Won't give up his headgear!

[windymtnman]

We've been enjoying watching the Elk parade past our ranch for the past 3 weeks. They're coming down into the meadow at dusk for the night, and then returning up into the foothills early morning. Herd size varies daily from 10 to 61.
This morning, only 10 were seen, but what shocked me was to see one young Bull with a single 10" long spike antler. Somebody needs to tell him to give it up, it's May 7th! hahahahaha

 

[Tufrthnails]

Not a bull a cow found the antler and glued it on I call her Kaitlen! (Sorry I couldn't help myself)

 

[ElkNut1]

It's common for spikes not to drop the first year. There's a good chance he'll wear it this year as well if he's had it this long. This does not apply to all spikes but a fair # of them.

ElkNut1

 

[Dinkshooter]

It's common for spikes not to drop the first year. There's a good chance he'll wear it this year as well if he's had it this long. This does not apply to all spikes but a fair # of them.

ElkNut1

That does not make any sense what so ever.

 

[ElkNut1]

It's true! Many spike bulls will carry their 2 horns right into the following year.

ElkNut1

 

[Art Vandeley]

It's true! Many spike bulls will carry their 2 horns right into the following year.

ElkNut1

I've never heard of that and think it is false, but maybe I'm wrong. I believe they typically hold them later than all the other bulls but still have to drop to grow another set.

 

[Paul in Idaho]

Interesting timing on this thread. I was going to post about a similar observation. A couple nights ago I was driving through the mountains at night and saw a bull by the guardrail. He was wearing spindly little spike antlers not much longer than his ears. I only got a brief glance of him lit by my headlights and couldn't tell if they were last year's antlers that hadn't dropped yet, or the scrawniest new velvet growth I had ever seen.

The next night I saw a little buck with velvet knobs proportionally wider than that bull's spikes, so I'm guessing now that bull still has last year's antlers.

 

[tjones]

It's common for spikes not to drop the first year. There's a good chance he'll wear it this year as well if he's had it this long. This does not apply to all spikes but a fair # of them.

ElkNut1

No sense,,, whats next, aging bulls by there scrotum? Oh wait,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[ElkNut1]

Yes, I agree! I thought it was odd to until I saw spikes carrying their same spikes into June. I used to feed a group of elk for 5 years & now & then there would be the smaller spikes keeping them & not shedding them. I ended up looking it up either through the RMEF website or Val Guiest & found out that some spikes will keep their spikes into the following year, aside from this I had not known that!

ElkNut1

 

[teej89]

How do they regrow their antlers then? or they stay the exact same size spike the following year.... something doesn't add up, is this like a common core problem or something?

 

[shoots-straight]

Sorry, not buying that one! Spikes might carry their horns into June, but rest assured they will lose them and regrow a set of rags. They might not be very big but they will lose them. Don't know why the confusion here.

 

[James Riley]

Sorry, not buying that one! Spikes might carry their horns into June, but rest assured they will lose them and regrow a set of rags. They might not be very big but they will lose them. Don't know why the confusion here.

I've read about cows and some bulls that grow one set and keep them for life due to some kind of hormone problem. They usually stay in velvet and they don't grow in size beyond what they got the first year. I've also read about bulls that hold their first set through an entire year before they reset to normal. Again, it was a hormone thing. Elk, like people, have their transgenders and whatnot.

 

[ElkNut1]

Think what you may, but this was in a study that I'd read about, I too was confused at first as to how it all works but it has been confirmed.

ElkNut1

 

[James Riley]

Look up "eo-antler".

 

[tjones]

I have spent way to much time searching and have found no "confirmation."

 

[Elkmagnet]

https://www.google.com/search?q=uni...ndroid-google&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

 

[tjones]

unicorn, Yep I missed that one.

 

[James Riley]

Yep I missed that one.

"Abnormalities are generally caused by genetics or injuries. Occasionally in the winter, elk are seen with velvet antlers. These may be females with severe hormone imbalances, causing sterility and growth of eo-antlers. These animals may also be a stag or castrated male. These animals either were born without testicles, or sustained an injury to their genitalia.

Stags will sometimes have the coloration of a cow, and will be heavier than other bulls. Stags can also have eo-antlers that may be stunted or deformed. Generally, stags will keep their velvet antlers and not shed them. http://elkhuntingfever.com/elk-hunting/elk-hunting-all-about-elk-antlers/ Emphasis mine.

Elk of North America, Ecology and Management touches on eo-antlers but not the retention-for-life issue. I read about it in some cervid biology science paper somewhere in days gone by. You don't have to believe it. That's cool. It will be true anyway.

 

[tjones]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[James Riley]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Perennial antler is another search term. You have to go into the weeds, but here's a couple more references:

https://books.google.com/books?id=Z...IKTAB#v=onepage&q="perennial antlers"&f=false

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2013/643601/