What’s wrong with my deer?

[IDspud]

Does this sound like bad genetics or like he was injured?

One antler is forked. But it looks more like two single spikes growing from his skull. The other is abnormally long with a tiny fork at the end. This side was disconnected from the skull and free floating. After cleaning up the skull it’s clear that it doesn’t fit into his skull.

Also, he had what looked like a clean pass through from my arrow. The exit side hole looked just like the entrance. But while cleaning him I found my broadhead and 3 inches of arrow in him. How does that happen? It stuck out the other side a little and then when he ran it somehow pulled back in? Glad I didn’t slice my hand open on it.

 

[Rob5589]

Antlers grow is some kooky ways at times.

 

[lyingflatlander]

Here in the midwest a number of young whitetail bucks get hit by cars where the pedicle detaches from the skull cap resulting in a floppy antler. If they survive into their second year it results in some goofy antler configurations.

 

[Laramie]

Regarding the antlers- I don't believe this to be a genetics problem- likely is the result of an earlier injury.

Regarding the arrow- I have seen it happen a few times where the broadhead will barely exit the off side but as the deer is running the fletching side catches on brush and it gets pulled back inside and then broken off. Have to always be careful gutting archery deer as sometimes blades can break off- never assume unless you find your broad head and confirm it is intact.

Congrats on some great table fare!

 

[Fordguy]

Antler issue- looks like its injury related, sounds that way too from your description.

As for the arrow passthrough/ broadhead inside, I'd need more details on the shot to venture a better guess but the arrow most likely hit bone and snapped. The momentum of the arrow pushed the body of the arrow with the fletchings through while the head and short section remained inside.

 

[Laramie]

Antler issue- looks like its injury related, sounds that way too from your description.

As for the arrow passthrough/ broadhead inside, I'd need more details on the shot to venture a better guess but the arrow most likely hit bone and snapped. The momentum of the arrow pushed the body of the arrow with the fletchings through while the head and short section remained inside.

Physics says your theory is impossible sir. See my post above- it is fairly common on elk and have seen it a couple times on deer.

 

[Fordguy]

Physics says your theory is impossible sir. See my post above- it is fairly common on elk and have seen it a couple times on deer.

Assuming that all the bones in question were fixed and unmoving I might agree with you, but strange things happen. I had a similar situation with a whitetail a few years ago. The broadhead definitely did not exit, was stuck in one of the bones on the opposite shoulder/arm. The arrow passed through completely except for the 3 inches attached to the broadhead- which protruded into the body cavity and was found when processing the deer. The sheering motion of the arm/shoulder bones against the ribcage would account for the broken arrow, but not for the continued passthrough of the rest of the arrow slightly behind those same bones.
I have pictures of the entire thing somewhere. I'll look for them. No guarantees. I have way too many saved pictures of deer...

 

[Laramie]

Assuming that all the bones in question were fixed and unmoving I might agree with you, but strange things happen. I had a similar situation with a whitetail a few years ago. The broadhead definitely did not exit, was stuck in one of the bones on the opposite shoulder/arm. The arrow passed through completely except for the 3 inches attached to the broadhead- which protruded into the body cavity and was found when processing the deer. The sheering motion of the arm/shoulder bones against the ribcage would account for the broken arrow, but not for the continued passthrough of the rest of the arrow slightly behind those same bones.
I have pictures of the entire thing somewhere. I'll look for them. No guarantees. I have way too many saved pictures of deer...

Would be interesting to see for sure.

 

[Fordguy]

This is the only shot I have that was on the computer. The rest are on an old cell phone- will have to ask the other half where she stores such things.
The shot was slightly quartering away, from 15 yards. The stand is only 10' high, and the buck was in the process of taking a step with his nearside leg forward. Angle of the shot was slightly forward and down. I can only assume that he was in the process of lifting the offside leg forward as I took the shot. The broadhead was a rage expandable. Total arrow weight was maybe 450 gr? (Guessing)I don't remember many other details other than looking at it and scratching my head for a few minutes.

 

[CorbLand]

My buddy shot a deer at twenty yards. Double lung shot, just a little high. The deer was facing west and he shot from the south side of the deer. When we found the arrow it had the back 6 inches broken off. The arrow was about 10 feet west of where the deer was standing when shot. When we were cutting him up we found the back six inches of the arrow in the north facing back ham. My guess is that the deer flung the arrow when it hit because it wheeled to the north and then ran back east. I cannot for the life of me figure out how the back 6 inches ended up buried in the ham though.

 

[BTLowry]

Antler is injury related. Sometimes they grow back right the following year and sometimes they are forever jacked up when it is pedicle injury. Also you will see one side all funky and the opposite rear leg have an injury

Deer, especially whitetails, can do some weird things. Craziest I remember was hunting with an old friend in Arkansas. He was 25-30' up a tree and shot a doe about 15yds from the tree.
When we found the deer at the end of the blood trail we had a time trying to figure out how the arrow (still in deer) was sticking out the top of the shoulder on the same side it should have entered.
He said when he shot that she did something so fast he didn't realize what happened but she apparently dropped straight down and was rolling over when the arrow somehow connected