Antlers and Stalking

Antlers provide the perfect guide for singling out deer for selective culling.

As stalkers we know that here in Britain only five of our six species of wild male deer have antlers, the Chinese Water Deer male has tusks to dominate and fight with. We do not refer to the headgear of deer as horns it is sheep which have horns.

The antlers of deer are finally formed as solid bone which is completely cast off and then grown again each year of the life span. Each new year the antler growth may increase in size or volume according to age and condition. Growth starts on the top of the pedicles which are permanent protuberances of the actual scull , the pedicles are never cast but with age they may lose bone at the interface and of course shrink with the scull in very old males !. Female deer do not have pedicles.

Horns when fully formed cease growth - they are never cast and cannot be regenerated. Horns are formed from a hollow bony core which is part of the occipital bone located behind the ears. Horns do not grow after maturity, but they are covered by a sheath of keratin which forms the outer core and this has an annual growth cycle for maintenance.

Antler development.

We cannot say for certain how old a deer is judging it by the antlers alone. A male deer's antlers develop each year according to its age and condition. They have a basis genetic style for each species. Five species of our wild male deer produce them , the roe , fallow, red , sika and muntjac. The production of antlers in deer is related to the seasonal reproductive cycle and they are produced for use as fighting weapons to hold, mark and retain territory and to establish mating potential and dominance within the herd.

Good stalkers can use the antlers to visibly identify age class and condition and place of specific male deer before selective culling. The shape size and texture of antlers may vary with different species of deer and also with individuals. The genetic pattern dictates a basic form; for instance the mature roebuck has two relatively short antlers and each one has three points ( at maturity normally the third year of life ! ). It is possible though for the antlers of all species of deer to be malformed genetically. The goat-head roebuck whose antlers are swept back with poor points is a typical example. Frequent reproduction of such a genetic fault can be reduced but not eliminated if the malformed deer are always included in the annual buck cull.

All deer species can produce malformations of their basic antler type for differing reasons; poor feeding, mechanical injury and some forms of clinical illness can all cause this problem or retarded antler growth. The terms "malformed" (or switch) is often used by stalkers to describe such a selective-cull buck or stag and these are normally selected for culling because their removal from the stock of deer often prevents injury to other deer and helps to maintain health and quality.

It is worth knowing that male deer which have survived a road accident or severe mechanical injury often produce malformed type heads in subsequent years. This usually shows as a deformity of antler on the opposite side to the injury and indicates that the deer may be unsuitable for breeding. It is also possible for stalkers to recognise certain antler types with a species as coming from the same geographical location.

The Roe Deer Buck

The basic genetic pattern of the mature head ( illustrated) has two antlers , each with three points. On top of the pedicles are the coronets and the first points are the brow points , then top points and the back points

Malformed antlers are most common in roe-bucks and I consider this to be related to their unique antler cycle which is of course the opposite to our wild red, fallow and sika deer, the roe being "in velvet" and growing antlers during the winter. The velvet hairs of roebucks are much longer and denser than the other species of deer, possible to help protect them from frostbite and mechanical damage. It is, however, likely that there is a high incidence of such damage to growing antlers which probably results in the antlers being bent or broken at the soft and malleable stage. During winter roe deer are together in small mixed herds which tend to run from cover to cover during game shooting. They are also at risk from traffic on those long dark winter nights as most of their limited movement at that time of year is nocturnal.

As age sets in, the older bucks and stags of each species may lose condition and the antlers will go back in size and quality. Malformation of antlers is of course a feature of old age testosterone levels drop and tooth wear affects the food intake . It is quite possible that an old deer's head will resemble that of a younger, developing beast and the only way to tell the difference is by the carriage of the head and posture of the body.

Antlers grow from the pedicles which are part of the frontal bone of the skull located above the eye sockets. The interface of each pedicle has cells which control the casting and growth of the antler. The period of "hard antler" and the period of growth coincide with the deer's seasonal and reproductive behaviour patterns.

Male deer which are "in velvet" or growing antlers are normally out of season for culling and close season protection is deliberately given by law to cover this difficult time. The antlers are cast each year according to the physiological cycle of each species of deer. Roe cast in November and grow their antlers during the winter; they clean and harden them early in spring ready for their summer rut. In contrast, the red, fallow and sika deer cast in May and grow their antlers during the summer, ready for the autumn rut. Muntjac may be cast or in hard antler at any time of year although a lot of muntjac bucks are now casting during the summer period.

Contrary to popular belief the size or number of points on antlers do not give us a positive recognition of the age class of a deer. They can be used as a rough guide if the observer has sufficient knowledge and experience to recognise other age class indicators. Once a deer has been shot, however, an examination of the teeth and head may be more reliable indications of age. The stalker or deer manager, therefore, needs only to be able to recognise young, middle aged or old. The best way to learn how to do this is through constant observation of deer at close quarters, such as in a deer park. The malformed antler kept as a trophy reflects true conservation of our deer resource.