Roe bucks antler growth

[Anser anser]

Took my son with me last night and predictably we got caught in the open grassland with what we initially took to be a small buck grazing on the corner of a wheat field about 100 yards distant --but behind a steel gate making any shot too risky and far too much tall wheat to do a good observation of the animal. Now this wee fella was sporting pedicules id say A button buck i believe would be the term used but timing seems off there. Kinda young surely? id have though a few months more before any pedicules were visible Anyways those wiser than i can advise here. I had to chuckle as he was startled by a pigeon flapping out of the bushes by the gate when we moved closer and he ran for cover looking quite the short arse. Length of protrusions id say 2 inches or so and looking in velvet?????

 

[User00056]

I have his mirror image here in Angus. I just put it down to the weather and the resultant good feeding letting them put on condition a lot faster

 

[Dickie]

Could it be an antlered doe?

 

[Freeforester]

I have removed small yearlings in velvet as described late in July in the past, fwiw.

 

[HonestJohn]

Small button buck yearlings are normal and a definite cull animal in my book. Likely sub prime beasts for their lifetime, although with roe, you never know, they are mythical animals that can transform with food source changes and survive the most remarkable RTA’s

On red stags, I don’t make the same assumption, because red stags grow their antlers at a far slower rate, and knobbers are fairly common