busted antlers

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Maple_Ridge
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busted antlers

Unread postby Maple_Ridge » Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:26 pm

Just wondering this.....

If the very tips or 1/8" of the G3s are busted on a buck, does this mean he was a hard fighter, or could this have been done by tree rubbing?

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PLB
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Re: busted antlers

Unread postby PLB » Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:39 pm

I shot a buck 2 years ago just like that. They almost looked rounded off though like it happened in velvet. Didnt look sharp or fresh broke at all.

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Maple_Ridge
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Re: busted antlers

Unread postby Maple_Ridge » Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:48 pm

Have an older mount. I knew the one g3 tip was busted, but not the other. They are sharp breaks and only 1/8" at the most. I just wondered if a buck shaved a tree hard enough, that it could break just the tips. Seems like if it was done in a fight, more antler would be missing.

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Re: busted antlers

Unread postby Stanley » Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:51 pm

I watched a tremendous buck fight between two 10 point bucks a few years ago. They fought for a long time, I don't' think there was clear cut winner. When they broke apart and quit fighting they both walked right by me. They both had busted up racks from the fight.
I can't remember how much tine length was broken off, but both had significant breakage. If I would have had my smart phone then I could have taken a clip of the whole thing.
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Re: busted antlers

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:14 pm

I had an encounter with a buck in 2011 that had a one side snapped off and had chunks of hair missing all over his body. He got whooped good that morning by a bigger buck. I have video of him, but dont know how to post with this tablet. Ive read an article once stating that some bucks are straight up bullies. No matter rack size, some will fight any buck big or small. Anyone believe that as true?

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Stanley
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Re: busted antlers

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Aug 02, 2013 12:30 am

Crazinamatese wrote:I had an encounter with a buck in 2011 that had a one side snapped off and had chunks of hair missing all over his body. He got whooped good that morning by a bigger buck. I have video of him, but dont know how to post with this tablet. Ive read an article once stating that some bucks are straight up bullies. No matter rack size, some will fight any buck big or small. Anyone believe that as true?

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From my observations over the years body size dictates who wins the fight. A buck that is light in the shorts won't hold up very long against a bigger buck.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: busted antlers

Unread postby JoeRE » Fri Aug 02, 2013 1:57 am

Stanley wrote:
Crazinamatese wrote:I had an encounter with a buck in 2011 that had a one side snapped off and had chunks of hair missing all over his body. He got whooped good that morning by a bigger buck. I have video of him, but dont know how to post with this tablet. Ive read an article once stating that some bucks are straight up bullies. No matter rack size, some will fight any buck big or small. Anyone believe that as true?

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From my observations over the years body size dictates who wins the fight. A buck that is light in the shorts won't hold up very long against a bigger buck.


I agree body size always wins. Rack size doesn't mean much of anything in a fight, I have seen a lot of bully bucks with 120"-130" racks ....they were super dominant, big bodied, mature bucks and would run all the other 3, 4, 5 year old bucks off from an area regardless of rack size. If all you start seeing is one puffed up buck come fall regardless of his antler size and you know there should be more on trail cams/glassing/whatever you probably have a bully buck on your hands and will have to take him out for things to return to normal. Small properties are particularly susceptible to this because their range can include the whole property.



A couple of notes on antler tips breaking off...some times tips fail to harden fully, different mineral makeup in the bone I am sure, and the tips wear/break off easily resulting in rounded tips. Compare a lot of antlers and you will see this in some. If the break is sharp it probably just broke off fighting.
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Re: busted antlers

Unread postby trdtnlbwhntr » Fri Aug 02, 2013 5:38 am

I would imagine that in order to break off the last 1/8- 1/2 inch of antler it would have to be done before full hardening took place. Otherwise imagine how difficult it would be to get a good bit of leverage to break just the tip off of an antler tine without actually breaking the entire tine or twisting off the main beam.
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Re: busted antlers

Unread postby oneflag » Fri Aug 02, 2013 5:42 am

Maple_Ridge wrote:Just wondering this.....

If the very tips or 1/8" of the G3s are busted on a buck, does this mean he was a hard fighter, or could this have been done by tree rubbing?

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I was told by a taxidermist friend that when the tips are broke off; look closely sometimes the tips are chipped. He said that it’s from two bucks sparring. Not an all-out fight, they are just pushing themselves around. I think some bucks look for a fight and some just bump racks and move on!
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Re: busted antlers

Unread postby bowmike » Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:45 am

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This was my best buck, far cry from some of the hammers posted on here but. His g-3 looked like it was broke a bit but further inspection shows it has a small bowl if you will in it.

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I was wondering if this was caused by and insect or damage during velvet.
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