Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: bbarnes on June 16, 2014, 08:14:30 AM

Title: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: bbarnes on June 16, 2014, 08:14:30 AM: Can anyone who has shot a elk in SW WASHINGTON with non typical, or deformed horns post them up.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: HntnFsh on June 16, 2014, 08:24:10 AM: I have some in my shop I can post up later. At least 1 set if not more.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: Bhunter253 on June 16, 2014, 08:44:49 AM: When I get home later I'll post a pic of one I have.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: kentrek on June 16, 2014, 08:56:22 AM: I can post pics later today....whats the idea behind this ??
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: HntnFsh on June 16, 2014, 09:00:42 AM: At a Hoof rot meeting I went to. They said they werent aware of any horn deformities. I have 2 sets with soft,porous deformed horns. Possibly others. And have seen many others. And all these were on elk with hoof rot.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: Bhunter253 on June 16, 2014, 02:52:30 PM: This is a bull I shot in sw wa had hoof rot in right rear hoof. Horns aren't soft or porus.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: bucklucky on June 16, 2014, 03:06:58 PM: All the hoof rot bulls Ive seen have at least been Stunted big time on one side or non typical...
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: BULLBLASTER on June 16, 2014, 03:33:47 PM: I have killed a few hoof rot bulls and only one was weird looking in the antler department. Ill post a pic later. The other 3-4 have been normal 3-4 points raghorn.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: mdme3006 on June 16, 2014, 03:56:17 PM: I shot this one in 2010 with my Muzzle loader. Last day Bull
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: bbarnes on June 17, 2014, 06:33:38 AM: I need the photos for a habitat project I'm working on so if you or your friends have photos that would be a great help.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: ICEMAN on June 17, 2014, 06:58:56 AM: ~~There is absolutely no relationship between horn deformities and hoof rot! I have never seen it...~~ :o
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: rsarkks on June 17, 2014, 08:54:23 AM: 5 years ago I shot a bull on Mt. St. Helens with the right antler curved back at a funny hook. A 3 point antler on the left. Last year I shot a bull with a soft, bloody antler on one side, a 3x3. Neither bull displayed any sign of hoof rot.

After I saw that bloody, soft antler I did some researching, reading in my North American Elk: Ecology and Management book. I read that often times a 2.5 year old bull will have this same soft antler, this is found in elk all over North America. This is what I found: The 2 year old bulls start growing antlers later than the more mature bulls. When the antler growth stops the elk needs two full weeks of time for the antler to harden before rubbing the velvet off. At this time the testosterone levels increase in preparation for the rut. With the 2.5 year old bulls the testosterone will cause them to start rubbing antlers prior to the full two week hardening period is over, causing the end of the antler to be soft and porous (and full of blood with my bull last year) and easily break off during the rubbing process.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: MisplacedAlaskan on June 17, 2014, 09:03:40 AM: Central coast bull
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: JPhelps on June 17, 2014, 09:14:22 AM: I've looked at over 50 bulls that have been killed and had hoof rot from the Willipa Hills area. Over 95% of them have had a horn deformity on the opposite side from the hoof rot.

Anything from missing 3rds, turned down eye guards and main beam, red stag and fallow deer like configurations, etc....
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: Dr. Death on June 17, 2014, 09:30:23 AM: I shot a 4x5 last year that had horn rot, sounds like what rsarkks was talking about. You can stick a screwdriver 4-5" down the ends of hte horns and he did not have any hoof rot.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: grundy53 on June 17, 2014, 09:39:21 AM: Quote from: Dr. Death on June 17, 2014, 09:30:23 AM
I shot a 4x5 last year that had horn rot, sounds like what rsarkks was talking about. You can stick a screwdriver 4-5" down the ends of hte horns and he did not have any hoof rot.
I killed a 5x5 several years ago that had some horn rot. No hoof rot.

sent from my typewriter
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: rsarkks on June 17, 2014, 09:54:13 AM: Here is the bull I shot last year with the "horn rot", where the antler end was soft and bloody.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: JPhelps on June 17, 2014, 11:11:01 AM: Yeah we have killed some black tipped "rotten" horned bulls with no signs of hoof rot. Also I can't remember one of the hoof rotted bulls having the rotten horns. :dunno:
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: bbarnes on June 17, 2014, 03:11:13 PM: Thanks everyone for posting your photos,hoof rot or no hoof rots great.A brief description of what GMU,and clear cut or no clear cut area,would be a big help.This information will go a long way,to help our SW WASHINGTON elk herds.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: RadSav on June 17, 2014, 03:56:16 PM: Wife's 2011 Unicorn was not deformed, but the heavy base opposite the hoof rot was broken 2" above the pedicle. We also saw seven unicorn deer that same year. Not sure I had seen more than two in the 30 years prior.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: grundy53 on June 17, 2014, 06:09:36 PM: Here are two we killed in 2008 with very peculiar antlers. Both were in the same herd. Killed on state land. No hoof rot present.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: grundy53 on June 17, 2014, 06:16:39 PM: It isn't a very good picture but you can kind of tell these antlers are fairly abnormal. This bull was killed in 2008 on state land and did have hoof rot.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: grundy53 on June 17, 2014, 06:25:47 PM: here is the one I killed in 2011 that had "horn rot" you can tell the top two points on both sides are soft and black.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: mtman on June 17, 2014, 06:30:54 PM: I have heard the same thing as phelps is saying. that the opposite antler of problem leg has the effect. I shot a bull that had and old rifle bullet in its femour and its opposite antler was deformed.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: grundy53 on June 17, 2014, 06:35:59 PM: This one was killed in 2009. The opposite leg was previously broken but healed over.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: rsarkks on June 18, 2014, 09:41:02 AM: Quote from: rsarkks on June 17, 2014, 09:54:13 AM
Here is the bull I shot last year with the "horn rot", where the antler end was soft and bloody.
This bull was shot in the Lewis River unit, no clearcuts anywhere around, no hoof rot.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: bbarnes on June 20, 2014, 10:54:17 AM: Let your friends know to post there photos there's some great ones thanks again.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: GHETTO GUIDE on June 20, 2014, 09:37:46 PM: I was at the meeting and when they declared that they havent seen any antler deformity associated with hoof rot I about fu*kin puked. I realized we (I mean they) are farther out of touch than I thought. Maybe the antler deform is associated with malnourishment or the disease its self , IDK.

Ill take a pic of a severly deformed porous set of antlers. It came from a bull on the last day that was so emaciated to the point it had sores on its sternum from being bedded so much. It didnt even want to get up and walk. At the time of shooting you couldnt tell how bad it was.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: Bean Counter on June 21, 2014, 04:11:27 PM: Wow. What a sad state some WA herds are in.
Title: Re: SW WASHINGTON DEFORMED ANTLERS
Post by: redi on June 22, 2014, 12:12:28 AM: Here's one my daughter killed 2 years ago. It had hoof root on the opposite foot also.