Broken bones and the effects on antler growth

[User00048]

I always find it interesting how a change in hormones or a broken bone can affect antler growth.

Here's a Roe buck I took with a friend last weekend that had a pretty bad limp. You'll notice that the bone is long healed over and the antler that's been affected is on the opposite side to it's broken leg.

I'm told it's often the case that antler growth is affected on the opposite side of that of the injury. Is this strictly true or a wives tale? It's not something I've done a great deal of looking into but I thought perhaps experience from those on this forum, may help to form a bigger picture... before I delve deeply and get lost in any journals I can find on the topic.

It's a discussion piece I would be looking to start in a course that I'm doing and I'm sure others would find it interesting.

 

[Grannysmith]

Its True
I remember years ago stalking with richard prior, he explained how it happens and i have seen it many times myself

 

[VSS]

Yes, antler growth always affected on opposite side.

 

[andyk]

In my limited experience, yes. Shot a stag last year who’s rear hoof had nearly been taken off - was hanging on with skin and sinew, fully healed.

The antler on the side of the injury was totally normal, the one on the other was asymmetric and not a ‘normal’ antler.

Photos of injury and antlers.

 

[Buchan]

While I'm aware that an injury on one side leads to antler changes on another, I personally think it's an observational error. There is a 1959 paper suggesting some association between injury and antler growth. I suppose one explanation is where the cause of the injury to the leg has resulted in a fall onto the opposite antler whilst growing. The growth factors released during healing are body wide, so cannot affect growth on one side or another.

 

[Firefly]

I’ve shot dozens of fallow missing rear legs and or with injuries. Without exception the antler on the opposite side has been deformed or extremely limited. Of course this is only when the injury has been obtained prior to antler growth. This one only just recently.