I have noticed at one farm; we have a bottom that is super thick. Those bucks that call that area their core area always show up more with deformed racks than any other area. After about 20+ years of watching this area I'm pretty convinced those deer are knocking their antlers off running through that thick crap in late season or are damaging them in velvet running through there and are causing the deformation. This is my theory on most of our deformed racks. I do not believe it to be genetic, if it was we would be seeing some 1.5 year olds with deformed racks, which we have none. It's always a buck 2.5 or older.
That's an interesting theory. I've considered hoof rot and bully bucks, but not vegetation thickness. I'll have to pay attention to that going forward to see if I notice the same pattern you describe.
I also believe the deer in our area are rutting later almost each year which is pushing back the cycle of the does, this would cause them to also run hard through the woods and possibly fight later than they should.
I see a lot of that late rutting down here in Coffee Co., just 45min south of Nashville. I don't think it's the bucks rutting late that drive estrus cycle. I think it's more that later born doe fawns are maturing and cycling when they've reached appropriate size/age to be bred. That late cycle is what I believe spurs the late rut activity.
The reason for the late born fawns and see-saw rut all the way into spring is a bit contested. Some believe it's due to having numerous distinctly different subspecies that were brought in from other states, and that they have at least partly remained self segregated even if only genetically/biologically, thus creating a situation with numerous distinct ruts that happen in pockets. The screenshot below vaguely explains it, and I've heard the same tale from biologists on AEDC who say TN did the same thing.
The other camp believes enough time has passed that natural selection has taken place & allowed the native subspecies to absorb all others and now all that remains is the original deer that existed before restocking. Or at least that's how I interpreted it. It's been discussed ad nauseam on here and I'm still unsure who's right & who's wrong. I don't know enough to argue or even judge which argument is correct, but both theories make sense to me so I'd have to lean toward somewhere in the middle with both being at least partially correct.
