buckhunter24
PMA Member
That sure is a cool rack. Would make a nice shoulder mount!!
Ghost
Life Member
This is a little long, but I found it interesting.
[ QUOTE ]
What is a “cactus” buck? Every year, we see pictures of deer that have bizarre, velvet-covered antlers that have a mass of knobby points and abnormally heavy bases. These are the type of deer usually known as cactus bucks. There has been a great deal of research done on what causes a deer to grow such an uncontrollable glob of velvet and I believe you’ll find the results interesting.
Velvet is an extension of skin that covers the growing antlers. Throughout the growing period, blood carries nutrients to the antlers via the velvet. Mineralization of antlers and a decrease of blood supply due to rising testosterone levels trigger velvet shedding. Testosterone is the hormone that dominates antler growth. In several studies, testosterone was artificially injected into deer during the antler-growing stage. The bucks reacted to the testosterone by shedding the velvet from the antlers before the blood supply had stopped. Have you ever noticed the last bucks to shed their velvet are the yearling bucks and the regressed old-aged bucks? Now you know why, they produce less testosterone than bucks in their prime.
So what do testosterone levels have to do with cactus bucks? Well, everything.
In most cactus buck documentations, a buck had the misfortune to turn “himself” into an “it.” The buck’s testes, the major testosterone producer, may have been left on a barbwire fence line or seriously injured in any number of ways. These castrations continuously result in “cactus” formation antlers with permanent velvet.
The effect of castration on antler development varies, depending on the age class of the deer and the stage of antler growth when the castration occurs. If a young fawn is castrated within the first few months, that deer will not develop pedicles and therefore never develop antlers. Older fawns that have been castrated have been documented of growing a permanent, small, knob-like mass of velvet. If an adult buck is castrated during antler growth and in the velvet, the lack of testosterone allows the velvet antlers to continue growing, omitting the velvet shedding stage and total ossification of antler. These antlers may go on growing for a long period of time creating large cactus racks. These antlers will not shed in the spring. However, it has been reported that in freezing climates the moisture enveloped inside these velvet-covered antlers freezes and parts of the antlers break off. I believe this is why we see so many large cactus bucks in mild weather areas. The antlers are able to continue growing and growing without breaking. Arizona, Southern Utah, and New Mexico are prime examples of mild winter range country and large cactus bucks. A buck with fully-developed, hard antlers that is castrated will shed his antlers soon after the occurrence. With little or no testosterone, the buck takes part in the same shed antler cycle as an intact buck but in a quicker period of time. The low testosterone levels retard protein transfer and assists in erosion between the antler and pedicel. The castrated buck’s antlers will drop within a few weeks. The following year the buck may produce another set of antlers that will remain velvet-covered and permanent. It has been reported in Columbian blacktails, that old-aged bucks that were castrated shed their antlers and never developed another set of antlers.
Many deer are thought to be cactus bucks until closer examination. The unique cactus feature can also be found on another strange deer phenomenon. The potential for antler development may also occur in female deer. Many of these females are still fertile and have been observed lactating with offspring. The antlers are formed by short-term increases of growth hormones. Usually these antlered females cannot produce testosterone to complete the antler cycle, as a result, the antlers remain soft and often permanent, similar to a cactus buck’s antlers. It doesn’t take much to put some antlers on a female’s head, one minuscule dose of testosterone is sufficient to stimulate the growth of a pedicle. Other female deer have grown antlers if their ovarian functions are chemically disabled.
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What is a “cactus” buck? Every year, we see pictures of deer that have bizarre, velvet-covered antlers that have a mass of knobby points and abnormally heavy bases. These are the type of deer usually known as cactus bucks. There has been a great deal of research done on what causes a deer to grow such an uncontrollable glob of velvet and I believe you’ll find the results interesting.
Velvet is an extension of skin that covers the growing antlers. Throughout the growing period, blood carries nutrients to the antlers via the velvet. Mineralization of antlers and a decrease of blood supply due to rising testosterone levels trigger velvet shedding. Testosterone is the hormone that dominates antler growth. In several studies, testosterone was artificially injected into deer during the antler-growing stage. The bucks reacted to the testosterone by shedding the velvet from the antlers before the blood supply had stopped. Have you ever noticed the last bucks to shed their velvet are the yearling bucks and the regressed old-aged bucks? Now you know why, they produce less testosterone than bucks in their prime.
So what do testosterone levels have to do with cactus bucks? Well, everything.
In most cactus buck documentations, a buck had the misfortune to turn “himself” into an “it.” The buck’s testes, the major testosterone producer, may have been left on a barbwire fence line or seriously injured in any number of ways. These castrations continuously result in “cactus” formation antlers with permanent velvet.
The effect of castration on antler development varies, depending on the age class of the deer and the stage of antler growth when the castration occurs. If a young fawn is castrated within the first few months, that deer will not develop pedicles and therefore never develop antlers. Older fawns that have been castrated have been documented of growing a permanent, small, knob-like mass of velvet. If an adult buck is castrated during antler growth and in the velvet, the lack of testosterone allows the velvet antlers to continue growing, omitting the velvet shedding stage and total ossification of antler. These antlers may go on growing for a long period of time creating large cactus racks. These antlers will not shed in the spring. However, it has been reported that in freezing climates the moisture enveloped inside these velvet-covered antlers freezes and parts of the antlers break off. I believe this is why we see so many large cactus bucks in mild weather areas. The antlers are able to continue growing and growing without breaking. Arizona, Southern Utah, and New Mexico are prime examples of mild winter range country and large cactus bucks. A buck with fully-developed, hard antlers that is castrated will shed his antlers soon after the occurrence. With little or no testosterone, the buck takes part in the same shed antler cycle as an intact buck but in a quicker period of time. The low testosterone levels retard protein transfer and assists in erosion between the antler and pedicel. The castrated buck’s antlers will drop within a few weeks. The following year the buck may produce another set of antlers that will remain velvet-covered and permanent. It has been reported in Columbian blacktails, that old-aged bucks that were castrated shed their antlers and never developed another set of antlers.
Many deer are thought to be cactus bucks until closer examination. The unique cactus feature can also be found on another strange deer phenomenon. The potential for antler development may also occur in female deer. Many of these females are still fertile and have been observed lactating with offspring. The antlers are formed by short-term increases of growth hormones. Usually these antlered females cannot produce testosterone to complete the antler cycle, as a result, the antlers remain soft and often permanent, similar to a cactus buck’s antlers. It doesn’t take much to put some antlers on a female’s head, one minuscule dose of testosterone is sufficient to stimulate the growth of a pedicle. Other female deer have grown antlers if their ovarian functions are chemically disabled.
[/ QUOTE ]
Fishbonker
Life Member
Re: Update From January - Knobber
I wondered why there was an empty stock trailer behind Limb's truck when you stopped in the other day. Now I know.
The 'Bonker
I wondered why there was an empty stock trailer behind Limb's truck when you stopped in the other day. Now I know.
The 'Bonker
Ghost
Life Member
Re: Update June 2008 - Knobber
The story coninues....June 2008
I had at least a 15 picture series of this deer this time...it is clearly a doe...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Many deer are thought to be cactus bucks until closer examination. The unique cactus feature can also be found on another strange deer phenomenon. The potential for antler development may also occur in female deer. Many of these females are still fertile and have been observed lactating with offspring. The antlers are formed by short-term increases of growth hormones. Usually these antlered females cannot produce testosterone to complete the antler cycle, as a result, the antlers remain soft and often permanent, similar to a cactus buck’s antlers. It doesn’t take much to put some antlers on a female’s head, one minuscule dose of testosterone is sufficient to stimulate the growth of a pedicle. Other female deer have grown antlers if their ovarian functions are chemically disabled.</div></div>
The story coninues....June 2008
I had at least a 15 picture series of this deer this time...it is clearly a doe...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Many deer are thought to be cactus bucks until closer examination. The unique cactus feature can also be found on another strange deer phenomenon. The potential for antler development may also occur in female deer. Many of these females are still fertile and have been observed lactating with offspring. The antlers are formed by short-term increases of growth hormones. Usually these antlered females cannot produce testosterone to complete the antler cycle, as a result, the antlers remain soft and often permanent, similar to a cactus buck’s antlers. It doesn’t take much to put some antlers on a female’s head, one minuscule dose of testosterone is sufficient to stimulate the growth of a pedicle. Other female deer have grown antlers if their ovarian functions are chemically disabled.</div></div>
dbltree
Super Moderator
Re: Update June 2008 - Knobber
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I had at least a 15 picture series of this deer this time...it is clearly a doe...
</div></div>
Dang...that is just plain wierd...but pretty cool just the same! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I had at least a 15 picture series of this deer this time...it is clearly a doe...
</div></div>
Dang...that is just plain wierd...but pretty cool just the same! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
KansasHeadHunter
New Member
Re: Update June 2008 - Knobber
Will you harvest it if it gives you the chance? What kind of regs. apply in Iowa on a deer like this.Does you're tags state buck,doe,antlered deer,antlerless deer.Would you have to use you're buck tag?
Will you harvest it if it gives you the chance? What kind of regs. apply in Iowa on a deer like this.Does you're tags state buck,doe,antlered deer,antlerless deer.Would you have to use you're buck tag?
