Roe bucks antlers fell off !

[westcoast highlands]

I thought I would post about what happened this morning as it was incredibly strange and new to me!,
We were out stalking some arable land This morning we got on the ground about an hour and a quarter before sunrise, we quickly dropped onto a heat source and stalked up the hedge, We could see clearly through the thermal that we had roe buck on his own , But sunrise wasn’t quite with us so we just tucked in to the hedge and waited but kept assessing the buck, we Noticed that he was consistently giving his head a shake!. As Daylight came we could see clearly through the binoculars it was a fairly old boy looked in good condition, when we got the chance we shot him in the neck 45 meters, When we got to him, I was very surprised to see both his antlers were missing! Which shocked me but then looking at him and where his antlers should’ve been There was a large amount of maggots, but no real sign of any other injuries on his head, he was absolutely fine in every other aspect on inspection.( I’m aware that antlers can come off especially as we’re mid October!)
Has anyone else had this happen or seen this?
Thanks

 

[VSS]

Interesting!

 

[Iain73]

I have never seen that before. Thanks for posting

 

[75]

Bit confused, did you find the antler next to him?
One very much worth culling with the maggots.

 

[westcoast highlands]

Bit confused, did you find the antler next to him?
One very much worth culling with the maggots.

Yeah found both antlers on the ground about 5 feet apart, where he lay after the shot, as I mentioned I had seen him clearly through the binos and saw he had a full set af antlers when he was standing.

 

[triggertrix]

Likely just the shock causing them to fall off, esp. with neck shot perhaps - he was probably ready to cast, the wounds would be scabbing over within days after via wound epithelium. He may have had one or both already loose, hence the maggots, but they of course clean the open wounds as well

 

[triggertrix]

Should have added, once shot a buck late in autumn that jumped over a fence after the shot (and soon after expired), but on touch down one antler fell off. The open wound was. It dissimilar to your picture.

Have also seen a buck clump through a wire fence coming out to feed, and the top wire knocked an antler off. He was not shot as it was not in season, but I did collect it and use it for a stick topper

 

[AGR]

I had a sika stag which lost an antler when it fell after the shot. No injury or damage, and not the time to cast.

 

[VSS]

The first antlered fallow buck I ever shot was on the point of casting, and an antler came off in my hand as soon as I touched it. Had to hold it back in place for my mate @pendle to take a photo for me!

I told the story of that buck (without mentioning the antler though) here:

Travels with my rifle, part 3: A Journeyman no longer

For parts 1 & 2 see here: Travels with my rifle. and here: Travels with my rifle, part 2: Going Solo I’m up a tree again, but there’s a significant difference: This time it’s my tree. Well, not strictly my own, but it’s my name on the lease, my first proper stalking ground, so I do have...

www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

 

[Overlay]

Excellent thread re casting and fly blown as well, real treat to see that all in within a few feet of the buck obviously in antler one moment and then gone, rare thing to see the whole cycle

Thanks for posting a interesting thread

Cheers

Phil

 

[Tim.243]

Yeah found both antlers on the ground about 5 feet apart, where he lay after the shot, as I mentioned I had seen him clearly through the binos and saw he had a full set af antlers when he was standing.

Happened with a muntjac I neck shot with the .270 like a big tree come back the next day after a gale of wind and it is over..

 

[Pete6.5]

The maggots are more normal in the summer especially just after the rut

 

[Jamouk]

Had this before thought it may have been the .30-60 being a bit too much gun !

 

[Heym SR20]

This time of year Roe are beginning to start process of shedding antlers.

Over the years I have a had a few at the end of the season where an antler came off in my hand as I started to drag it. Saw does and bucks already in winter coat today. By end of November most of the bucks will have shed their antlers.

 

[Freeforester]

Looks to me like he must have been scrapping with another contender or territory intruder, from the pic it looks as if the damage and fly strike is mainly at the rear of the Pericles/top of the head area; likely a rut time injury that has gone sour and attracted the flies in the intervening month/s. Flies couldn’t lay eggs directly on to the pedicles when the antlers were seen to be attached.

IDK your location for the stalk but over on the East side of the Grampian ( the much drier side of Scotland normally) we’ve had fewer than thirty days since last October without some rain in the 24hr period, and there’s been a higher than normal incidence of fly strike among sheep as a consequence.

 

[kieran222]

Had this before thought it may have been the .30-60 being a bit too much gun !
View attachment 389032

Did he run far?

 

[kieran222]

I thought I would post about what happened this morning as it was incredibly strange and new to me!,
We were out stalking some arable land This morning we got on the ground about an hour and a quarter before sunrise, we quickly dropped onto a heat source and stalked up the hedge, We could see clearly through the thermal that we had roe buck on his own , But sunrise wasn’t quite with us so we just tucked in to the hedge and waited but kept assessing the buck, we Noticed that he was consistently giving his head a shake!. As Daylight came we could see clearly through the binoculars it was a fairly old boy looked in good condition, when we got the chance we shot him in the neck 45 meters, When we got to him, I was very surprised to see both his antlers were missing! Which shocked me but then looking at him and where his antlers should’ve been There was a large amount of maggots, but no real sign of any other injuries on his head, he was absolutely fine in every other aspect on inspection.( I’m aware that antlers can come off especially as we’re mid October!)
Has anyone else had this happen or seen this?
Thanks

I have had this happen a couple of times before but never noticed maggots.

 

[Jamouk]

Did he run far?

More or a somersault on the spot !

 

[westcoast highlands]

Did he run far?

No, he just went straight down (.308)