Unique Trophies

[Buster]

I've seen some very interesting and rare critters on different threads, so I figured I'd start one to show off some unique things that guys don't see on the average animal.

Here is a ram I took a couple years ago that had a surprise on his nose when we got to him. He grew a 3/4 inch horn on the bridge of his nose. After caping it, we found that it was not attached to the bone. He likely split his nose while butting heads and as it healed, it fooled the hair cells into turning to horn material.

My taxidermist has seen a lot of sheep, but never one with this much of a horn growth on his nose. He has seen this sort of growth on antelope as well.

Non-typical sheep, go figure.

 

[todd kelly]

Very cool ram... I have seen a few videos of sheep with the same problem.

The first goat I took as a kid must have taken a bit of a fall when it was 2 years old.

And my first non typical WT

 

[2rocky]

Most unique thing I've gotten was a bearded hen turkey...

My 2008 elk had a scar on his withers. I killed him in the same draw my brother in law hit and lost a bull the year before. I assume it was his bull.

 

[Buster]

Todd, that goat must have really taken a good spill. Did you know it was wonky before you shot him?

I posted this ram in the ram porn thread, but it just goes to show that there must be a few 3 horned rams out there. I took this pic last spring.

 

[6mm Remington]

Here's a buck my dad shot several years back. He had no testicles. Pretty cool looking deer and he was really fat!! Not sure if you can tell, but the horns are in velvet.

 

[todd kelly]

And there is the three legged bear with no teeth as well....

 

[JJHACK]

When I owned custom osteo my company was cleaning about 2500 skulls a rear for hunters, not including those for schools, museums, F&G, export, coroners, office etc etc

During this time I found countless bears with broken jaws caved in skulls, smashed noses. All healed and calcified over. Frequently mountain lions were the same way. Can't even count the amount of mountain lions with partly healed holes perfectly spaced from canine teeth in the top of their skulls.

Male bears and lions really beat the crap out of each other. I've seen broad heads in both bear and wild hog skulls completely healed over a few times, and in antlers and sheep horns too.
It's amazing the pathology you see in this kind of high volume.

I shot a giant old bear a couple years ago, 28.5 years old by F&G report card from tooth ring count. I built that whole skeleton. While cleaning it one front leg had been broken and rehealed. It was fully 4" shorter then the other leg. This same bear had a centered hole through the scapula which was Also healed and calcified. My bullet hole was only an inch away. Since the shoulder is not a skeletal term hearing people say shoulder shot always makes me cringe. The scapula can float and rotate in a huge range of motion. Shoulders are not bones! " break the shoulders"is about as accurate as saying the deers horns were huge!

 

[todd kelly]

Todd, that goat must have really taken a good spill. Did you know it was wonky before you shot him?
[/IMG]

Yep, thats why we chose to shot it. Something unique that I'll probably never see again.

 

[MTtrout]

Here's a buck my dad shot several years back. He had no testicles. Pretty cool looking deer and he was really fat!! Not sure if you can tell, but the horns are in velvet.

That's because it was a female deer. I have examined many deer for my job over the years and have came across this twice. It's due to high levels of testosterone in the doe but they lack the hormones to rub off the velvet. Interesting finds. Thanks for sharing

 

[Buster]

Here's a buck my dad shot several years back. He had no testicles. Pretty cool looking deer and he was really fat!! Not sure if you can tell, but the horns are in velvet.

That's because it was a female deer. I have examined many deer for my job over the years and have came across this twice. It's due to high levels of testosterone in the doe but they lack the hormones to rub off the velvet. Interesting finds. Thanks for sharing

I've heard of similar things from castrated bucks. I think they call them cactus bucks. I didn't realize females grew so much bone. I've seen a couple does harvested that have 3 inch horns.

 

[MTtrout]

You're right. Typically there is not much growth potential, but I never spend much time researching the topic. The largest antlered doe I saw had very small beam diameter that had a length of ~ 1 ft

 

[todd kelly]

I've heard of similar things from castrated bucks. I think they call them cactus bucks. I didn't realize females grew so much bone. I've seen a couple does harvested that have 3 inch horns.

Here is a cool one from your neck of the woods.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?56559-150-quot-Mule-Deer-Doe

 

[Buster]

Of the bazzillions of mule bucks I've seen, I've only ever found 4 with big droptines (over 6 inches). One buck we could never get a chance to arrow, one a buddy arrowed. The third one I arrowed a few years back.

The fourth was actually a triple droptine buck. He was still young, and we all made a pact to let him grow. He actually broke 2 off while shedding his velvet, but the attraction of a single droptine was still enough, and we heard that another bowhunter arrowed him.

 

[bbrown]

Buster - pics are not showing up and I would love to see 'em...

 

[Buster]

Will try again.

 

[bbrown]

There they are - very nice!

 

[realunlucky]

Buster that deer you harvested is a stud. Did he have an old injury on the other side? he looks fairly lop sided

 

[Beastmode]

My 2013 Montana bull was weird

 

[Buster]

Buster that deer you harvested is a stud. Did he have an old injury on the other side? he looks fairly lop sided

No obvious injuries. Would have been nice if his right antler had grown the non-typ stuff that his left side had. He does have 2 decent stickers on the right, just can't see them in the pic.

 

[Buster]

Beastmode, did he have any damage to his pedicle?