly as that, but there are some genes mutating in the deer here.
Posted by: Guy Sagi | December 16, 2008 at 06:06 PM
As strange as it may look. It is real. I am the guy who shot it. It was shot in Pennsylvania and taken to my Taxidermist in Maryland.The photos are actual .We counted 29 points but the rack is so non-typical that I have no clue how you could score it. It is 14" around the base,I have other photos of the deer but I do not know how to post them online. Just wanted to let the non-believers know that this is not a fake photo.
Posted by: Bob | December 20, 2008 at 10:15 AM
THis is something that can actually happen to bucks. The way in which it can happen is if the scalp in between the two antlers is ripped from the bucks head. then the pedicals actually fuse together across the top of the head and fuse and the antlers will be shed as one. i've seen this a couple of times in captive animals and they will live through it.
this is similar to if you've ever seen bucks with a small "unicorn" antler on its forehead, which probably is the results of a tine from another buck puncturing the forehead.
this is a pretty extreme stump on this guys head, though!
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Posted by: Kaboom | December 22, 2008 at 09:53 AM