Stags dropping their antlers

I got these two big boys last night, their luck ran out & they will be donated to to a local food bank

https://hosting.photobucket.com/c75a...720&fit=bounds

What surprised me was the velvet growth already, seems pretty early to drop antlers & start ?

Same about timing. Told the big boy's first. Maybe these were big boys in their time. Was out in July with a friend who shot one and it dropped its antlers after he shot it crashing off through the bush.

Pics to support last post

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Similar down Kaikoura way at the mo, shot a few stags this past week that had dropped antlers, growth was there but not as much as those big boys

All the stags we saw last week still had their head gear on. Wasn't much like spring though.

@turtleSO
Those look like they have snapped off rather than cast.those jagged bits of bone should still be on its skull.

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Originally Posted by Scortched earth

@turtleSO
Those look like they have snapped off rather than cast.those jagged bits of bone should still be on its skull.

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And very unusual for both to break off.

Maybe another funny year, neighbor say a Fallow hind with small fawn at foot last week.

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Originally Posted by Scortched earth

@turtleSO
Those look like they have snapped off rather than cast.those jagged bits of bone should still be on its skull.

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Agreed. A couple of times I have witnessed antler casting by Fallow bucks on farms. The antler separation point was flush with the pedicle underside.

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Originally Posted by tetawa

Maybe another funny year, neighbor say a Fallow hind with small fawn at foot last week.

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Last year around June / July I saw a Sika hind with a fawn at foot. Looked like only about a month old. If I had not seen the fawn I would have shot the hind.

I’ve herd of few cast antlers found up here so not long and no more fun till next year


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A reasonable stag came out of the Leatham yesterday, still had headgear on. A fortnight or so ago a velvet spiker was shot in Waihopai at Valley. A bit unusual but it’s happened before. Chamois are being seen on warm lowland country in Marlborough, unusual but not unheard of over the years. Mother Nature is a woman remember, no one has figured them out yet.

Today while driving back from Rotorua ,I saw a guy towing a trailer with a stag in it with some very nice antlers on .

I've shot a funky stag still with velvet in the roar. Things get a bit backwards sometimes

that stags antlers certainly looked snapped off - when dropped normally its neat with the pedicle- if a stag gets damage to his nuts ( fighting) that can result in some unusual antler growth like not coming out of velvet and it drys off and looks like he has two lumps of coral on his head -if a tame stag is castrated thats normally the case - maybe your case Dingo nut damage -