Trying to find the owner of this white tail rack

[EdP]

The OPs trying to help out a fellow hunter who lost his trophy and his thread gets turned into a rediculous peeing contest. Nice going.

 

[Panhandler80]

The OPs trying to help out a fellow hunter who lost his trophy and his thread gets turned into a rediculous peeing contest. Nice going.

True.

Apologies extended.

 

[MuleyFever]

The OPs trying to help out a fellow hunter who lost his trophy and his thread gets turned into a rediculous peeing contest. Nice going.

Its keeping it bumped up so that actually helps.

 

[Grunterr]

Nice looking rack. Also agree it is not a shed! Sheds have no skullplate. Hope it finds its owner.

 

[Panhandler80]

Nice looking rack. Also agree it is not a shed! Sheds have no skullplate. Hope it finds its owner.

Whoa…. Another biologist. One who agrees that antlers not fall off with heads On a annual basis

 

[30338]

That's a KS whitetail, CO doesn't have any big deer left.

 

[journeyman713]

Chances are, the owner lives vey close to where you found it.
There's still some hide on it, meaning someone left it outside to 'dry out'.
A critter probably dragged it away.

 

[Jbehredt]

That’s the risk you take when you insist on strapping your antlers to the highest point on your vehicle for the cross country parade home.

 

[YellCoAR]

Several years ago I found a shed antler (no skull attached) in my front yard. At the time I lived in town. I always wondered how it got there. I came to three options. 1. A deer actually ran through the town dropping an antler. 2. A dog or other critter drug it up. 3. Someone tossed it out of a passing vehicle ( I doubt this as it was a very nice one). I have never seen a deer anywhere near that part of town.

 

[Molon Labe]

OP good luck finding the owner. Awesome post!

Also...whitetails can "lose" antlers with a portion of their skull attached. This is not normal shedding of antlers...shedding is after hormone levels have dropped and the pedicle hardens and antlers come off. I have two euro mounts that have breaklines where the skull grew back the one is about a 2"x3" piece. I have also picked up an antler that had a portion of the skull attached...only an inch or two though. The one with the large chunk and breaklines grew back at a very weird angle but was a four point side like the other side. It was a 4 year old buck that only grew one side the year before...the side with the break had a lump of bone with a couple points. The damage happened when he was either a year or two old. The other buck i had no known history.

Most likely the bucks that lost a significant portion of the skull plate with the antler caused major damage to the skull while fighting or had some sort of brain infection or something that damaged the skull. Then as that infection/bacteria or whatever eats away at the skull and weakens it. Then the deer hits their antler on something and a chunk of skull comes off with pedicle and antler.

Funny thing happened along the lines of this discussion at a trapping convention many years ago during a fox skinning demo:
Lady: How many times can you skin a fox?
Skinner: Well maam...usually only once...after the first time they get real ornery
Lady: Oh
Everyone else watching: *laughing*