killed a nice buck in october still in velvet

[RyanH]

Humm OCT still in velvet! Sounds Odd to me!!! post some pics! I think we would all like to see them! Welcome to the forusm!

[buckbuster11]

Yuppers I saw one exactly like this a few years ago. My buddy's dad shot a 7 point on the opening day of rifle season here that was still in velvet. I believe Decmeber 1st was the day of the kill. This deer was also missing the male parts down low. It was a pretty small deer. Given the body size and the missing organs it really just looked like a doe with antlers. I'm not sure if that's what the deal is or not.

[fisherguy]

I have heard of that. What i read said it is caused by one of two things, either a birth defect, and therefore without teh hormones the buck will not rub off his velvet or rut. The second idea was that in some cases an injury to the testicles such as from jumping over a barbed wire fence can esentialy castrate the deer, leading to the same effect. Option number one seems more reasonable to me.

[bigbuckmiddaugh]

Seen it happen to arounde me. It was about 6 yrs ago someone shot a big 10pt(20in spread) During rifle season here, which is from november 15-30th. Had all its velvet.

[DSGB]

It's what's known as a "cactus" buck.
A cactus buck does not shed the velvet from his antlers.

Normally, coincidental to advanced antler calcification the skin covering the antler begins to die. The exact mechanism of velvet shedding is poorly understood but there is no doubt that vascular changes initiate the process. Velvet shedding occurs at the same time as testosterone levels are rising and administration of exogenous testosterone will cause premature shedding of antler velvet. Testosterone may cause constriction of antler arteries which have a thick muscular layer, or there may be interference in tissue metabolism by testosterone, resulting in tissue necrosis and the biochemical events leading to arterial constriction.

As day length decreases, testosterone secretion increases in response to rising LH levels and reaches a peak immediately prior to the rut. Thereafter, levels begin to decline until spring when a rapid decline in circulating testosterone is associated with antler casting. While testosterone levels remain low new antlers begin to grow. When antler growth nears completion the testosterone levels are once more rising. High levels of testosterone are associated with hardening and cleaning of the antler, coinciding nicely with the behavioral need for antlers during the rut.

The immediate effects of castration depend on the stage of the antler cycle. Castration while in velvet results in the permanent retention of the velvet. Castration while in hard antler results in immediate casting and replacement of the antler by velvet antler which will remain soft the following cycle. In some species of deer castration can result in "peruke antlers" which are almost neoplastic abnormal antler tissue, resembling the peruke wigs of old English aristocracy. That is the apparent deffinition of a "cautus buck.".Therefore, the lack of testosterone prevents hardening and cleaning of immature antler and prevents retention of hard antler.