Anyone know about non typical antlers?

[dangerranger60]

We have a buck we see a lot. last year it had its normal spike antlers, But this year it has a fork on one side and about 5 or 6 non typical tines on the other that point in all directions.
I have caught a couple pics but none that show his antlers. He is standing in front of some brush that blends with the antlers. Today I moved the cameras to try and catch him with a more neutral background or skylighted.
But I'm curious, will he always have these non typical or will he grow a more normal rack next year? Thanks DR

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[belshawelk]

Rack will either be a little bigger or a little smaller if he is getting older. points on deer/elk are genetic. Even really funky stuff is either genetic or damaged as a youth. But they typically always grow the same. A 3 year old 3 point buck will always be a 3 point buck, bigger and heavier perhaps but still a 3 point.

 

[koolminx]

Most often it's genetics but sometimes it's the diet! In utah we had some scrub brush pinion pine mulies with incredibly spiny racks more often than those near farms or up in the mountains. The old timers told me it's from their food source as well as genetics

 

[TTSX]

So what about forked horns? Are they the deer equivalent of a small member? Forever a fork, never to be a trophy....

 

[nwwoodsman]

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Sounds like a very cool looking animal. As someone who spends more time than a sane person should looking for antlers, attached or not, I'm wondering if there is any chance you can snap some pictures?

 

[dangerranger60]

Sounds like a very cool looking animal. As someone who spends more time than a sane person should looking for antlers, attached or not, I'm wondering if there is any chance you can snap some pictures?

Yea, I did move the cameras to try and catch him with a better background. I set one to try and sky light him and another to try and catch him against a more neutral background. I'll check the cameras again in a week. So far each time I have caught him at a water trough. DR

 

[koolminx]

So what about forked horns? Are they the deer equivalent of a small member? Forever a fork, never to be a trophy....

Fork N Horn is simply a young deer usually about two years old, I've seen little ones here in Western Wa and Big ones in Utah, and watched some of them grom and it's normal in the overall average of deer in my experience.