All hunting season I saw this 7 point "buck", and every time I saw it there was a single fawn following it. I thought it was weird but didn't give it much thought until today, when I saw the same two deer in my yard,(the adult has a very light colored face so I know it was the same deer) and it had obvious marks on the head like a buck has when he sheds. This time I got a really good look at the business end and as I suspected, no man parts! This is clearly a doe that can have babies, but also grows antlers. So how uncommon is this trait, anyone know? If I see her next year I'm shooting regardless of antler size, I think it would be a once in a lifetime chance to shoot a doe with a rack (on her head).
I've heard of antlered does but never one that sheds. I've been told because they don't produce enough testosterone they grow one set but will not shed them. The ones I've seen pics of had very white horns.
First deer my uncle ever shot was a hermaphrodite, it was a spike buck with both sets of genitals LOL pretty crazy!
This is pretty interesting. According to this article if they shed, they might not grow them back the next year. “Someone shot an 11-point or 14-point doe a few years ago,’’ Cornicelli said. And those rare does may have antlers one year but not the next, he said. Most antlered does lack enough testosterone to lose the velvet on their antlers, he said. Spotting or shooting a doe with a hardened, velvet-free rack would be even more unusual, Cornicelli said. click here for the whole article about a guy that shot an 8pt doe. 8-point deer is a gender-bender | Star Tribune -D
This deer did not have velvet on the rack. I am finding it hard to believe myself, but this deer 100% definitely had marks where antlers were, and definitely 100% did not have guy parts, I was using binoculars, so it is either a doe with antlers, or a buck without guy junk. The fact that it is always with a fawn led me to believe it is a female.
I have had pictures of the same doe two years in a row with antlers. She does not shed the velvet, and she had a fawn with her last year, but I didn't get pictures of one with her this year. It would be a cool trophy, but the bad thing is I would have to burn a buck tag on her here in Kansas.
Shot a spike about 10 years ago that turned out to be a doe. Still had velvet and from what I read they typically don;t lose the velvet or drop the horns each year. Kinda weird to see, would prefer it be one or the other...
I've read that does can grow antlers. It's very rare and will usually stay in velvet! It takes an extreme amount of testosterone to start growing then another surge to get rid of the velvet. I saw a monster doe in a magazine a few years back! It was absolute astonishing for either sex.
Antlered doe aren't very common. If you go to google images and search antlered doe there are quite a few, but that is across the us and for a long period of time.
