Antler question ???

[moosehunter]

Yesterday on the way home from work I stopped to do some glassing and the 1st deer I saw was a huge mature buck with one side fully developed and heavy. I counted 6 tines. The other side was half the size and 4 tines. The small side didn't really looked deformed, just small. I've heard several times that if a deer is maybe injured that could cause a side to become deformed. Does anyone know if that's true?? Or are there other reason's that might happen?? Also, would you harvest a buck like this if you had the chance, or let him pass hoping he would grow 2 good sides next year. This deer would do around 170 if both sides were alike. He also was a pig. Very big body.
After I left him I took a walk back farther a watched 2 typical 8's for a few minutes. Not real heavy but nice and wide and long. Maybe around 130 to 140.

 

[Shredder]

I killed a nice buck a few years back I called Benthead. He had been trashed by a car I presume and survived the ordeal by some miracle.It appears he actually had a skull fracture along with a rear leg (femur) fracture that had healed abnormally. His rack was nice on one side and dwarfed on the other. That is about the best evidence I can give that orthopedic damage to a leg can have effects on antler growth although I have no good explanation as to why.

 

[scout]

A few years ago I came to realize I had been seeing a buck over a period of 4 years that only grew one side. he went from a fork to a very nice "8" (had he matched) I passed on him.
I would guess he will be uneven again next year.

 

[MadisonB&C]

Shredder,
Is it just the angle of the pic, or is that buck's skull kinda messed up?

 

[Shredder]

The skull is really messed up. His skull had been broken. If you look over the deers right eye socket, you can see the bone callus.