Pedicle damage?

[catman529]

Maybe this is why his right antler grew funny. Pedicles damage, or something else?

 

[lpo1981]

Yep I'd say so.. Looks like damage to the skull to or maybe it's just the picture.

 

[BSK]

Brain abscess caused by either rubbing or fighting (pressure on the antler opened the skull along the suture-line, allowing bacteria to enter the brain). Very common. In fact, may be the main form of natural death in bucks. And yes, that will cause the antler deformation, but I think, ultimately, it also caused the buck's death. VERY good eye and cool find.

 

[catman529]

Brain abscess caused by either rubbing or fighting (pressure on the antler opened the skull along the suture-line, allowing bacteria to enter the brain). Very common. In fact, may be the main form of natural death in bucks. And yes, that will cause the antler deformation, but I think, ultimately, it also caused the buck's death. VERY good eye and cool find.

so the buck obviously got the abscess before this set of antlers grew. Would it really take that long to kill the deer?

 

[lpo1981]

Brain abscess caused by either rubbing or fighting (pressure on the antler opened the skull along the suture-line, allowing bacteria to enter the brain). Very common. In fact, may be the main form of natural death in bucks. And yes, that will cause the antler deformation, but I think, ultimately, it also caused the buck's death. VERY good eye and cool find.

so the buck obviously got the abscess before this set of antlers grew. Would it really take that long to kill the deer?

Yes it could live with it for several years if I'm not mistaken. It usually starts as an injury to the bucks pedicles or skull from fighting and over time eventually the infections makes it into the the brain eventually causing death.

 

[Shed Hunter]

It may also have started as just a minor injory that caused the abnormal growth and the buck ended up fighting or rubbing too hard causing the injury to worsen.

Lots of possibilities though.

 

[catman529]

Well we may now have a cause of death. Bet the yotes got him quick too. Maybe there's another brute roaming the thicket...

 

[plinker22]

Nice picture. Can you see into the brain cavity between the suture and the pedicle?

 

[catman529]

Nice picture. Can you see into the brain cavity between the suture and the pedicle?

it's a bit dark and gummed up, I dont know if it goes all the way into the brain, but you can see stress cracks or something around the pedicle on the front of the head. At first I thought it was because the antler was getting ready to shed, but now it looks more like the stress marks from a skull cracking fight with another buck... who knows.

 

[Bayou Buck]

I was thinking it was an abscess also. Grant Woods was talking about them a few weeks ago on his website on growingdeer.tv. Thats one of the fist things they look for when a skull is found.

 

[BSK]

Brain abscess caused by either rubbing or fighting (pressure on the antler opened the skull along the suture-line, allowing bacteria to enter the brain). Very common. In fact, may be the main form of natural death in bucks. And yes, that will cause the antler deformation, but I think, ultimately, it also caused the buck's death. VERY good eye and cool find.

so the buck obviously got the abscess before this set of antlers grew. Would it really take that long to kill the deer?

Yes it could live with it for several years if I'm not mistaken. It usually starts as an injury to the bucks pedicles or skull from fighting and over time eventually the infections makes it into the the brain eventually causing death.

Correct. A brain abcess can kill quickly or fester for years. I once walked up on a buck dying of a brain abscess. He was flounder all over the place and when he could get to his feet he just walked in circles. I could literally walk up and touch him.

Many years ago, we also killed a spike yearling buck with a brain abscess. One of his antler pedicles and the surrounding skull plate were turning to mush, and that spike antler was jump flopping around. Yet surprisingly the buck showed no ill effects (yet) at the time he was killed (he was acting normally).

 

[BSK]

At first I thought it was because the antler was getting ready to shed, but now it looks more like the stress marks from a skull cracking fight with another buck... who knows.

Bucks cracking the skull plate around the pedicle while rubbing or fighting is actually quite common, and the reason brain abscesses kill so many adult bucks.

 

[catman529]

Well now that the skull is clean and bleached and dry, the abscess doesn't show through the whole skull from the outside but when you look in the hole where the spinal cord went, you can see a hole and cracks in the skull on the inside. Definitely got into the brain... probably the cause of death. Thanks for the info BSK